Welcome back and a very happy 2010!
I hope that you all had a very good holiday. The spring 2010 issue of the
University of Exeter Business School Employability Newsletter is bursting
with useful and interesting articles!
As you’ll see on page 2, the Business School Employability Spring 2010
Events programme contains a range of useful skills sessions and presenta-
tions. If there isn’t enough in that programme to keep you occupied, don’t
forget that the University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service offers
many more employability related sessions that you can participate in - infor-
mation about how to find out about these particular sessions appears on
page 3.
Page 4 turns the spotlight onto Community Action in this issue’s ‘Society
News’ section and pages 5 to 9 contain a number of articles that have been
written by current students in the Business School who have been engaging
in study abroad and work placement activities that have enhanced their em-
ployability. Information about how YOU can contribute to this section in fu-
ture issues appears on page 5.
Some ‘insights’ and tips from two recent graduates appear on pages 10-12
and, finally, just in case you have forgotten during the holidays, you’ll find a
reminder of the Business School Employability Team’s office hours and
where to find electronic Business School Employability information on page
11 .
As usual, I would like to say a very BIG ‘thank you’ to everyone who has
written an article for this issue of the newsletter.
Dr Rachel Torr
School Employability Officer, The University of Exeter Business School
Happy New Year!
Issue 11
Spring 2010
What’s On This Term? 2
Society News 4
Seeking to Stand Out From the Crowd
5
Getting In & Getting On: Insights into Alumni Ca-reers
10
Business School Employ-ability Office Hours
11
Inside this issue:
University of Exeter Business School
Employability |Newsletter—Spring 2010|
Issue 11
Business School Employability
EVENTS
A brief list of the spring 2010
School-based employability
events that have been con-
firmed to date appears below
BUT for the most up-to-date
information during the term,
including how to register for
events, see the Business School
Employability site on web-ct and
weekly ‘What’s On’ emails. If
you have any queries email:
Business-School-
26.01.10
Planning your CV - David
Pritchard
1300-1400
28.01.10
Getting in & Getting on: Insights
into being a Finance Director
with David Marshall, Centre for
Leadership Studies, University
of Exeter Business School
1200-1300
28.01.10
Careers Clinic - David Pritchard
1340-1640
02.02.10
Careers Clinic - David Pritchard
1000-1300
03.02.10
Mock Interviews with Ernst &
Young
1000-1600
04.02.10
Getting in & Getting on: Insights
into Business Recovery and
Turnaround, Corporate Finance
and Property Investment with
Robert Ware Chief Executive,
Conygar Investment Company
PLC and Simon Poulton, Inde-
pendent Executive
1200-1300
08.02.09
University of Exeter Business
School Student & Alumni Net-
working Event
1800-2045
09.02.09
Careers Clinic - David Pritchard,
1000-1200
09.02.10
I don't know what to do and I
don't know where to find it -
David Pritchard
1300-1400
09.02.10
PricewaterhouseCoopers: Risk
Assurance Business Game
1800-2000
10.02.10
ICAEW Business Game - Kindly
hosted by the Institute of Char-
tered Accountants in England &
Wales (ICAEW)
1400-1600
11.02.10
Getting in & Getting on: Insights
into global management with
Kevin Morgan, Global Head of
Exchange Data, Thomson
Reuters
1200-1300
15.02.10
Mock Interviews with Accenture
1100-1600
16.02.10
Shell Step Summer Placements
1300-1400
16.02.10
Careers Clinic - David Pritchard,
1340-1640
18.02.09
Getting in & Getting on: Insights
into the actuarial profession
with Terry Webster, Pension
Scheme Actuary, JLT Benefit
Solutions
1200-1300
18.02.10
PricewaterhouseCoopers Drop-in
@ The Business School Under-
graduate Student Services En-
trance Area
1500-1700
22.02.10
Women in Leadership Roles, Em-
ployability Networking Event
1800-2045
23.02.10
Interview Techniques - David
Pritchard
1300-1400
25.02.10
Careers Clinic - David Pritchard,
University of Exeter Careers &
Employment Service
1000-1300
25.02.10
Getting in & Getting on: Insights
into Investment Management
with Justin Bickle, Senior Vice
President, Oaktree Capital Man-
agement Limited
1200-1300
01.03.10
Backstage '10 - Events and Media
Management Industry Network-
ing Evening
1800-2030
02.03.10
Careers Clinic - David Pritchard,
1000-1300
04.03.10
Getting in & Getting on: Insights
into Operations Management with
Julian Bird, Chief Operating Of-
ficer, Tate
1200-1300
09.03.10
Understanding Psychometric
Testing - David Pritchard
1300-1400
Business School Employability —What’s on this term?
