The FMCG graduate program application process follows a similar pattern at the employers that publish it: send your documents, sit online tests, record a video interview and attend an assessment or engagement centre, and at Mondelez and Asahi the list ends with an offer. This guide lines up the stages that Mondelez, Asahi and DuluxGroup publish, the documents Nestle's checklist asks for, and the preparation advice on those same pages. It is written for final-year students, recent graduates and the parents and advisers who help them.
Chandler Personnel does not run, recruit for or place people into these graduate programs; apply on each employer's own page. Programs, streams and dates change, so confirm each detail on the employer's own page before you apply.
The usual stages, in the order the pages publish them
Read the stages as one sequence first, then note where each employer differs.
- Application. You send documents through the employer's careers site. According to Asahi's graduate page, for example, you submit a tailored CV and cover letter through its careers portal.
- Online assessment. Asahi lists cognitive, verbal, critical reasoning and personality tests. Mondelez describes an online assessment, and DuluxGroup describes online testing.
- Video interview. All three publish this step. Asahi calls its interview one-way.
- Assessment or engagement centre. Mondelez and Asahi run an assessment centre. DuluxGroup runs a virtual engagement centre, then an in-person interview and case study.
- Offer. Mondelez and Asahi list an offer as their last step, and Mondelez says a verbal offer comes first, followed by a formal written offer. DuluxGroup's list ends with the in-person interview and case study, and its FAQ says every applicant is told the outcome in writing or verbally.
DuluxGroup, a paint and consumer products group, adds two forms at the start. You submit an eligibility form, then a motivation application form if you are eligible, and it combines online testing and the video interview in one step. DuluxGroup's FAQ says it aims to get back to you within two weeks of an application being submitted, and none of the three gives other durations for its stages.
Asahi Beverages' graduate page currently shows 'Applications closed', so check the page for the next intake before you plan around it.
What goes in the application
Every program starts with documents, and the lists differ slightly.
- Mondelez. According to Mondelez's early careers FAQ, all applicants must submit an up-to-date CV, transcript and cover letter. Its main page says the application goes through its careers site.
- Asahi. A tailored CV and cover letter for your chosen role, submitted through its careers portal.
- DuluxGroup. A CV and your academic transcript, submitted with your application.
The checklist on Nestle's NextGen page asks for an up-to-date CV, a recent academic transcript, a copy of your driver's licence (a minimum of a provisional licence is needed) and proof of permanent residency or citizenship, and P&G's Australia locations page says the legal documents for citizenship or permanent residency must be official before an application can proceed.
Nestle's NextGen page gives a checklist and no stages: it shows no application dates and no selection steps, so check the page for the current intake and for what follows the application.
Online assessments and the video interview
Three employers publish an online testing step and a video interview, and the wording differs.
- Asahi. The second step is online cognitive assessments: cognitive, verbal, critical reasoning and personality tests. The third is a one-way video interview, which Asahi says helps it learn more about your experience and interest in the position.
- Mondelez. Successful applicants progress to an online assessment and a video interview. Mondelez says these are designed to help it understand your skills, behaviours and potential.
- DuluxGroup. Online testing and the video interview sit together, after the motivation form. According to DuluxGroup's graduate page, if you have never done either before they might sound daunting, but there is nothing to worry about.
Employers who use video interviews for logistics roles are covered in a post on video interviews in logistics hiring, which looks at the format from the hiring side. Hiring managers who set tests for trades and warehouse roles can read a guide to pre-employment skills tests, which covers a different kind of test from the graduate ones above.
The assessment centre: group work, case study and interview
The three employers describe the graduate assessment centre differently.
- Mondelez. An assessment centre with a group case study, a presentation and an interview with hiring managers. Its FAQ says it cannot cover travel or accommodation expenses for assessment centres, which matters if you are based outside Melbourne.
- Asahi. An assessment centre that mixes group activities, an interview and a case study presentation.
- DuluxGroup. A virtual engagement centre first, where you hear from graduates and senior leaders in your chosen stream. Then comes an in-person interview where you also complete a case study exercise. At both, the page says you can get your questions answered.
A case study appears at all three, as a group case study at Mondelez, a presentation at Asahi and an exercise at DuluxGroup. If you are invited to a graduate program case study interview, read the employer's own description of that stage first.
Preparing from what the pages say
Graduate program video interview tips from these employers are short, and the same goes for their advice on the online tasks. None of it is a secret formula.
- Prepare as for a normal interview. DuluxGroup's advice is to think about your relevant skills and some experiences that highlight them.
- Protect your focus. DuluxGroup also suggests you minimise distractions and complete the online tasks at a time and place where you can focus.
- Show who you are. Mondelez's FAQ asks applicants to highlight their unique experiences and strengths, and to showcase extracurricular activities, leadership roles or community involvement.
- Tailor your documents. Asahi asks for a CV and cover letter tailored to the role you choose.
Both Mondelez and DuluxGroup welcome requests for reasonable adjustments. Mondelez says it welcomes them at any stage of its process, and DuluxGroup invites applicants with a disability to ask about changes to the process or the role. Use the contact details on the employer's own page to ask.
Chandler Personnel, an independent Melbourne-based blue collar specialist, supplies labour hire and permanent recruitment for food production work, which is separate from the graduate programs above. The candidate questions page has general information for Chandler candidates and is not about graduate programs.
Related Resources
- Mondelez's early careers FAQ
- Asahi's graduate page
- Nestle's NextGen page
- Video interviews in logistics hiring
- Pre-employment skills tests
- Food production work
Common Questions About Applying to an FMCG Graduate Program
1. What documents do I need for a graduate program application?
It depends on the employer. Mondelez asks for a CV, cover letter and transcript. Asahi asks for a tailored CV and cover letter, and DuluxGroup asks for a CV and academic transcript. Nestle's NextGen page lists a checklist that includes a CV and a recent academic transcript. Read the employer's own page before you start so nothing is missing when you submit.
2. What is an assessment centre?
On these pages it is the stage after the online tests and video interview. Mondelez describes a group case study, a presentation and an interview with hiring managers. Asahi describes group activities, an interview and a case study presentation. DuluxGroup runs a virtual engagement centre, then an in-person interview and case study.
3. How long does a graduate program application take?
Most of these pages give no durations for their stages. The one timing on them is from DuluxGroup, which says it aims to get back to you within two weeks of an application being submitted. Mondelez and Asahi publish no timeline, so check each employer's page for the current intake before you plan around any date.
4. What happens in a one-way video interview?
Asahi describes a one-way video interview that it uses to learn more about your experience and interest in the position. DuluxGroup advises minimising distractions and completing its online tasks at a time and place where you can focus. Check the invitation from the employer for the format and any instructions when you receive it.
5. Can I ask for adjustments in the process?
Yes, according to the pages. Mondelez says it welcomes requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage, and DuluxGroup invites applicants with a disability to ask about reasonable adjustments to the process or the role. Use the contact details on the employer's own page to ask.
Prepare for Each Stage in Order
The pages that publish their steps agree on the broad order: documents, online tests, a video interview and a centre, with an offer at the end at Mondelez and Asahi. Nestle's page stops at a checklist, and Asahi's shows applications closed at the moment, so treat each employer separately. Open each page, write down its stages and its documents, and set up a quiet place for the online tasks. Then confirm the current intake on the employer's own page before you start your application.
