PR graduates: Kickstart your career at Ketchum

As final year undergraduates work on their dissertations smart students are also on the look out for employment opportunities. We've numerous opportunities for graduates looking to start their careers at Ketchum in London, UK.

This year we're looking to hire up to four people onto our James Maxwell graduate scheme. The programme honours the memory of former European CEO Maxwell and is designed to help young people develop their career in the public relations industry.

The closing date for applications is 19 April. There's an initial telephone interview followed by an assessment day on 19 June.

Successful applicants will complete two six-month rotations in different practise areas within the business before specialising as they embark on their career.

It's a cracking scheme supported by training both on the job and via our continuous professional development scheme called Ketchum University.

Ketchum also runs 12 quarterly internships each year. These are three-month paid positions to support a practice in an account coordinator role.

There is no guarantee of a job at the end of an internship but smart people stay in touch and frequently get hired as opportunities inevitably arise in the business.

We typically get up to 150 applications for the James Maxwell graduate scheme and up to 50 applications per quarter for internships.

Rachael O'Connor runs both the graduate and intern programmes. I asked her what it takes to get her attention.

"To standout from the crowd you need to do the basics really well. Follow the instructions on the website and complete the forms," she said.

Beyond that O'Connor says that students need to demonstrate a passion for their chosen profession and demonstrate what they've done to breakthrough.

The really smart students are the ones that started thinking about future careers the day that they started at university and began building online profiles and networks.

We're an award-winning agency with fantastic clients. We want to hire exceptional people. Show us why you fit the bill.