A breakdown of the areas in which technical
students are currently working shows that almost half are working in Computing,
with another 20% working in Electronics, 7% in General Engineering/Science
areas and 9% on Mechanics. Supervisors in Computing sections are therefore very
actively seeking students in every recruitment round, and have very specific
search methods and criteria which they use to select from the hundreds of
applications they see. They use a keyword search facility to identify
applicants with the right skills sets, and look for good references from a
reliable source, favouring references from University tutors whom they know and
have come to trust.
There are two application deadlines each year,
which from 2014 will be in January and June. Successful applicants then
normally start 3-6 months later. Applicants from the UK, particularly for
Technical Studentships, typically aim to start in June, in which case they
would apply in January. For a September start the June application deadline
would work better.
For all of the above opportunities at CERN,
applications need to show an understanding of what CERN offers and a clear
focus on what the student/graduate wants to achieve. If the student has relevant
practical experience, be it inside or outside of University, it is very
important to mention it. CERN is looking for evidence of a rigorous approach to
life, study and work which will ensure the student provides genuine input to
CERN in response to the high level training opportunity being offered.
The application process is so crucial that STFC
has prepared a separate guidance document for students and their tutors, which
can be accessed on the STFC website.
Any of the CERN departments would be pleased to
engage in more depth with UK University departments and tutors, employers,
trainers and careers advisers. Visits to CERN can be facilitated by STFC, and
the first point of contact for this is Stephanie Hills