Page 2
Business School Employability
EVENTS—Continued:
11.03.09
Getting in & Getting on: In-
sights into…(speaker TBC)
1200-1300
11.03.09
Business School International
Students: working in the UK
after your studies – support
available and visa information
1300-1500
16.03.10
Preparing for Work Experi-
ence: How to use your summer
placement to gain credit to-
wards your degree – For 2nd
Year Undergraduates Only
1300-1400
16.03.10
Careers Clinic - David
Pritchard
1340-1640
18.03.10
Getting in & Getting on: In-
sights into Customer Service
Management with Monica Read,
Customer Service Director,
South West Water
1200-1300
23.03.10
Careers Clinic - David
Pritchard
1000-1300
30.03.10
Mock Interviews with Pricewa-
terhouseCoopers
1100-1600
Page 3 Issue 11
University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service Events:
For information about careers and employability events that are organised by the
University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service and open to all University of Exeter
students please go to:
www.exeter.ac.uk/employability/students/events/index.php
NB: Registration information for Business School Employability School-Based
Employability events also appears on this website
VOLUNTEERING IS : SIGN UP AND GET QUACKING!
Welcome to the wonderful world of CA 2009/10! CA exists to provide students with the opportunity to volunteer, enhancing their development and benefiting the wider community. Community Action acknowledges and embraces the unique personal development opportunities available through voluntary activities.
Whether you want to volunteer with young people, older people in the city with local charities and organisations or on one-off projects, we have a project for you! By volunteering with Community Action you will also have the opportunity to sit on our core teams: fundraising, publicity and recruitment and development. This will allow you to get really involved in the running of CA, from organising club nights to recruiting new volunteers. Life in CA is a fun-filled one, with plenty of socials, club nights and big events that you can not only attend but help organise! There is always the possibility to get more involved and expand your volunteering portfolio through CA. However, it is important to remember that you are at university first and foremost to get a degree, so the volunteering opportunities are very flexible so as not to impinge in your studies. The CA Officers are here for you! Whether you have any queries or concerns, or simply want to know how to get more involved! Whatever the question don’t hesitate to ask! Either drop us an email at [email protected] or pop into the office in Cornwall House. Make the most of your time at uni & get involved! Don’t forget to check out our website at www.ca.ex.ac.uk for more information about our projects, teams and upcoming socials. Just remember guys –volunteers don’t get paid, they are priceless! Huge CA love CA MANAGEMENT TEAM Sophie, Eirlys, Kate, Bee, Sarah. Anna, Roper, Danny, Georgie, Lewis, Callum and Charlotte.
Issue 11
Society News…Society News…Society News…Society News…One way to enhance your employability and have a lot of fun is to join
one of the Guild societies. There are literally hundreds of societies that you can join. In this issue, the
spotlight is on Community Action...
Page 4
Lynsey Allen studies abroad at the University of Cantabria, SantanderLynsey Allen studies abroad at the University of Cantabria, SantanderLynsey Allen studies abroad at the University of Cantabria, SantanderLynsey Allen studies abroad at the University of Cantabria, Santander A major factor in my
decision to choose Exe-
ter University was the
fact that it offered a
study abroad option. I
always wanted to have
the opportunity to live
in a foreign country,
gaining first-hand ex-
perience of a new cul-
ture and language. Last
year I spent a year
studying at The Univer-
sity of Cantabria in
Santander (Northern
Spain). I can honestly
say that it has been
the best year of my
life. As well as it be-
ing a great topic of
conversation during job
interviews, it makes
you so much more inde-
pendent and it is great
fun meeting people from
all over the world.
I decided to visit
Santander during the
summer before my course
started in order to
find accommodation. I
shared a flat with two
French girls, which was
located ten minutes
from the best beaches
in Spain. The Univer-
sity was very helpful
in giving information
about flats to rent.
You have to use your
initiative and get in
contact with the land-
lords yourself, which
can be difficult if you
have no knowledge of
the language, however,
it’s all part of the
experience!
There was a wide range
of modules in the Busi-
ness School and I chose
to take all of my mod-
ules in Spanish to help
develop my fluency in
the language. I was al-
ready familiar with a
lot of the material
covered in lectures
from my experiences at
Exeter and the lectur-
ers gave me a lot of
support.
