I applied through university. I interviewed at Loughborough University (Loughborough, England) in Jan 2026
Interview
Before any screening call or round 1 interview they required a 20 minute Teams interview with a 10 min presentation based on an Excel dataset. The task involved analysing order and invoice volumes and presenting recommendations to improve order intake and AP efficiency. It was essentially an Excel and PowerPoint assessment upfront.
This felt excessive and outdated for an assistant-level role capped at £28k. The recruitment process and salary bands both feel out of step with the market. Maybe it's a fresh graduate role? but the job spec said ACCA qualified preferred.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The University spends £100m annually on goods and services.
On the 'Supplier PO Data' tab, there is a breakdown of spend by supplier, along with volumes of orders and invoices for two financial years.
Please review the data and recommend how we could improve the efficiency of ordering and paying suppliers.