The Recruitment Process at Sky: Careers, Internships & Assessment Tips

Job roles at Sky range from customer services and corporate through to creative and technology.

It also has on-screen roles available in its media centres, fronting shows on Sky Sports, Sky News and other channels.

What Is Sky?

Sky is a British media, entertainment and communications company, providing TV, fixed line and mobile phone services, and broadband.

It produces content and manages installations, as well as innovating new ways of getting content to customers.

Founded in November 1990 as British Sky Broadcasting (BskyB), the company is now owned by Comcast and has subsidiaries across Europe.

If you want to work at Sky, there are different teams covering all aspects of the business.

These include:

• Technology, Product and Data
• Content and Production
• Corporate
• Home Service
• Retail
• Sky Design
• Contact Centre
• Business to Business Sales
• NOW
• Sky Sports jobs/Sky Sports careers
• Sky Connect

You can find roles at Sky at all levels of your career, whether you are an experienced professional or have just left school.

The Early Careers provision at Sky is well-rounded with lots of support on offer, whether you are wanting to get a role on screen, behind the scenes in production, or even in corporate.

Sky Careers – Opportunities

If you are considering a role at Sky, the Insight Events are a great place to start.

Aimed at students as they leave education, these days offer a glimpse into the daily work for different roles, which can give you ideas for possible future career paths.

This is also a great opportunity to meet people in the business, making connections with potential colleagues and managers.

There are internships that are aimed at undergraduates, providing eight weeks of paid experience that can help a student make an impression – perfect for getting a place on the Sky graduate scheme of their choice once they have completed their degree.

There will be more about the internship opportunities at Sky below.

The apprenticeships and the Content Academy are both for school or college leavers, providing an opportunity for getting a foot in the door to becoming part of the broadcast team (Content Academy) or getting a recognised qualification while earning (apprenticeship).

An apprenticeship can be taken in Customer Service, Business or Technology. The Ignite Scheme at the Content Academy encourages sixth form or college leavers to come and take part in a 12-month rotational programme, working at the Osterley campus on Sky Sports, Sky News and Sky Studios, or at the Elstree campus on runners, lighting and rigging.

As part of the Content Academy, the Creative Access programme aims to get students from underrepresented backgrounds to be part of the content creation at Sky, working on several different projects and getting access to training and development, too.

There are several Graduate Programmes available at Sky.

These can cover:

• Business strategy
• Data and analytics
• Technology
• Software engineering
• Change delivery
• Cyber security
• Data science
• Finance

Some of the graduate programmes are rotational, which means that you will spend specific portions of your time in different areas of the business.

All the Sky graduate schemes last for two years, and you will have all the support and training that you need to be able to set up the perfect career.

Sky Graduate Scheme

This British telecommunications and broadcasting company offers a "Graduate Scheme" or "Graduate Program."

This Sky graduate scheme is designed to provide recent graduates with opportunities to gain valuable work experience and develop their skills within the company.

Here are some key points about the Sky Graduate Scheme:

Duration

Typically, graduate schemes at Sky last for a specific period, often ranging from one to two years.

During this time, graduates are exposed to different departments and roles within the company.

Roles and Departments

Sky offers a variety of roles across different departments, including technology, engineering, marketing, finance, customer service and content production.

The specific roles available may vary from year to year.

Training and Development

Graduates in the Sky Graduate Scheme receive training and development opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge.

This may include formal training programs, mentoring and on-the-job learning.

Projects and Responsibilities

Graduates are typically assigned to projects and responsibilities that align with their skills and interests.

They may work on real-world projects, collaborate with teams and contribute to the company's goals.

Networking

The program often provides opportunities for graduates to network with professionals within the company, attend company events and connect with other graduates in the same cohort.

Career Progression

Successful completion of the graduate scheme may lead to permanent employment with Sky.

Graduates may have the opportunity to apply for roles within the company that match their career aspirations.

Application Process

To join the Sky Graduate Scheme, candidates typically need to go through a competitive application process, including submitting an online application, participating in interviews and possibly attending assessment centers.

Why Work at Sky?

Working for Sky comes with a range of rewards and benefits. As well as getting free TV and broadband, you will also qualify for discounted fixed and mobile phone deals.

There is a competitive salary offered at all levels, and permanent staff are also offered:

• Pension plan
• Healthcare plan and dental insurance
• Savings on childcare, travel and mobile phones
• Discounts with other retailers
• Gym discounts
• Use of onsite facilities like a subsidised restaurant and café as well as health facilities (at some campuses)
• 25 days’ holiday as standard, with extra earned for length of service
• Flexible and hybrid working (where relevant)

What Is the Sky Recruitment Process?

