Entering the Target Jobs Undergraduate of the Year awards simply happened by chance for me, but looking back now was one of the best things I could have done to improve my chances of getting a graduate job when I finish University.

I was revising for my exams and was surfing the net as many students do (for research purposes obviously!) and ended up on the Target Jobs site where I spotted the advert for the Management Undergraduate of the Year and as the saying goes, the rest is history. There are so many reasons why you would enter this or any other award for that matter. For a start the networking: you get to meet so many people from fellow students to potentially the CEO of the business. I met all of the recruiting team at Enterprise and many other employees who I have kept in touch with over the past few months – you never know what doors they can open for you.

Another reason to apply is that I got to take part in a graduate recruitment process.  I had to fill in an application form and completed a few tests, as well as a telephone interview and an assessment centre which included a face to face interview. This experience is invaluable to anyone applying for graduate jobs generally as I am now one step ahead of those who haven’t had the opportunity to experience this process. Plus the winner gets to spend a week in the USA!

As I may have mentioned to my friends and family in passing I actually won the award and as well as having this on my CV, I now have a 9 week summer placement to add to it as well. Working in my local branch in Bristol I was involved in all aspects of the business, from customer service to marketing to finance and sales. It was a fantastic experience and again I met some great people at Enterprise who all wanted to help in my training and development. The skills I gained are invaluable for anyone and I know I have so many experiences to talk about in any interview I will have in the future.

As well as the 9 weeks in the branch I also spent a week at the European head office and got the chance to meet the Directors and senior management at Enterprise. Working in both the branch and the head office makes you realise there is so much more to Enterprise then simply renting cars.

I am now on my Erasmus year and getting ready for my week in the USA at the Enterprise world headquarters next Easter. So don’t delay, fill in the application today as it will be an unbelievable experience!