Santander is a beauti-
ful city on the north
coast of Spain. My
friends and I spent
many afternoons on the
beach and in the eve-
nings the clubs stayed
open until six in the
morning.
One of the main chal-
lenges of my year abroad
was getting used to the
Spanish way of life where
everything’s done
“mañana”. I would recom-
mend trying to get Inter-
net sorted as soon as you
have found a flat as it
takes a good few weeks to
install!! Also setting up
things like bank accounts
and buying mobile phones
seemed to be more diffi-
cult than it would be in
the UK!
The year I spent in
Santander has definitely
made me more independent
and being able to write
on your CV that you’re
fluent in Spanish is a
major advantage when ap-
plying for jobs. I would
say that if you’re con-
sidering a year abroad
it’s likely to be the
best thing you ever do.
Lynsey Allen, BA Eco-
nomics WES, Year 4
Issue 11
The next few pages of the newsletter contain student written articles that highlight how students at the Uni-versity of Exeter Business School are striving to make sure that they stand out from the crowd when it comes
to securing a graduate level job by engaging in activities that will enhance their employability…
In this issue, the spotlight is on study abroad and student work placement experiences. Please note: I am very keen to hear from anyone who would like to contribute an article for this section of future issues of the newsletter. If you would like to share any of your employability-enhancing experiences with others please email me:
[email protected]. Articles can be on any topic that relates to something that you have done that has enhanced your employability, for example, volunteering, participating in student team challenges/business games, stu-
dent societies, part-time work, a placement scheme or a company insight day/week/academy...the list is endless…!
Seeking To Stand Out From The Crowd...
Page 5
Chris Hodges’ 12 month Internship with Siemens AG in Erlangen, Germany
Issue 11
One of the reasons that I chose
Exeter was because of the option of
taking a year abroad as part of the
course. I thought that taking a year
abroad would be an excellent oppor-
tunity to live in and experience a dif-
ferent country, and to meet lots of
new people.
Originally I had applied to spend my
year in Germany studying at a Uni-
versity, however when an email came
from Siemens AG advertising a one
year internship in their marketing
communications department, I felt
that it was a chance too good to miss.
I spent a fair bit of time researching
the company before submitting a CV
and a covering letter in both English
and German. I had not even contem-
plated the idea of doing a work place-
ment on my year abroad before the
email came from Siemens AG.
After approximately 3 weeks I heard
back from Siemens, as they were
inviting me for a telephone interview.
The interview lasted roughly 20 min-
utes and was conducted in both Eng-
lish and German, which was a little
bit daunting, but not as bad as I ex-
pected. After another week I heard
from Siemens again and was offered
the job, I was over the moon and was
already looking forward to starting,
even thought it was a good 4 months
away!
Fortunately the intern who was there
at the time offered to sort out accom-
modation for me in the student halls
where he was living, giving me a
place to stay pretty much from the
off. I arrived 3 days before my intern-
ship started in order to have a look at
Erlangen, the town where my intern-
ship was based. During these 3 days I
managed to set up a German bank
account and a German mobile phone
number, while also getting a good
taste of the local nightlife.
I started work at Siemens on the
Monday morning and was introduced
to my colleagues. The previous intern
was staying for another 2 weeks, as a
cross over period, in order to show
me the ropes. Work started at a fran-
tic pace as preparations had just
started for the biggest tradeshow of
the year. It was very much a case of
having to ‘hit the ground running’.
Work for this trade show was varied
and interesting, and I was involved in
designing and implementing the web-
site, working on the booth plan and
working on the presentations being
given at the show. The biggest shock
to the system however, was speaking
German all day everyday. In the of-
fice the only language spoken was
German.
Outside of work another English in-
tern working for a different company,
took me along to the local football
team he was playing for. I immedi-
ately got on very well with the guys
in the team, and I ended up playing
for the team all year, and making
some of my best friends at the club.
This also helped me a great deal with
my German, again everything with
them was done in German. Once the
other previous interns had left, I met
a lot of new people through the guys
at the football club, and also spent a
lot of time with them.
As well as playing a lot of football
and doing many other things with the
team, one of the highlights of my
year, was a long weekend snow-
boarding in Ischgl, Austria with
them. We took a 4 hour coach jour-
ney, which was followed by a lot of
partying and a lot of snowboarding.
This was however not my only skiing
trip! My department at Siemens also
go on a yearly long weekend, to Tirol
in Italy. This was less of a party and
focused more on the skiing side of
things, but still terrific fun.