Whatever role you are applying for at Sky, it all starts with the Careers page.

This is where you find out all about each area of the business that you can apply for and get to know more about what will be expected of you.

You can search for available Sky vacancies by job title or level and refine by location.

There is a separate application page for Sky early careers, as these have very specific application windows.

1. Application Form

Once you have found the perfect role, you will need to complete a basic application form.

In most cases, this will include just some basic contact information, as well as some details about your education and qualifications, and any relevant experience.

For some roles, you might need to upload a relevant and up-to-date CV, so it is best to have a tailored one ready.

2. Digital Assessment

If you have met the basic criteria for the role, you will be invited to take part in an immersive digital assessment.

This takes place online, and you will get the link to complete the test via email.

There are several tests that Sky uses to evaluate potential employees, and the assessment(s) that you will face will depend entirely on the role that you have applied for.

If you are going for something in finance, then you can expect to have your numeracy assessed, while if you are looking for a software role, you can expect to take some sort of coding challenge.

Some of the more popular test types that are used by Sky include:

Situational Strengths Test

Like a situational judgement test, this assessment uses fictional but realistic workplace scenarios to evaluate your personality, your strengths and your behaviour at work.

Each question will be a problem that needs to be solved, and you will need to decide which of the multiple-choice options would be the best course of action to take.

You will need to demonstrate how you cope with different situations, and the test will measure you against the core values of the business.

Numerical Reasoning Test

Numerical reasoning tests assess your ability to use basic mathematical skills to solve problems.

In this test, you will be presented with data in the form of tables or charts, and you will have to perform some sort of operation to complete the question and choose the correct answer from the multiple-choice options.

Verbal Reasoning Test

The verbal reasoning assessment is about your ability to extract information from written data, and the questions are all based around passages of text.

You need to quickly read, understand and analyse this information to be able to answer the multiple-choice questions that follow.

To be successful here, you need to have a good grasp of language and be able to make logical decisions according to the information that you have been given.

Logical Reasoning Test

In the logical reasoning assessment, you are provided with a series of images or shapes that are in some sort of sequence, and there will be an item missing.

You will need to decide what the pattern is that governs the sequence and apply it to the multiple-choice answer options to identify the one that is correct.

This is about your deductive logic and how well you can make decisions based on unfamiliar information.

Other Tests

There might be some other tests used, depending on the type of role; software engineers might be expected to demonstrate their knowledge of programming languages, for example.

3. Video Interview

A video interview in this case is not live; you will be sent a series of questions that you need to answer on camera.

These questions are all about getting to know you a bit better and see how you portray yourself when put under some pressure.

None of the questions are particularly challenging at this stage; they will be exploring your background and establishing what motivates you and why you chose Sky.

The video interview will require you to prepare – you will need to have a tidy background, be well presented and ensure that all your audio and video technology is working properly.

The team is prepared to help you get set up, and you will have an opportunity to practise your answers before you send them to the recruiters, too.

4. Assessment Centre

If you are successful after this stage, then the next and final step in the application process is the assessment centre.

You will be invited to one of the main campuses to take part in a series of exercises and interviews where you will be assessed by the recruitment team on things like communication, teamwork and leadership skills.

Individual Project

In the individual project, you might be asked to make a presentation based on a case study or come up with an answer to a business problem. You will have adequate time to prepare and should expect to be asked questions about your findings afterwards.

Group Exercise

The group exercise is usually based on a case study or a work problem, and as a team you will have to work together to come up with a solution.

You will need to actively encourage other members of your team to contribute and show the recruiters that you are great at working in a team.

Individual Interview

Most people will have an individual interview, and this might be with a member of the recruitment team or with a manager from the department you have applied for.

In this interview, you can expect to be asked both general questions and competency-based questions – there is more on this below.

Panel Interview

For some positions, a panel interview might also be used. This usually follows the same format as the individual interview but will consist of more people – so you might have members of the recruitment team as well as hiring managers and team leaders present.

Aptitude Assessments

In some cases, there might be extra aptitude assessments. These might be used to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of the online aptitude tests that were used earlier in the process, or if there are extra abilities and skills that also need to be tested.

Example Questions on the Sky Recruitment Assessment

Situational Strengths

Verbal Reasoning

Numerical Reasoning

Logical Reasoning

Sky Internships

The internship programme at Sky is aimed at undergraduates who are in their penultimate year of study and looking to get started on their career.

