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How to stand out from the crowd

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GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAMMES offer comprehensive training opportunities for rapid progression and competitive salaries. For this reason, it is not surprising they are very popular.

But when faced with such fierce competition, graduates must offer more than academic attainment and relevant experience to pass the first round of screening. They must also learn how to complete the applications process effectively.

'Applicants for our CIBM [corporate investment and banking markets] graduate programme are competing against the top students from the top schools around the world,' said Lindsay Underwood, manager, training and development, CIBM, Asia-Pacific, HSBC.

'More than 8,000 graduates applied for just 100 places in [the] CIBM scheme this year. So, applicants must invest time in crafting a really strong application.'

The application process for graduate training programmes is often quite different to the more traditional selection methods used to recruit for general positions.

Graduate application forms are usually complex documents which have been designed to measure behavioural indicators of success. These forms are rarely used to simply outline experience and credentials. Completing them therefore takes time and skill.

Ms Underwood recommends graduates research the market and target their top six to eight choices before applying.

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