I posted on this subreddit a few days before my assessment centre, expressing that it was my first one and I was feeling the pressure.

I received so many helpful comments and I genuinely read through all of them so thank you all for your help.

The AC literally ended a few minutes ago and i’m feeling positive. I would say it went well. My first interview was the negative, I don’t think this interview went well at all - the interviewer was quite robotic and it was hard for me to converse with them freely. I also forgot to mention principles and values of the company in the behavioural/competency based questions (tell me a time when xyz). Worst type of question, I find myself drawing from experiences and making it up as I go along while trying to stick to the STAR format.

The second and third interviews on the other hand were outstanding, genuinely some of the best interviews I’ve ever done. I’m waiting for the outcome and I don’t know how to feel due to that first interview being quite poor. Will the second and third interviews boost my chances enough to get the offer? who knows, it’s waiting that will kill me. All three interviewers will meet and discuss my performance so i’m hoping the second and third sing my praises enough to convince the first.

Alright i’ve waffled enough, thanks if you read this far and God willing I hear some good news in the coming weeks!

Applied for a BAE Systems graduate role back in January and was told in February that I’d been placed on the reserve list.
Since then, I’ve been receiving regular emails every month asking whether I’d still like to remain on the reserve list, which I’ve continued confirming. Since then, I’ve completed the full SC vetting process, had my Right to Work call, and recently received confirmation from UKSV that my SC clearance has been approved.
I still haven’t had a formal offer yet, so I was wondering if anyone here has been in a similar position before.
What are realistically the chances of getting offered a role from the reserve list after already completing SC clearance and onboarding-related checks?

If nothing opens up for this intake, do BAE usually carry reserve candidates over into future intakes or other graduate opportunities?

Trying to stay positive but at the same time it feels like I’m waiting for something that may never happen.
Would appreciate any insight from anyone who’s been through the BAE graduate recruitment process or defence recruitment in general.

Hi everyone !

I've received an offer from BAE Systems in New Malden, and would like to know about my future cohorts !

I would also like to create a group (e.g. discord or here one reddit). Let me know if you're interested in joining too

Edit : Just made a discord server ! Let me know if your interested in joining!

i am a master’s student here in the UK. i am graduating from university of manchester in september 2026. before this year ends i need to find a sponsored job or else i will have to apply for PSW visa, which i am very reluctant to do as its very expensive. i do see all these reels on insta on how to get one but these companies dont respond back after u apply.

i came here on a loan which would be easier to pay if i worked in the UK which is why its necessary for me get a job here.

please tell me any tips or tricks on how to get a sponsored job before this year ends.

I attended the Arm apprenticeship assessment day and have a 15-minute Teams call scheduled later today for feedback and my outcome. I applied for the DevOps Level 4 role at the Manchester office.

Has anyone else had their call yet? If so, what was your outcome and did you accept? Would be good to hear from others going through the same process.

Has anyone started a university degree and then moved into a degree apprenticeship after 1st or 2nd year.

After rounds of interviews and applications i am not sure an apprenticeship is going to happen this year.

I have my heart set on an apprenticeship however i do not know what to do if i dont get one this year.

I am thinking about starting a degree, and then keep applying for apprenticeships.

If anyone has a similar experience or any advice i would be more than grateful to hear more!

I think many people, like myself are in the position where they have accepted their DA offers ready to start in September but don’t have much guidance on what to do before then. Any current DAs please share some advice on how to prepare for starting a DA. What to expect? What are some things you wish you knew before starting? Is there anything you would do differently if you could start again? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

im trying to gain market research for a project, and id love to know why people choose pathways for career or life reasons so please be kind and interact, or even if your none of these, ask questions for those on these career pathways to answer ! all interactions help me

So i'm really interested in maths and related fields but got a tech degree apprenticeship at boe with a dts degree from exeter. I can't go to uni because on int fee status despite living here for almost 5 yrs. (45k per year)

I was wondering if i would get into any of the top unis to do a masters in maths after finishing my apprenticeship? Has anyone here done anything similar?

Hi, I've just been rejected from a string of work experience placements from Aviva, Cisco, Morgan Stanley STEM competiton from Imperial College. I'm in Y11 so this isnt too horrible for me rn, and I had a work experience last year in Y10, I probable need one for Y12 in order to stand a good chance for getting into a good degree apprenticeship placement .