Sky internships are available in the following areas:

• Commercial
• Corporate affairs
• Data and analytics
• Finance
• Marketing
• Software engineering
• Strategy
• Technology

Each internship starts in July and lasts eight weeks, and interns are paid during this time to get involved in their chosen area and learn from mentors and leaders while getting stuck into the role.

You will be able to work with a graduate who can help you achieve more, and you’ll have specific career guidance, as well as access to 3,000 LinkedIn Learning courses to help you grow.

Internships are an excellent way to get started and set you up perfectly for a graduate placement once you have completed your degree.

What Is Sky Looking For in a Candidate?

Although the specific requirements for each role and each type of role will vary depending on the needs of the job, there are certain skills, attributes and qualities that Sky is looking for in all applicants.

It wants to find candidates who are ready to rise to the challenge, striving for simpler, faster, smarter and better ways of working. Applicants need to be ready to work hard and push to achieve more, staying ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and innovation.

They need to be able to adapt to a fast-paced environment and feel energised through variety, showing passion and focus on finding a solution.

They need to be ready to work as a team, looking for opportunities to collaborate and build on relationships to reach and exceed goals.

Applicants need to be working towards the values of Sky, which are:

• Forward Looking and Restless
• Creative and Action-Orientated
• Customer-led and Simplifying
• Collaborative and Inclusive
• Fair and Responsible

Potential Sky Role Interview Questions

There are different types of questions that you might be asked in your Sky interview, whether that is at the video interview stage or in a one-on-one or panel interview.

The interview is your time to demonstrate that you have what it takes to be successful in the role that you have applied for, so always be ready to give relevant examples and evidence that you have the skills and abilities that they are looking for.

General Questions

Tell Me About Yourself

This is a standard question in most interview situations, and it is often used as a bit of an ‘icebreaker’ to help candidates relax into talking about themselves.

For you, the best way to answer the question is honestly. You want to introduce some facts about yourself that are related to work where you can, but also show that you have a bit of personality.

It can be hard not to ramble when you answer if you don’t have a plan, so make sure that you have practised how you want to reply.

Ideally, you want to be demonstrating some key attributes here, which you should be able to get from the job description.

Why Do You Want to Work at Sky?

This question is looking for your motivation. You should be able to answer this based on your research about Sky and the wider communications or media industry, for example.

This is a good opportunity for you to demonstrate that you have a passion for the role or for the business area that you have applied for; you can talk about some innovation in the area or where you think your career will take you in this area.

What Can You Contribute to Sky?

This is where you can get into the details of why you are the best applicant for the role. You want to be specific here and use evidence from your previous experience or from your education to help.

Some candidates can find this uncomfortable, so having some data or other information to rely on will make a real difference when you are talking about what you are capable of and why they should hire you.

Competency-Based Questions

Competency-based questions are best answered using examples where possible. This is made much easier if you have a good idea of the abilities and competencies that the recruiters are looking for – you can usually find this out from the job description.

Before you go into the interview, think of some times where you have used a specific ability or competency, either in the workplace or at university, and plan how you will answer it so you do not ramble.

When Have You Worked Well in a Team?

Teamwork is an important skill at Sky, and almost every role needs teamwork to be successful.

You should focus on an example where you had to overcome some sort of difficulty so that you can show teamwork skills like communication and delegation.

As with other competency-based questions, you should make sure that you structure your answer in a way that gives the interviewer all the right information without rambling.

When Have You Shown Innovation to Solve a Customer Query?

Sky is all about customer service, and one of its main values is to be customer-led – so they want to know when you have thought outside of the box to help a customer.

This might have been something like getting another staff member to help because they had the right skill set or employing some sort of software workaround to make it work.

The interviewer wants to see that you are willing to go to greater lengths to solve a problem.

What Would You Do if There Is a Conflict in the Team?

Conflict is an unfortunate part of working in a team, and in some cases, it can lead to important changes and the development of innovative ideas.

However, you need to be ready to deal with conflict in a team situation. This might be through mediation, through delegation and any other method that you might have used.

The recruiter wants to understand that you can deal with a high-stress situation in a positive way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Working at Sky means being part of one of the biggest media and communications companies in the UK – and positions often have a lot of competition.

If you are serious about getting in on the Sky early careers opportunities, you can get through the application process with a bit of preparation – it can be challenging but not impossible.