On the work front, we were very busy
with the final preparations for the
tradeshow that I mentioned earlier.
However on top of this I was also
working on a competitor analysis for
our branch. I was improving my Ger-
man on a day to day basis, while also
learning a lot from my direct line man-
agers.
As well as playing football every week-
end, I tried to get away and see as much
as possible. A highlight was a weekend
to Vienna. Along with a mixture of 6
German and English friends we took 2
cars and spent the weekend looking at
the sights, and the evening highlights,
of what I think is one of the nicest
European cities.
Other highlights of my year, were being
able to experience the world famous
Munich Beer Festival, or the Oktober-
fest as it is known in Germany, as well
as a more low key local version in Er-
langen.
I also managed to fit in a weekend long
music festival in Nürnberg, as well as
going to Dublin for St. Patrick’s day
with a number of colleagues.
I think that having undertaken an in-
ternship on my year abroad will benefit
me in numerous ways in the future. I
learnt a lot, and managed to put my
studies into practice. I believe that I
have enhanced my employability as I
have had an experience that not many
people will have had, while also prov-
ing that I am adaptable to new environ-
ments, and am comfortable living in
foreign countries.
When I look back, there are so many
things to remember, I never imagined
that I would be able to fit so much into
one year. However the year went so
quickly. I have so many awesome
memories of my year in Erlangen, and
have made many friends for life, who I
hope to stay in contact with, and have
every intention of visiting whenever I
get the chance.
I would wholeheartedly recommend
anyone to take a year abroad and even
more so to do an industrial placement.
Chris Hodges, BA Business Economics
WES, year 4
Page 6
Dirk Ter-Haar’s 12 month placement with Psyma, Nuremberg, Germany
Issue 11
I had wanted to spend a
year of my degree abroad
because I felt that it
would enhance my employ-
ability and help me to
stand out in the job market
when I graduated. I had
personal reasons for choos-
ing Germany, and more spe-
cifically, Nuremberg in Ba-
varia, for my year abroad
– my girlfriend lives there
and I wanted to ‘test’ liv-
ing there myself. I decided
that I wanted to spend my
year abroad on a placement
rather than studying as I
thought that it would en-
able me to get a more ‘real
world’ insight into living
in Germany.
I had studied beginners and
intermediate German during
the first two years of my
degree – I had no German
before I started at the
University of Exeter. Al-
though knowledge of German
was not required for the
job that I performed, it
was very useful to help me
with the general day-to-day
living over there.
Securing the job required
quite a lot initiative. I
knew that I wanted to work
in the area of marketing or
market research and so I
tried to do what seemed to
be the most obvious things
to me – ie sending off job
applications to any rele-
vant firms in the area and
seeking out and looking at
German job websites. The
geographical limitations
that I had set myself made
the job search quite diffi-
cult but, eventually, I did
manage to secure a job
working in the e-business
division of Psyma.
The job required an English
speaker and it was a sup-
portive role in a team that
was responsible for con-
ducting benchmarking exer-
cises on specific websites
for market research pur-
poses. I didn’t have a
great deal of market re-
search experience before I
started the job but I soon
picked things up through on
the job training. My col-
leagues were great, I
learned an enormous amount
on the job and I really en-
joyed being able to do
‘real work’ and to do it
well.
Some of the biggest chal-
lenges were being organised
enough to keep to the time-
scales required for embark-
ing on my year abroad and
being prepared for all of
the bureaucracy that I
faced with official paperwork
etc. Finding accommodation can
be difficult and you do need
to make sure that you make
time to look for a suitable
place to live when you are
abroad.
Nuremberg was great. It had a
very good transport system
and, historically and cultur-
ally, it was fascinating. It
was a clean city with a low
crime rate. I did manage to
travel a bit during the year –
for example, I went skiing in
the Alps and I made a trip to
Munich.
The key things that I got out
of my year abroad were: prac-
tical experience of working in
an office environment; learn-
ing how an office/company op-
erates; learning how to cope
with living and working in a
different country and learning
how to get on with people from
a different culture.
My advice to anyone who has
the chance to spend a year
abroad as part of their degree
is – GO FOR IT!!! It is a
great way to enhance your CV
and there are options avail-
able for those who do not have
a second language.
Dirk Ter-Haar, BA Business &
Management WES, year 4
Page 7
What could YOU do in your third year…how about spending it abroad? Calling all FIRST YEAR students...
