university of exeter business school...

Welcome to a brand new academic year...!

I hope that you all had a very good summer and that you are ready to start

the new academic year with lots of energy.

I am pleased to be able to inform you that the autumn 2009 edition of the

University of Exeter Business School Employability newsletter is filled with a

number of interesting articles that have been written by staff, students and

alumni.

Mary McCarthy’s column, ‘Let’s Talk’ (p2), provides some tips for enhancing

your employability in the light of the current economic climate. To help you

consider how to act on Mary’s advice, you’ll find information about employ-

ability events that are planned for the autumn term on pages 5-9. In addition,

information about some of the societies that might be of particular interest to

Business School students appears on pages 10-11.

This issue also contains some reflective pieces written by current students

and recent graduates. For example, Ibe Enwo, reports on the MSc 2009

Euro-Trip (p4), Jordan Toy (p6) reflects on his engagement with a number of

extra curricula employability enhancing activities during his degree and Fer-

gus Daisley and Mark Bennett write about their placement experiences on

pages 12-14. Finally, Ben Foulser and Jonny Morton provide some insights

into their current roles at KPMG (p14-15) and Tom O’Leary shares some of

his recent experiences of working for Duff & Phelps LLC (p16-17).

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

Welcome to 2009-2010

Issue 10

Autumn 2009

Let’s Talk with Mary McCarthy

2

Business School Employ-ability Office Hours

3

Report on the MSc Euro-Trip 2009

4

What’s On This Term? 5

Society News 10

Seeking to Stand Out From the Crowd

12

Getting In & Getting On: Insights into Alumni Ca-reers

14

Events & Activities—Reflection on Getting Involved

6

Inside this issue:

University of Exeter Business School

Employability |Newsletter—Autumn 2009|

….with Mary, McCarthy, Careers Advisor

Do you want the good news or the bad news? Do you want the good news or the bad news? Do you want the good news or the bad news? Do you want the good news or the bad news? Is the recession easing? With so much conflicting information being presented to us, it is difficult to know what to believe. Alongside the Financial Times, my starting point is the well respected Association of

Graduate Recruiters (AGR) – an organisation which encompasses the majority of multinational recruiters in the UK as

well as a number of small and medium sized companies.

At a recent AGR conference (July 09), the current situation, based on the results of the summer 2009 survey of AGR members, was summarised thus:

• competition is increasing and the average number of graduates chasing every job on offer this year has risen to 48 per vacancy

• graduate vacancies are down 25 % compared to the last recruitment round

• the small energy and utilities sector has reported a 7.1% rise in graduate vacancies

• a degree is a good investment for a long-term future career

Carl Gilleard, AGR Chief Executive, said: "We cannot hide from the fact that dramatic vacancy cuts will make the job

search very tough for graduates both this year and probably next year too."

These findings are echoed by all recruiters visited this summer by Careers Advisers – from actuarial to public sector, accountancy to retail, and by articles in the Financial Times. A very important message flows from this concerning the

quality of applications received by recruiters.

JOBS EXISTJOBS EXISTJOBS EXISTJOBS EXIST for this year’s finalists and Masters students, but there are more people applying for each vacancy. With

increased competition for jobs, the quality of your applications has never been so important.

“Employers urge struggling graduates to research jobs and prepare for interviews more “Employers urge struggling graduates to research jobs and prepare for interviews more “Employers urge struggling graduates to research jobs and prepare for interviews more “Employers urge struggling graduates to research jobs and prepare for interviews more thoroughly than ever as competition intensifies.” thoroughly than ever as competition intensifies.” thoroughly than ever as competition intensifies.” thoroughly than ever as competition intensifies.” Association of Graduate Recruiters

Survey 2009

Even the tiniest slip on an application form will mean almost certain rejection. If you cannot take care of attention to detail in this situation, an organisation will not take the risk of letting you communicate with their clients. You will

need to research your skill set, the role you are applying for and the company before putting fingers to keyboard.

ACTION: ACTION: ACTION: ACTION:

1. Attend a workshop on Application techniques. These will be offered by the Careers and Employment Service

within your School and via a core programme of activities. See the Employability website for more details.

2. Seek out recruiters at careers fairs, skill workshops and presentations to find out more about opportunities, what

they are looking for from applications and their ‘top tips’. See your Calendar of activities (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/employability/students/events/index.php) for more details and check your emails regularly for updates from the

Business School Employability Team

A lost generation?A lost generation?A lost generation?A lost generation? A recent article in the Financial Times looked at the effects of recession on graduate salaries based on research in the US, Germany and Canada. Overall, the findings showed that, whilst people were likely to be affected by lower starting salaries and taking a while to move into their ideal jobs, the affects for recent graduates

were short lived. Also, the message was to keep your ultimate goal in mind and keep trying.

As someone who graduated in a recession (no, not the Great Depression!), I found that it was better to be in work – any work – whilst looking for that ideal job. Research shows that it is just as true now. Apart from the fact that you might be earning money, even part-time voluntary experience is developing your skills, getting you out of the house/flat and helping you to maintain a “positive mental attitude”. This will come across on your applications and at inter-

view.

This recession will end. Will you be ready for the opportunities that will be on offer?

