Early careers

Dive into the world of work with Early Careers. Learn on the job and discover opportunities to grow, while being supported at every stage.

How it all works

Early Careers covers our graduate and apprenticeship programmes, with roles in areas such as software engineering, sales and data. They're not your run-of-the-mill programmes though.

All the roles link to specific areas of the business, so that means you need to have a real interest in the area you're applying to. Once you're there, you'll be part of a structured programme we call our Academy, which balances work and development - growing your knowledge and skills in order to progress and make an impact on the job.

It's all designed to kick start your career and develop your skills over the course of two years, alongside all the other graduates and apprentices who are on the same journey. The programme begins with an Academy Foundation, where you'll learn about yourself, each other, our company, culture, products, and customers.

Most of the roles will be based out of our Manchester office. Apprentice vacancies are usually advertised in February and start in September, while Graduate jobs typically open in September and start the following October.

Your recruitment journey

Select a category

Application

Take your time when filling in your application form and make sure it's tailored to the role you're applying for. We know it can be daunting, but that's why we have an application top tips video to give you some pointers. You'll no doubt be aware of AI and it's growing presence, so we've put together some helpful guidance on how best to use it in your application, too.

Online test

After you've submitted your application, you'll be invited to complete an online assessment. It usually takes less than five minutes and it's there to see if your strengths align to what makes someone successful at Autotrader.

First stage interview

Once we've reviewed your application, you'll speak to a member of the team over Microsoft Teams about your motivations and strengths. Take a look at our interview top tips video to help you prepare.

Assessment

At the next stage, you'll be invited to our office to take part in an assessment, along with up to seven other candidates. The day will include a task that relates to the role you've applied for, a strengths-based interview and a group task. It also gives you the chance to meet other graduates and apprentices.

Final stage

As part of the final stage, you'll speak to a member of our leadership team to discuss our culture and our six company values. This will be on Microsoft Teams.

You're in! Now what?

As a new graduate or apprentice, you’ll become part of the Academy. This is where you’ll start your learning journey alongside other Early Careers colleagues. There will be differences in how the Academy programme works for apprenticeships compared to graduates, but they will both cover onboarding, training, and tracking your development and progression. You’ll also get support every step of the way from our Early Careers team.