It’s never too early to start thinking ahead. If you are a first year undergraduate student and would like to explore
the idea of studying or working abroad for year during your degree contact Mike Robertson, in the Business
School , via [email protected] or call in to speak to him in person in Room 3 Streatham
Court...NOW!!
Olivia and Charlotte and the PricewatehouseCoopers LLP Placement Schemes...
Issue 11
I joined PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP (PwC) on their Gap year
scheme in 2006 for a 7 month
placement in London, and conse-
quently two summer placements. I
wanted to join PwC to gain firsthand
experience of working within a pro-
fessional services firm and to be ex-
posed to a business environment.
For the placement I attended a week-
long residential induction at Latimer
House, a conference centre and hotel
in Buckinghamshire. This gave us
quite an intense introduction into
basic accounting, auditing and IT.
Not only that, but it offered me a
chance to ask questions, go through
business scenarios and meet people
on the scheme. It was a good way to
prepare us for what the work would
entail. However the best way to learn
was through experience and though
this seemed challenging at the time, it
meant that I had to step up my game.
Unlike other fields of business, the
work which placement students un-
dertake is the same grade as first year
graduates, which can be taxing at
times but very rewarding. It becomes
clear that after the rigorous applica-
tion process you have been through,
you have been chosen as someone
who can deal with these challenges
effectively.
During my placement I enjoyed get-
ting to know my audit teams. The
teams varied in size and sometimes
involved senior members of the com-
pany. Every time I was placed with a
new client there was always someone
to coach you through the work and
then review your documentation.
However I was pleasantly surprised
by the level of responsibility place-
ment students are given, the work
that you submit is integral to the
overall team’s progress. One of the
things I liked the most about PwC is
that you are really made to feel like
you are part of the company. They
involve you in every aspect of the
work and social events, such as audit
meals, drinks and charitable team
projects as a way to get to know your
team/colleagues and to reward you
for your work.
Throughout your placement you will
have to face challenges for example
following up on grey areas with the
client, building on your professional
confidence, and meeting deadlines. I
was able to deal with these challenges
through the support offered by my
team, by communicating any issues
as and when they arose and having
the confidence to ask questions.
From my placement at PwC I have
realised that I thrive on new chal-
lenges and I enjoy positions of re-
sponsibility. My experience has en-
abled me to gain a better understand-
ing of professional services and the
nature of the work involved and also
the different clients that you work
with. I have enjoyed building rela-
tionships with colleagues and as a
result hope to secure a place with the
firm when I leave university. PwC
has enhanced my employability skills
dramatically allowing me to experi-
ence working in a large company,
giving me positions of responsibility
and forcing me to use my initiative
whilst facing challenges along the
way.
I would highly advise undergraduates
to consider doing an internship with
PwC, not only because it’s one of the
largest professional services firms
with a variety of work on offer, but
also because it gives you the opportu-
nity to gain knowledge and experi-
ence in what could become your fu-
ture career. It may also give you the
chance to secure a future graduate
position when you finish university,
allowing you to enter your third year
with the reassurance of having se-
cured a full time job when you leave.
Olivia, BA Economics, year 3
Having started my career with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
(PwC) during my Gap Year, I
have had the privilege of explor-ing many different departments
and sectors within the firm. There is a common misconception
that to become an accountant will involve being stuck in an office all
day tapping away at a calculator –
however, this could not be further from the truth. My time spent so far
with PwC has been within their As-surance department and I have had
the opportunity to work with clients
in the Public Sector, Entertainment and Media, Investment Management
and Banking and Capital Markets. Seeing such a vast array of compa-
nies and meeting so many different clients has given me a fantastic
grounding and knowledge of not only
finance, but also many other enter-prises and industries.
Aside from the obvious benefits of
improving your CV, gaining a place-ment with PwC also helps you to de-
velop key employability skills which
are essential in today’s economic climate. In addition, this experience
helps people to advance their social skills, team-working skills and all
other key competencies that employ-
ers will be looking for throughout the job application process.
Furthermore, the 1NSIGHT Interna-
tional Internship that I was lucky enough to embark upon during my
summer placement, gave me the opportunity to explore an entirely
different working culture in New
York. This also enabled me to make connections with PwC staff in an of-
fice abroad – without the placement, none of this would have been possi-
ble. Through working with PwC, I
cannot emphasise enough how many different opportunities there are
available within the firm. A place-ment is a fantastic way to get an in-
sight into what PwC do and the
amount of support that would be available throughout your career.
