Capgemini

Headquartered in Paris, this French IT titan employs over 118,000 staff operating across 30 countries. Capgemini specialises in IT consulting, and has developed its services over the years by acquiring other firms to increase its areas of expertise. The firm’s current structure is broken into three key business areas – consulting, outsourcing and technology – but in practice, these divides are blurred in providing a total service to clients.

A Bit of Background

Capgemini may be a front runner in IT services today, but this hasn’t always been the case. Since being founded in Grenoble by Serge Kampf in 1967, Capgemini has been through several incarnations. The firm began life as Sogeti, an enterprise management and data processing company, but it quickly branched out into the outsourcing sector, with the purchases of CAP and the US-based Gemini Computer Systems. Subsequent to these major acquisitions, the firm rebranded itself CAP Gemini Sogeti, and in 1981 launched US operations following the addition of Milwaukee-based DASD Corporation.

The firm’s consulting practice was established in 1986, with the addition of the consulting division of US-based CGA Computer. Then in 1991, Gemini Consulting was born, formed through the integration of two management consulting firms: United Research and The MAC group. In 2000, the firm’s consulting arm was bolstered considerably with the acquisition of Ernst & Young Consulting – tripling the firm’s North American operations. Four years later, the firm rebranded, settling on its current name, Capgemini. The Noughties haven’t been a unanimous success for the firm, but after losses mid-decade, Capgemini is most definitely in the ascendency having made numerous US and European acquisitions. The firm certainly isn’t planning on easing off the accelerator any time soon either – India, Poland and China sit high on the list of the firm’s targets.

A Closer Look at Departments

Capgemini’s consulting arm specialises in customer relationship management, finance and employee transformation, and supply chain and transformation consulting. Although the firm still markets its consulting services, its local professional services and outsourcing have become the focal departments.

The firm provides its clients with applications management, infrastructure management, business process outsourcing, transformational outsourcing, process design and systems implementation. Capgemini services firms from numerous major industries, including automotive, consumer products, distribution, energy, utilities and chemicals, financial services, health, life sciences, manufacturing, public sector, retail, and telecoms, media and entertainment.

Capgemini prides itself on its relationship with its clients, and has even given a registered trademark to this approach: Collaborative Business Experience (CBE). This team-based method is the cornerstone of the firm’s model, approaching any given problem as a member of the client’s team by working beside them every step of the way.

Practice numerical tests and verbal tests used by actual employers.

Capgemini offers four different programmes for graduates: consulting, technology and general management, as well as one year placements.

Lasting between 18 and 24 months, the consulting programme kicks off with a one week induction course at the “Capgemini University” in France. There you’ll mingle with Capgemini grads from other countries and pick up ‘hard skills’ such as project planning and strategic analysis, as well as ‘soft skills’ like networking and communication. You’ll then get assigned to one of seven specialist areas: technology transformation, supply chain management, marketing, sales and service, employee transformation, finance transformation, operational research or strategy. As part of the consulting group your overall responsibilities will be to help companies operate as efficiently as possible and you’ll be given free rein to rotate across any of the seven departments or stay put if you’ve found your niche. To make the cut, you will need ABB at A-Level or equivalent and a minimum 2:1 in any subject.

The graduate technology scheme has similar entry requirements as the previous programme – the firm considers applicants with a 2:1 from any discipline, although lowers the bar at A-Level to three Cs. The programme last two full years and graduates are assigned to one of two main streams: either business technology or technology. The former includes roles such as specialised testing, project management, business analysis and business transformation; while the latter tasks its recruits with the more specialised areas of IT such as Java, Microsoft and Cloud based technologies. In a nutshell, you will be helping Capgemini clients with all their IT needs.

General management candidates face the same academic prerequisites as those of the technology programme. The scheme provides opportunities in finance, HR, facilities and property, IT, corporate services, and sustainability. The roles are within Capgemini, as opposed to with clients, and you will be providing support to all aspects of the business.

Capgemini’s fourth programme offers placements to current students rather than graduates. Lasting 11 months, from autumn to summer, these placements enable students to work and train alongside senior colleagues and graduates. Those interested in technology will need a minimum CCC at A-Level and be on for at least a 2:1; whilst finance hopefuls will need to meet these standards and be working towards a numerical degree, such as finance, accounting, maths or economics. You will be based either onsite or at a client location within the UK. Perform well during this placement and Capgemini may offer you a position on the grad programme with no further assessments.

Interested in finding out more before you apply to any of the above programmes? ‘Insight days’ are two day events that Capgemini runs to give final-year students the chance to visit the firm, take part in exercises and get a flavour of what life is like as a consultant at a top firm.

Depending on the programme the interview process is made up of either three or four rounds, including an online application form, online verbal reasoning test (for management consulting applicants only), a competency-based telephone interview and a half-day assessment centre. The assessment centre will involve further psychometric testing, with management consulting candidates sitting a verbal reasoning test while technology candidates face an IT verbal reasoning test.

As one current Capgemini grad told us ‘I would say about 1/6th of applicants that go to the assessment centre will be offered positions. The assessment centre day was structured around a case study and required a presentation based upon solo understanding of the study. Here you are placed in a room with other applicants but asked to work alone. Following this, the group activity seemed to look for teamwork and the way you interact with other people carrying out a task.’

Another graduate re-confirms that you’re expected to ‘mingle with all of the applicants and talk to all of the staff at the assessment centre. It is important to ask questions and be seen to work as part of a group.’ The recruitment process is rounded off with a tête à tête with a vice president or manager, where according to one grad, in ‘addition to technical skills, they also tested business knowledge and soft skills’.

Capgemini Graduate Recruitment Info

Contact:
Graduate Recruitment Team

Capgemini UK
No 1 Forge End
Woking
Surrey GU21 6DB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7434 2171

Stats

No. of employees worldwide: 118,000+
No. of employees in the UK: 8,500
Annual graduate intake: 160
No. of internships: 10 – 20
Approx. no. of applications per year: 6,000

Salary

Graduates: £26,000 – £35,000 (depending on programme)
Placements: £16,000 – £18,000

Departments

Aerospace & Defence
Applications Services
Aspire
Capgemini Consulting
CEO Agenda
Consumer Products
COO Agenda
CRO Agenda
Customer Service
Distribution
Finance
Financial Services
HR
Life Sciences
Manufacturing
Marketing
Media & Entertainment
Oil & Gas
Other
Procurement
Public Sector
Retail
Sales
Supply Chain
Technology
Telecommunications
Transport
Utilities