Getting A Job At BT
BT (British Telecom) is a multinational telecommunications company that is headquartered in London, but has a presence in 180 countries around the world.
In the UK, BT is the largest provider of fixed-line telephone, mobile and broadband services (including the subsidiary EE and Openreach) and also offers subscription TV and IT services.
As an employer, BT offers early careers positionsfor apprentices, undergraduates and graduates as well as experienced professionals.
As BT is a global organisation, there are opportunities in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas as well as the UK and Ireland.
For those looking at early careers options, a range of opportunities in apprenticeships, summer and industrial placements, and graduate schemes can be found on the Careers page at BT. Whichever career path you take, there is a rigorous application process and academic requirements for candidates - as each programme can have thousands of applications.
BT Values
For those looking for a role with BT, the values that are needed in staff are based on their overriding purpose:
‘We connect for good’
Alongside this, the simple values are:
- Personal
- Simple
- Brilliant.
For candidates, remember that BT wants to find people that:
- Embrace change
- Put people first
- Play your part
- Find a better way
Types Of Roles At BT
Although roles at BT can be split into technology and consumer, there is a wide range of business areas that could be the right place for you to apply, develop and grow. These include:
- Digital
- Technology
- Contact Centres
- Corporate Functions
- Sales
- Marketing & Products
- Security
- Media & TV
- Engineering
- Commercial Services
- Business Services
- Graduates
- Apprenticeships
- Openreach
- Procurement
There is a range of apprenticeships, internships and graduate programmes available in these areas.
Hiring Process At BT
The hiring process at BT is relatively quick in comparison to other employers, but several stages must be completed to get through to an offer.
At each stage, you will be contacted within a week to let you know if you have been successful.
BT Application Form
The first contact you will usually have with the recruitment team at BT is the application form. You can only apply to one role at a time.
The application form is straightforward, with a collection of questions that are about who you are, where you study, and your predicted or real results. All you need to do is answer them openly and honestly.
You don't need to attach a CV, but there is a place to attach one if you want to give more detail about your work experience and qualifications.
When you send the application form, you will have an email confirming that it has been received, and you will hear back from BT within a week.
If your application form matches the requirements of the role, you will be invited to the next stage of the recruitment process, which is online assessments.
BT Aptitude Tests
The online assessments are sent via an email link, and you will have a week to complete them. These are bespoke assessments created by Cubiks, and are not about your learning, skills, or experience - they are aptitude tests assessing your natural preferences and work behaviours as well as your inherent abilities in language, maths and logic.
BT Logiks Test
The Logiks test is split into three sections, with 50 questions that take 12 minutes to complete.
- Verbal Reasoning - This section looks at your understanding of language, like synonyms and antonyms.
- Numerical Reasoning - this is an assessment of basic mathematics using simple calculations.
- Abstract Reasoning- using logic to find patterns to finish a sequence of images
These are general aptitude tests which you can practice to build confidence and high scores.
BT Factors
This assessment is not timed, but it must be completed in one session. It presents several realistic work-based scenarios that have several possible actions.
The answers that you give will demonstrate your natural strengths in decision making, problem-solving and how you behave at work. There are no right or wrong answers to these scenario-based questions, so you must answer honestly in these questions.
Once you have completed the assessments, the recruitment team will compare your scores to their ideal candidate and use that in conjunction with the answers from your application form to decide whether to take you to the next stage.
You will receive a detailed feedback report after you have completed the assessments, and the recruitment team will be in contact within a week to invite you to take part in the next stage, which is a video interview.
BT Video Interview
The video interview is not live - you will answer several questions by recording your responses. This stage will take 20-30 minutes to complete, and you can expect a range of questions about your experience, your competencies, and your understanding of BT.
There are practice questions available at the start of the interview so you can get comfortable with recording yourself and make sure that your audio is working correctly, and there are no problems with your video.
This should be treated like a face-to-face interview in terms of your answers, but also with the way you dress and present yourself. A top tip here is to ensure that there is adequate light, that the background is neutral, and that you look directly at the camera when answering.
The answers you give here will be watched by the recruitment team, and if you are successful here you will be invited to the virtual assessment centre within a week.
BT Assessment Centre
BT runs virtual assessment centres, which have a similar structure to a physical assessment centre but take place using conferencing software.
The assessment centre brings together several candidates, sometimes for multiple positions, for further testing.
Candidates will receive an invitation email that lays out the structure of the day and provides any preparation materials that are needed.
You can expect to take part in a group exercise on the day, as well as some one-on-one interviews and a presentation. There will also be an opportunity to meet current graduates and other employees, and learn more about the role.
If you are successful, you can expect to hear from the recruitment team in just a few days with information about your offer.
What Is It Like To Work At BT?
BT offers several benefits for employees, including those that are involved in the early careers path. These include:
- Exclusive colleague discounts on BT/EE mobile and BT TV
- Family and friends discount
- BT Retirement Savings Scheme
- Yearly Bonus
- 22-25 days holiday
- Paid volunteer days
- Employee share plans
- Flexible working
- Career development through the BT Academy
- Opportunity to buy additional benefits like dental insurance, healthcare and gym memberships.
Top Tips To Getting Hired At BT
Practice Tests
Tests are nerve-wracking and can be a stumbling block to even the most confident candidate. One of the best things you can do to improve your chances is to practice tests so that you can be more familiar with the layout and structure as well as the content of the questions.
Prepare For Your Virtual Interview
There are a few things that you can do before the video interview to make sure that you are successful. Be in a well-lit room, but make sure that there is no light coming from behind you so that the recruitment team can see you. Choose somewhere quiet and neutral to film so nothing is distracting in the background, and dress professionally. If you are using a smartphone to film your responses, make sure it is in landscape mode, and use the practice questions to ensure that your responses are clear to see and easy to hear.
Do Your Research
BT wants its employees to be knowledgeable about the business and the wider industry, so be sure to complete your research about BT as a whole as well as the role. There is lots of information available on the BT website about the business and the industry, and you might want to follow BT on social media to see their updates.
Review Your CV
While you do not have to share a CV in the application form, a well-crafted resume can give details about your experience and qualifications.
If you want to attach a CV, be sure to review it to ensure that it is tailored to the role you have applied for and highlights the required skills, qualifications and competencies that are needed as per the job description.