Can someone review answers to these questions and see if any red flags pop up? If anyone here is a hiring manager or a recruiter it would also be appreciated if I can have some input.

Morgan Stanley studying STEM program :

Please describe why you wish to attend this event. (200 word maximum)

I am fascinated by the ways in which global politics and current events impact markets and the economy. To explore this connection myself, I coded a paper trading website that uses APIs to gather real time data and visualize trends, involving analysis of income statements, stock tickers and more.
When the Iran conflict escalated earlier this year, I took it as an opportunity to explore how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could raise oil prices and even the cost of fertilisers! By consulting analysis and making my own judgements, I could adjust my portfolio in real time, for example, by increasing percentage of gold equities as a traditional safe haven in times of economic upheaval.

I think that this Studying STEM program will help me to explore how a large firm such as Morgan Stanley analyses such trends and uses that for wealth management and investment banking. The panel sessions and interactive activities are a particular draw as hearing directly from people working at the intersection of technology and finance would give me a new perspective of the various job roles and opportunities that are available, which would greatly help me further my future career.

Please provide an interesting fact about yourself.

I play ultimate frisbee competitively!

Please describe yourself in 3 words.

Curious, Enthusiastic, Dedicated

What are you most looking forward to, if you receive a space on the programme?

I am most looking forward to the panel section, as that will give me the opportunity to ask questions and connect with industry professionals who have experience in the Finance and Technology fields. Connecting with such people will also help me to understand what job roles are out there, to make a more informed career decision in the future.

Cisco IT skills

We’d love to hear why you would like to take part in this work experience and what you hope to le...
   I would love to take part in this work experience programme because I have a strong passion for technology and IT, and I am eager to explore the wide range of opportunities that exist within the industry and Cisco. I read about how Cisco manages hardware design of routers and switches, and I am interested in understanding how such devices are made at a low level. I am also eager to learn what work is rally like day to day which will help me better prepare on which career trajectory to take in the future

Which particular area of technology or business are you most curious about, and why?
   I am most curious about networking and protocols and how communication standards allow us to communicate with each other seamlessly. Recently, I explored Web Development and created a website that helps GCSE students manage their revision schedule and flashcards. I was particularly fascinated by how web pages are hosted online. In particular, I researched how the TCP/IP stack was split into different layers that aids in troubleshooting and maintaining networking infrastructure. Reading how Cisco works to create this very network infrastructure, I would be eager to understand how different protocols are actually written to help different devices communicate with each other.

What are your future ambitions or career ideas, and how do you think IT skills could help you achieve this?
   While still exploring my career options, I have been strongly considering working in Networking or hardware design. This is because I would love a hands-on role which involves working on interesting problems and understanding the ways in which the world communicates. The work experience would give me a greater understanding of the various job roles and opportunities available in this space, particularly in the practical workshop sessions. I am sure the teamwork and design skills would be invaluable in my future career and I would love to take part in this opportunity.

Imperial College STEM Competition

Enthusiastic about STEM and its capability to solve wide ranging problems I attended to a Royal Institute talk on the Physarum polycephalum slime mould. Observing how a brainless organism could autonomously replicate the efficiency of Tokyo’s subway system improved my understanding of optimization. This sparked a drive to translate biological processes into digital frameworks, eventually culminating in an ongoing project to map this slime mould onto a python program, to explore the travelling salesman problem. I am applying for the Imperial STEM Challenge because I am interested in exploring how multiple facets of STEM can interact together to create innovative solutions to real world problems. As an aspiring Computer Scientist, this competition would allow me to bridge the gap between theory and practical use cases that can help solve complex problems beyond the screen.

I am suitable to take part in this competition due to my previous experience in innovation competitions and problem solving. In the InnoVenture, innovation challenge, I placed 3rd out of more than 10,000 competitors by designing a product that utilises existing Fastag frameworks and RFID technology to minimise illegal parking. Recently, I participated in the Capgemini work experience; our team brainstormed ideas and pitched solutions to a team of senior employees on creative methods to improve the sustainability of their London office. Furthermore, I was the lead car designer in our school STEM Racing club, where I used Fusion 360 and the CFD software Ansys to create and test a model F1 car that we raced at Bath University. Consolidating all members’ perspectives and developing creative solutions to maximise aerodynamics and minimise weight of the car, the competition sparked my curiosity about how CFD softwares are made. This led to my current research on the physics behind CFD simulations, where I will create software to better gauge the aerodynamics of the F1 car. 