Charlotte, BA Accounting & Finance, year 3
Page 8
I am Scott FI am Scott FI am Scott FI am Scott Fennell, a third year undergraduate studying for a BA in Business and Management. For the last two summer holidays away ennell, a third year undergraduate studying for a BA in Business and Management. For the last two summer holidays away ennell, a third year undergraduate studying for a BA in Business and Management. For the last two summer holidays away ennell, a third year undergraduate studying for a BA in Business and Management. For the last two summer holidays away
from university I have been working in the USA as a counsellor at a Summer Camp in the USA. from university I have been working in the USA as a counsellor at a Summer Camp in the USA. from university I have been working in the USA as a counsellor at a Summer Camp in the USA. from university I have been working in the USA as a counsellor at a Summer Camp in the USA. I had attended a talk about Summer
Camps in America in my first year through careers and employability and I was hooked on the idea straight away.
I have worked as both a general counsellor and a group leader at camp. As a group leader I was working with a group of eight year
olds directly in my care, being a member of staff taking them and supervising at a range of activities, getting involved with evening
programs and sorting out any issues that arose in the bunk. This last summer I was
promoted to Group Leader in charge of 42 twelve year olds and the general counsellors
working for me. Every day I had to sort out the staff rotas for the activities that my
campus was designated for the day and arrange any specific evening activities that we
had scheduled for that night. In both of these jobs you are seen by the children as an
older sibling, a parent, a cheerleader and a role model, and so a huge amount of re-
sponsibility is placed upon you every day. The camp I was placed at was in New York
State and although it felt like you were in a forest in the middle of nowhere it was
easy to get a train into Manhattan on your days off and part of the placement is the
possibility to travel and experience a lot of the North American culture, after the camp
placement your visa entitles you to another month in the USA to travel.
I was placed through BUNAC a non-profit organisation that offers work and travel experiences, and one of those offered is the Summer
Camp USA. I thought it would be a lot of hassle to do this but everything was sorted out for me, the process was easy and painless,
and, most importantly for me as a student, it wasn’t expensive.
Working and being around children is a pretty amazing experience, however, it can be challenging at times. I have further developed
many of my skills through my camp experience. You have to be confident, a good role model to the children, good at communicating
and assessing the environment you are in. Through my role as group leader I was given a large amount of responsibility and my leader-
ship skills were tested on many occasions. It is hard but very enjoyable work and I can’t wait to get back to camp this summer and
continue where I left off.
With all of the skills and experiences that I have gained from camp I believe that I have enhanced my employability immensely. I truly
believe that working at camp is a great way to improve your communication and leadership skills as they are necessary in the day to
day work. In interviews that I have gone to with potential employers, I have always noticed that I can use my experience at camp to
express many of the skills that they are looking for .
I would advise any current undergraduate to go ahead and do one of these programs while the opportunity is available to them and to
be open to the amazing experience that camp brings.
Scott Fennell, BA Business & Management, year 3
Issue 11 Page 9
Scott Fennell and the BUNAC summer placement scheme...
Issue 11 Page 10
‘Getting In & Getting On’: Insights into Alumni Careers...
This section of the newsletter is set aside for contributions from University of Exeter Business School (formerly the
School of Business & Economics or ‘SoBE’) Alumni who have very kindly agreed to reflect on their careers—or any par-
ticular aspect(s) of their careers— since their graduation.
