Getting a head start via the international High potential programmes
International High Potential programmes are an excellent means for young graduates to fast-track their way to an international career under optimal conditions, and rapidly take on responsibility.
These challenging, international High Potential programmes are sometimes known as graduate, trainee or rotational programme. They often have highly evocative titles such as Accelerated Management programme, Leadership or development programme, Flying Start or Fast Track programme ...
In effect, organised by leading internationals, these programmes offer successful candidates fast-track management, development and leadership schemes.
The shortest programmes last 12 months and the longest can be up to 5 years long, but they are generally run between 2 to 3 years. The graduates are often given several 6 to 12-month assignments in different countries or different subsidiaries of the company.
These assignments, also known as Rotations may specialise in just one field such as finance, marketing or sales, or else may alternate different functions to provide general management training.
The programmes offer young graduates a specific framework and support structure: recruited annually, they join a carefully designed development scheme. Between each posting, they are brought together to debrief their assignments, enjoy specific training inside the company and can even join MBA courses on business school campuses to gain specific technical or managerial skills. They are supported throughout their different assignments and benefit from coaching or mentoring with a personal tutor or coach who is generally a senior executive in the company.
The schemes present several advantages for the successful young graduates.
Firstly, the diversity of assignments and their international character speed up development of the young graduate's technical and managerial skills. The programmes provide much faster and more solid grounding for managerial positions, with the rapid acquisition of skills matched by just as fast career progress.
The second major advantage is that the graduates build up a strong network inside the company, which can later be used to lever and step up their career management and functional mobility. As with their mentor, the young graduates begin and manage their internal lobbying with their own peers in their class year.
Lastly, the companies assess, incorporate, train and coach the young graduates in order to develop their skills and their loyalty. It is therefore in the company's interest to hone their talent and find the most fitting positions for them, thus building up their pool of future managers and international leaders.
What are the recruitment criteria for these schemes?
The selection process is extremely demanding as the investment stakes are very high for the firms, the learning curve is steep and career progress is fast.
Most of these programmes target young graduates with a Masters or postgraduate degree from the best European HE institutions, or with at least two years professional experience.
In terms of technical skills, some programmes target certain schools and universities but most Master level science or management graduates are equally eligible.
What counts is that you can show you have excellent grades and rank among the top students in your class year.
The recruiters will be looking for technical skills in project management, negotiation and finance, with in-company experience and at least 6 months spent abroad.
Fluent English is a must, together with a second and third language, but above all, recruiters are looking for international exposure and a multicultural attitude.
The companies in question often draw up a long list of soft skills which they are seeking above all. Successful graduates must be autonomous, curious, creative, open to change, customer- and results-oriented, able to take initiative, have a strategic vision and a highly developed sense of excellence, and good communication skills.
What are the recruitment procedures for these programmes?
Rather than the traditional selection via CVs and letters of motivation, the process incorporates a certain number of tools and tests that aim to rationalise the companies' identification of high profiles during the pan European recruitment drives with candidates of different nationalities and cultures.
The first stage is usually the highly detailed online application form which may or may not include aptitude tests that are a primary eliminating factor. The candidates are then pre-screened during a phone interview, followed by a traditional face-to-face individual and/or group interview, held in one or several languages.
After this stage, the remaining candidates then spend a day or two at an assessment centre, where around a dozen or so graduates are closely scrutinized for their performance during various assessment exercises.
These exercises frequently include personality questionnaires, tests to measure their numerical, verbal and abstract thinking skills, role plays, case studies with an oral presentation, and group interviews. The exercises are often in English only to facilitate interaction between the European candidates.
Three tips for ambitious young graduates: prepare thoroughly, be highly motivated and put all you've got into the graduate programme process!
Where to find these programmes:
SONY European Graduate programme BP European Management programme http://www.bp.comTelecom Talents, France TELECOM http://www.francetelecom.comBritish American Tobacco's challenge initiative INBEV Management Trainee programme BEIERSDORF Beyond Borders programme http://www.beiersdorf.comWOLSELEY European graduate programme http://www.wolseley.com
Comments0
Please log in to see or add a comment
Suggested Articles
