| Industry | Social Media Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Area served | UK |
| Key people | James Uffindell (CEO) David Cohen (Strategy & Finance Director) Claudia Bosworth (Commercial Director) Rachel Spedding (Communications Director) |
| Products | The intelligent careers network |
| Website | www.brightnetwork.co.uk |
Bright Network, the highest-ranked social recruitment site in the UK[1], is an independent, free, invitation-only careers network for graduates and undergraduates in the UK who achieve ABB at A Level (or equivalent).[2] Bright Network members benefit from a social network, exclusive events and one-on-one consultancy,[3] all designed specifically to help students, graduates and young professionals connect with the top UK and international employers.[4]
Launched only 18 months ago, Bright Network already works with over 50 leading companies, including Allen & Overy[5], Goldman Sachs[6], innocent drinks, The Mind Gym [7] and KPMG[8].
Bright Network was originally conceived by its founder James Uffindell in 2007, when he had the idea to increase the opportunities both for bright graduates to find out about career options and for firms to identify the best talent.[9]
In March 2011, Bright Network attracted investment from a consortium of angel investors with impressive track records in recruitment and technology.[10] Michael Jackson, leading venture capitalist and former chairman of technology business Sage[11] and Zach Miles, former CEO of Vedior [12], the recruitment business that was acquired for €3.5 billion by Ranstad in 2008[13], will join the company's board. Michael Jackson will become Bright Network's Chairman.[14]
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Bright Network launched its new social media site in October 2009 and released it to students and graduates in early 2010 with a series of soft launches. To apply to join Bright Network, students are required to have a minimum of ABB/320 UCAS points at A Level or equivalent and are expected to be studying at, or graduated from, one of the UK’s top 20 or Russell Group universities. The network aims to make the quality of candidates on the Bright Network consistently high and therefore match the requirements of its featured graduate employers across a range of sectors.
As well as being an online network, Bright Network aims to encourage the building of personal networks through events intended to provide undergraduates and graduates with useful career connections. The network also encourages recruiters to connect with students and graduates. There is a dedicated section on the network for events organised by the company, which includes Bright Network Loves You evenings and their annual Bright Network Festival.[15]
Bright Network Loves You is an informal evening event where Bright Network members receive a free, one-on-one careers consultation, before networking with a glass of wine and nibbles. The consultations provide an opportunity for Bright Network members to find out about opportunities available to them, as well as to make personal career connections.
Bright Evenings are themed networking evenings featuring guest speakers from a particular industry or issue relevant to students and graduates. Bright Evening events in 2010 included:
The Bright Festival is an annual event run every September in Central London by Bright Network, consisting of the Commercial Law Network and Investment Banking Network networking events. Students who successfully apply to attend meet representatives at leading law and banking firms.[23]
Bright Network offers one-to-one careers consultancy through its Bright Consultancy Division.