Please note: I am very keen to hear from any alumni who would like to contribute an article for this section of future
issues of the newsletter. If you would like to share any aspects of your experiences in your career in order to provide
some insights to students who might be considering similar pathways please email me—Rachel Torr—at Business-
Seven years is a long time to spend in Univer-sity, I could techni-cally be qualified as a Doc-
tor by now, however I am not. I am working as a trainee stockbro-ker with Redmayne-Bentley in Exeter. Let me first begin to tell my story after I finished my Irish Leaving Cert or as it is called in the UK the A Level’s. My marks were average spread across a range of subjects from Physics to Economics. I undertook a Higher National Diploma in Business Studies at University of Ulster Jor-danstown, just outside Belfast. I knew I wanted to go into busi-ness, but didn’t know what ex-actly. The HND was three years with one year work placement, which I spent at 3M in Bangor Co. Down. This work placement really helped me to mature as an indi-vidual and prepared me for life after University, however I hadn’t finished in University yet! After completing the HND, I wanted to specialise in Finance, so I undertook a BSc in Finance and Investment at the University of Ulster Coleraine, near the Gi-ant’s Causeway. After having just completed the HND, I jumped straight into the second year of the three year course, this course was great and I had found the area I wanted to be in. I was now near the top of my class and after
my first year in Coleraine I applied for a scholarship to study in Amer-ica, which was awarded by the British Council every year to over 100 individuals. Along with applying for the schol-arship, I had also been in close contact with the careers office, for advice on my CV, which I found extremely useful. After I had worked on my CV, I then started looking for internships with a stockbroker either in Belfast or Dublin. To this day I remember going through the yellow pages and calling up different stockbro-kers from a pay phone in Univer-sity. I didn’t get much luck from my calling, but Goodbody Stock-brokers in Dublin told me to send in my CV. I then received an email to say that they would keep my CV on file. Roughly one week later, I received another email from Goodbody’s to say that they would like me to attend a job in-terview. I got the job after doing much research on the company. After my internship with Good-body’s, I was off to study in Amer-ica. Knowing I only had a limited amount of time to see as much of America as I could, I undertook every travelling opportunity I could, including charity work with Habitat for Humanity in Chatta-nooga and relaxing on the beach in Miami on Christmas day. Upon my return from America, I undertook another placement at Goodbody’s before starting my final year in Coleraine. After com-pleting my final year I gained fur-ther work experience with Merrill Lynch in Dublin before applying
for and securing a place on the MSc in Financial Analysis and Fund Man-agement at the University of Exeter. The MSc was a step-up from under-graduate level and with the course geared towards completing levels 1 and 2 of the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) qualifications, it was chal-lenging. I think the support provided by the Postgraduate Team, our lec-tures and tutors made the journey a lot smoother than it might otherwise have been. An important part of the year for me was establishing friend-ships with people from all over the world, due to the multi cultural nature of our course. By April of last year, I realised that I needed to widen my job search in or-der to try to secure a post and I de-cided to visit local stockbrokers based in Exeter. Redmayne-Bentley was the first firm that I approached and immediately I was welcomed. After a chat and a cup of tea, it was agreed that I would send in my CV for the senior partner to review. I was offered a two week trial period and after a successful spell, I was offered a for-mal interview by Redmayne-Bentley in their head office in Leeds. I was fortunate to be told on the day that I had been offered a one year contract with Redmayne-Bentley based in Exe-ter as a Trainee Stockbroker. I would like to say that the hardest part was getting the job, however the hardest part is really just beginning. Since starting I have been to London on a number of occasions attending various courses geared towards achieving the SII certificate, this is a basic certificate that everybody stock-broker needs when starting out in the industry. I passed all three exams in
Insights from Kevin Boland at Redmayne-Bentley Stockbrokers…..
my first two months and am now qualified to take Execu-tion Only trades from clients and execute the trades directly with our dealers. The single most important part of being a successful stockbroker, like with most professions, is hav-ing a solid client base. This involves a lot of networking, time and effort. It is important to establish and build on rela-tionships with Solicitors, Ac-countants and IFA’s. Kevin Boland, MSc in Finan-cial Analysis and Fund Man-agement, 2009 Trainee Stockbroker, Red-mayne-Bentley Stockbrokers
Issue 11 Page 11
If you have any careers
and employment queries
or are applying for work
experience, internships
or graduate jobs and
want some support then please email
us—Business-School-
[email protected]—or come
and see us in Room 2 Streatham Court
during office hours or by appointment for
some initial pointers to get you started.
Rachel Torr’s (School Employability
Officer) and Jenny Phillips’ (School
Work Placement Coordinator) office
hours for the Spring Term 2010 will be
advertised on the Business School Em-
ployability Team’s office door and in the
weekly ‘What’s On?’ emails that are sent
out to all Business School Students
Don’t forget— upcoming employability
events are advertised in the weekly
‘What’s On?’ emails as well and you can
find employability related information
and links to useful websites on the Busi-
ness School Employability site on web-
ct: http://exeter.blackboard.com
In addition, you should familiarise
yourself with the University of Exeter
central Careers & Employment Ser-
vice’s website:
www.exeter.ac.uk/employability
Please remember to make use of the
Business School Careers Clinics which
are held on a regular basis in Streatham
Court by Mary McCarthy and David
Pritchard. Details of these are avail-
able on pages 2-3 of this newsletter and
on the full Business School Employ-
ability Spring 2010 Employability
Events Programme on the Business
School Employability site on web-ct.
If you want a 20 minute 1-2-1 appoint-
ment with Mary or David during one of
the clinics you must sign up in advance
at the Undergraduate Student Services
Reception in Streatham Court.
