Careers

FAQs & top tips

What’s the benefits package?

All employee-owners (EOs) – including interns and grads – receive the same great benefits, although there are some differences between the UK and US.

What should I wear to my interview?

There is no dress code – just come how you feel comfortable – although we suggest business professional or casual attire.

I’ve been invited for an on-site interview in your Cambridge (UK) office. What’s the best way to get to there?

Our new home at Bourn Quarter is located ~7 miles east of Cambridge city center. It’s easy to find by car or bike.

If using public transport, take the number 4 bus (operated by Stagecoach) in Cambridge towards Cambourne, and get off at Childerley, Highfields Road (on the roundabout, just north of the business park). See the 4 Bus Route & Timetable page on Stagecoach’s website for up-to-date route and service information.

I’ve been invited for an on-site interview in your Raleigh, NC (USA) office. What’s the best way to get to there?

Our Raleigh facility is located at 801 W Morgan Street, Suite 120. It’s right off highway 440 and 40, and conveniently located 25 minutes from Raleigh-Durham Airport. There’s some free off-street parking in the area, but we also have a parking deck just five-minutes walk from the office, which is free for all employee-owners, clients, and visitors.

Do you reimburse travel/accommodation expenses for on-site interviews?

Yes (discussed in advance on a case-by-case basis).

How long does the application/interview process take?

Everyone’s recruitment journey is different, but it typically takes three to six weeks from application to offer, depending on your and the team’s availability and client/project needs.

For graduates and industrial placements, vacancies go live in late autumn, followed by interviews in the New Year with offers confirmed shortly after, for an autumn start.

To find out more, see What to expect.

Do you offer internships?

Yes, we offer summer placements and internships to university students studying a relevant subject, and year-long industrial placements (typically starting in the summer). We also host ‘Year in Industry’ students who are yet to start university through our engineering cadet program.

Do you offer support for chartership?

Yes, we do. This can be discussed in detail with your appraiser.

Do you offer work experience?

No, not at the moment.

However, in Cambridge (UK) we work with local schools and STEM organizations, including Form the Future and Cambridge Launchpad, to build an active program of STEM activities.

Do you have a graduate scheme?

Whilst we actively recruit graduates, we don’t have a rigid, ‘one size fits all’ grad scheme. We’ll support you on an individual basis to help you realize your potential. There are also lots of opportunities for on the job learning through our graduate projects.

How should I prepare for my interview?

Check out our top tips below…

Will I have the chance to travel?

Yes. You’re likely to take short trips (i.e. one to three days) to visit clients, suppliers and attend conferences. You may also need to spend more time (i.e. several weeks) ‘on location’, for example to work with a component supplier or manufacturer to advance a prototype build.

Longer-term, there’s also the opportunity to visit or take a secondment of up to six months to our office in Raleigh (USA) for Cambridge EOs, or vice versa.

What’s social life at CDP like?

Very active!

In Cambridge, there are regular cycle-to-work days (complete with cooked breakfast), the Cambridge Consultancy Cup football tournament (which we’ve won… twice!), ‘stitch and natter’ sessions, and gaming and cinema nights, not forgetting the CDP-ub, BBQs, and ice cream during the warmer months.

And in Raleigh, we have weekly trivia nights at a local bar, bi-weekly catered staff lunches, and a monthly happy hour to celebrate work anniversaries and birthdays. We often walk down to the Morgan Street Food Hall for lunch (there are plenty of great food options nearby), come together to watch baseball games, and compete in sports leagues, such as kickball. Our team is always collecting together more information on things to do in and around Raleigh and a calendar of upcoming social events, which we share internally.


Find your perfect role at CDP


Top tips

Before you apply, check and proofread your CV. We recommend asking someone else to read it for you, too.

Prepare any supporting documents, such as your portfolio, ready to send with your application.

Do your research before your interview. In particular, we recommend checking our latest news and case studies, as well as social media channels.

Prepare a range of questions to ask us – and don’t be afraid to ask them.

Prepare examples for competency-based questions, particularly for technical roles. Think of times when you overcame a challenge or demonstrated a skill on a project.

Video interview – if you can, find a quiet, distraction-free space. Make sure you test your microphone and camera beforehand. We use Microsoft Teams, and we recommend downloading the app on your device.

On-site interview – allow plenty of time for travel – you don’t want to arrive late in a fluster. For directions, see our FAQs above.