Universia continues in its quest to identify the brightest young national talent. Large companies, recruiters and 88 young students will take part in a fun, dynamic event which is a great opportunity for professional projection and networking. This year's Jumping Talent is the sixth edition of the popular event.
"A talent contest in which companies compete for the best talent". This is the definition of Jumping Talent given in a Company Meeting session by Cecilia Marinas, the Human Resources Consultant at Universia. In the session, held on Thursday 25th January on the Madrid Campus, students with a range of different profiles and nationalities came to ask their questions about the event.
The potential of Jumping Talent is based on the networking opportunities on the day of the event, scheduled for the 22nd March 2018. Cecilia explained that networking was a key feature not only in terms of the Human Resources directors and teams of the large companies that take part, but also with respect to other university students and recent graduates, with various profiles, with whom we may discover opportunities for collaboration, entrepreneurial ventures, etc. This all takes place against the backdrop of a dynamic event with a fun atmosphere.
To reach the final event of Jumping Talent, candidates have to get through a selection process run by Universia. "We are looking for candidates with different profiles, as the companies operate in various sectors, but we do ask for some general requirements", explained the Human Resources professionals. There are four essential criteria: a good academic record, a good level of English, having international experience and being passionate and driven.
The selection process is divided into five phases before reaching the sixth: the final event. The first step is registration on the website. After submitting the requested information, all applicants receive an email containing a number of psychometric and English tests, before having a telephone interview with the team at Universia, in which they discuss the candidate's curriculum and competences. The fourth phase of the process is in-person at an assessment centre during the week of 12th to 15th February. In this part, the candidates will be given more information about the final event. They will also take part individually in a test involving an elevator pitch ("in which originality and creativity are essential") and a case study analysis ("situations that can happen in the day-to-day running of a company"). Lastly, within a week, Universia will notify the candidates that have successfully passed these phases and made it through the final event.
Cecilia Marinas also answered the questions of the students of EAE Business School in relation to the final event. At the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria the 88 brightest young talents will come together with 11 Human Resources Directors from leading companies: Banco Santander, Bricomart, Burger King, Calidad Pascual, EY, Hilti, Indra, Leroy Merlin, LG, Mediaset and Saint-Gobain.
Over the course of the day, Universia organizes activities divided into three main blocks. In the first, the aim is to introduce the candidates to the companies. "The Voice of Jumping Talent" is the second test and it is carried out on an individual basis. In 15 seconds, the candidate has to answer a question at random and the companies press a button if they want them to join their team. Cecilia explained that "they are not technical questions. Remember that this is a 'game'. Moreover, the fact that you are part of a specific company's team does not in any way mean that you will later be contracted by that company or that you cannot talk to the director of another company". Lastly, when the teams have been formed, in the final activity, they compete for a 'symbolic' prize.
"Jumping Talent is a unique experience, an opportunity to make a name for yourself, talk to Human Resources executives and other young talents like yourself", summarized Cecilia Marinas. With respect to previous editions, the guest speaker mentioned that all the candidates were eventually contacted by the participating companies and around 50% of them were contracted. "Take full advantage of the opportunities for networking", she advised the students of EAE Business School.