Alternatively, you can book an ap-
pointment to see a Careers Advisor at
any time in Reed Mews by calling:
01392 264420
A Reminder of Business School Employability
Office Hours and Electronic Information
Insights From Ala Tchalabi at the South West Regional Development Agency...Insights From Ala Tchalabi at the South West Regional Development Agency...Insights From Ala Tchalabi at the South West Regional Development Agency...Insights From Ala Tchalabi at the South West Regional Development Agency...
Issue 11
I graduated from the Uni-versity of Exe-ter Business School in 2009 with a degree in Eco-
nomics and Finance. Issues of Economic Development have al-ways been of interest to me as I was born and brought up in Syria - a developing country. After some travelling and working for two years, I decided to go to Univer-sity. I did a one year Access to Higher Education course in Bath College to enable myself to do so. During this year, I had to work full time to support myself whilst studying on a full-time course, it was never easy, but I was deter-mined to get back to education. My time at University was also challenging at times, but overall it was a good experience. I joined several societies and sports clubs and also volunteered to be a resi-dential tutor.
In my first year , I had no idea what career option I wanted to take. I was suddenly bombarded with the many career options that were out there. Some job titles sounded flashy, other jobs had attractive financial rewards earlier on. I got muddled and lost focus, I started to find it harder to choose a career
However, one of the most useful things that I did, especially in my third year, was to attend many career events and talks by exter-nal speakers. It helped me over-come the stereotypes associated with certain jobs. An email was circulated about a Government Economic Service (GES) open day at HM Treasury at the start of the third year. The minute I walked away from that open day I knew what I wanted to do, or at least were I would like to start—using economics to make a differ-ence and to affect policy making. I was aware however of the fierce competition and the very high standards required.
The recession kicked in and the
unemployment figures were mounting. I realised I was gradu-ating in difficult economic condi-tions and that difficulties were ly-ing ahead. Waking up to news about how it is the worst time to be a new graduate was depress-ing. I was convinced that I might need to fill in more than a hundred applications before securing a job or even an interview.
I decided not to get distracted and to concentrate on my exams. Dur-ing my final exams an email was circulated about a graduate place-ment in the South West RDA. Al-though it was what I wanted to do, I was hesitant after reading the job description. It was a long list of skills and competencies that I wasn’t very confident about matching up to. I had a closer look and realised most of it was skills I acquired on my degree, and from the jobs I did. I decided to apply and put a lot of effort into preparation despite having ex-ams. I had great advice from the careers office that helped me to prepare a targeted CV and cover-ing letter. I was very happy to hear I was invited for an interview, but was also very nervous as I was going to be interviewed by two senior economists. After the exams I spent about three weeks doing research and preparation. I listened to tips and advise from a friend who had secured a similar job at the GES. The interview went well and I was offered the job two weeks later. I was over the moon.
My current title is Economics As-sistant and my role involves sup-porting the Economics and Evi-dence team in the Strategy and policy directorate of the Agency. The Economics and Evidence team provides a wide range of analytical and data advice for the Board and Executive Team and other senior managers and exter-nal partners. Our team co-ordinates and undertakes most of the Agency’s research and intelli-gence work. We aim to build evi-dence based capacity and deci-sion making within the Agency.
My duties primarily concentrate on preparing and disseminating ana-lytical briefings on the South West economy and business environ-ment. I also develop and provide a range of economic and other evidence, including data, research, intelligence, appraisal and evalua-tion.
Since I started my job three months ago, I have been enjoying the experience immensely. I find it very challenging and find myself learning continuously. The main challenge is digesting a vast amount of information in a rela-tively small space of time. I am developing the skill of looking at huge sets of data, analyzing it and then writing a summary to describe it. I get great support from the team, and find it an enormous as-set to be working with a team with vast economic experience. The working environment is excellent and we have a flexible hours sys-tem, which is very convenient. I have already been asked to repre-sent the team in a prestigious award event, which was a great networking opportunity. We won ‘best publication’ in the South West for the Economics Review that we produce quarterly.
For the future, I hope to be able to pursue a career as an Economist and be able to work on Develop-ment Programs in my home coun-try later on in my career. For any-one wanting to follow a similar ca-reer path, my advice is, as well as applying for graduate programs in central government departments and large consultancies, look into regional and local ones as these particular schemes can give you great experience and exposure. My final advice is, never let any-one tell you that you are not good enough.
Ala Tchalabi, BA Economics & Finance, 2009 Economics Assistant, Economics & Evidence Team, South West Regional Development Agency
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