These experiences taught me how to communicate in a team, consider other ideas and how to integrate feedback to develop robust solutions. This is invaluable in working at a fast-paced collaborative environment like the Imperial STEM Challenge. I am keen to bring my enthusiasm STEM, my aptitude for problem solving and my proven track record of collaboration to the Imperial STEM Challenge.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm at a loss at how I got rejected for all of these. Any tips or ideas on how to write these better?

Am I eligible to apply to dts degree apprenticeship after I start my CS course in uni? I heard since I will be covering similar modules then that makes me overqualified for the gov funding. Also , if you get the offer, could I leave uni last minute like before the apprenticeship starts?

I’m 20 years old and dropped out of uni to chase a DA. I’m older than most applicants and it feels like i’m in a race against time because I can’t waste another gap year chasing apprenticeships. I put my all into this gap year in terms of applications however so far it’s been failure after failure. I’ve been invited to my first ever assessment centre. I was happy for the whole day when I found the email in my junk folder, then reality set in. I can’t revel in this too much because I haven’t actually succeeded yet and I can’t help but feel the pressure.

My AC consists of two 30 minute interviews and a 15 minute presentation that I have to prepare.

I’m new to this sub reddit and it seems a lot of you regularly get into assessment centres. If you guys don’t mind passing on some advice that would help, even you didn’t make it past it would be nice to hear about your experience.

Hi all,

I’m hoping for some advice. I’m currently doing a Level 6 in Creative Design/Project Management for a large organisation.

For the past 6 months, alongside my apprenticeship, I’ve been part of a project team. The project work is helpful in that it contributes evidence towards my apprenticeship and allows me to learn about future roles that I could be in after my apprenticeship, but I’m starting to realise how little I enjoy the work itself. I just don’t enjoy the fast paced and high pressure environment and really feel that I’m not thriving where I am.

I realised this early but in order to give myself and the apprenticeship a chance, I decided to stick out the apprenticeship for a couple of months to see if it would become more enjoyable. Unfortunately, months later, I dread both the project and apprenticeship even more, to the point my mental health is suffering. I dread work every day and dread the amount of apprenticeship work that I have to do for something that I just don’t see myself doing in the future. I feel like a failure and that I’m chucking the towel in.

I enjoy the creative tools we use, but I dislike managing people and stakeholders and the PM element that is a core part of the role. I don’t feel as if the mandatory write-ups for the apprenticeship are well explained - they are just thrown on you, with little to no explanation, and you essentially have to wing writing them, which causes more stress.

I’ve had good feedback from tutors and peers, but I dread carrying on for myself knowing that I just don’t like it.

Is there any advice you could lend me? Would you quit if you were me? I haven’t quit yet, but I’m seriously considering my future.

Thanks

Those who transferred from university lets say year one onto a degree apprenticeship, how did it work with the employer?

Has anyone transferred from the same course too, let’s say civil engineering to a civil eng DA, did you skip a year off of the apprenticeship etc?

I’ve heard a ppl have done this

Has anyone else on an apprenticeship had a confusing start date situation?

The programme was advertised with a start date of 9th September, but I've just received something saying I need to be in the office/start on 17th August. Nothing in the communication has actually explained what the August date is for.

I'm guessing it might be some kind of induction, onboarding, or pre-programme training, but I'm not sure. Has anyone experienced something similar? Would be good to know whether to expect a full day as in thats when i start going into the office all the time, whether it's mandatory, or if its just like an induction or something

Hi guys,
I’ve recently applied for Microsoft sales data analyst and got up to the point where I did a 1 to 1 interview on the 1st of may but I haven’t heard back.
I was wondering if anyone who applied for this role and did the interview heard back.
Also it’s the 16th now and nothing back , should I give up hope on it now?

Hi, i just recently received an offer from BAE, i’m just wondering if anyone on here has received an offer aswell or is a current apprentice for BAE systems and if you are please can you tell me how u are finding it at BAE

(reupload)

i’ve been accepted onto the apprenticeship programme in the uk however i’m not sure if i want to change the location (possibly to london) and i’m not sure if this is possible or if anyone has done this before? i’m being sent my formal contract in about 2 weeks however when i did the interview/received my call it was with the manager from the office i applied to, and they did ask me why did i apply to this office. would i be able to change?

also, they do have another launch pad in london for july. not sure if its for apprenticeships but if it is, would it mean there is room for me to transer?