ACTION: ACTION: ACTION: ACTION:

1. This is a good time to think about the Exeter Leaders Award if you have al-ready obtained the Exeter Award. Other universities are beginning to pick up

Issue 10

on this idea as it gains credibility with recruiters. We were one of the first and we are still ahead of the pack!

Find out how to get involved via the Employability website.

2. Networking skills are going to be very important this year. Staff within your School are actively involving Exeter Alumni in a number of activities. Make a date to meet up with people who could be of help to you, either face-to-face on campus or via the ‘Expert’ database. More information on your Events Calendar and the Employabil-

ity website.

3. I will be available in the School at various times across the year. You are welcome to visit me for a brief careers discussion in Streatham Court or come to Reed Mews where the Careers and Employment Service is based. Appointments can be made via Reception (Streatham Court) and the reception staff (Reed Mews). There are six Careers Advisers in Reed Mews, so you should not have to wait very long for an

appointment with one of us.

Bye for now,

Mary

(Mary McCarthy, Careers Advisor, University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service)

Issue 10

A Reminder of Business School Employability

Office Hours and Electronic Information

If you have any careers and employ-

ment 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 Streat-

ham Court during office hours or by

appointment for some initial pointers

to get you started.

During the Autumn Term 2009, Ra-

chel Torr’s (School Employability

Officer) office hours will usually be:

Monday 1000-1100

Tuesday 1500-1600

Wednesday 1000-1100

Thursday 1500-1600

However, please check the office

door and weekly ‘What’s On?’

emails as these hours may change

due to other commitments.

Jenny Phillips (School Placement

Officer) will be available by ap-

pointment.

Don’t forget— upcoming employ-

ability events are advertised in the

weekly ‘What’s On?’ emails and

you can find employability related

information and links to useful web-

sites on the Business School Em-

ployability site on web-ct:

http://exeter.blackboard.com

In addition, you should familiarise

yourself with the University of Exe-

ter central Careers & Employment

Service’s website:

www.exeter.ac.uk/employability

Please remember to

make use of the Business School Ca-

reers Clinics which are held on a regu-

lar basis in Streatham Court by Mary

McCarthy. Details of these are avail-

able on pages 5-6 of this newsletter and

on the full Business School Employ-

ability Autumn 2009 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 during one of the clin-

ics you must sign up in advance at the

Undergraduate Student Services Re-

ception 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.

Report on the University of Exeter Business School

MSc Euro-Trip, 2009

Issue 10

For as long as I can remember, travelling has been an integral

part of my life. Right through my childhood days to my teens I

had always enjoyed being on the road, watching the world as

it rolled by, watching strangers as they lived their strange lives

oblivious to my intense gaze, watching the herdsmen and

their cattle, the rivers and the hills, the forests and the plains.

Although I had never left my native country Nigeria, I looked

forward to the day when I would travel around the world and

extend the breadth of my horizon. In fact, my decision to pur-

sue a Master’s degree in Finance at The University of Exeter

Business School was partly hinged on this desire.

I was glad when I learnt I would be participating in a 7-day

MSc study trip to Brussels, Frankfurt and Paris that took place

during the Easter break in 2009. Our first port of call was the

European Commission in Brussels, where we had a two hour

presentation on the role of the Commission in Europe, par-

ticularly in fostering trade relations among its members. The

presentation sparked off a debate between the students and

the presenters. Different opinions were thrown up from stu-

dents with different backgrounds and it was quite engaging to

watch the dialogue as it went back and forth.

Shortly after, we left for Frankfurt. Most of what I knew of

Germany was what I had seen on the news, and I really

looked forward to being on the live trading floor of the Frank-

furt Bourse. At the exchange we were educated on the work-

ings of the Frankfurt trading system; from receiving orders, to

market making, to executing and closing deals. We also got to

see real time quotes as and when they occurred. Although we

were not allowed on the actual floor, we observed the pro-

ceedings from above, amidst a somewhat calm and composed

atmosphere.

In Frankfurt, we were also hosted by Deutsche Bank. We

spoke directly with key representatives of the bank and it was

indeed interesting and a real privilege to have an opportunity

to ask questions while we were there.

Finally, we arrived in Paris. Although we arrived late at night,

after we checked into our rooms and had freshened up, we all

assembled at the lobby of the hotel with one mission in mind:

The Eiffel Tower. We asked for directions and were told it was

just “two minutes walk around the corner”. An hour and a

half and a cold and weary group of students later, we finally

saw the Tower some distance away. It was a good

thing we visited at night because every now and then,

the Tower was lit up by blinking lights. It was beauti-

ful.

The next day we visited the Fonds de Reserve in Paris.

This government agency was charged with the task of

catering for the pension requirements of its citizens

and was responsible for managing the pension re-

serve fund set up to support the ongoing PAYGO pen-

sion system. We brought different viewpoints from

our various backgrounds and exchanged ideas on how

best we felt the system would work. In the end, we

felt we had given something back to the French Gov-

ernment and left full of new ideas to take with us.

On our last day in Paris, we walked around the town,

visited the shops on the Champs d’ Elysees, and went

to the Louvre Museum. We saw a great many sights at

the Museum including the Mona Lisa. It was amazing

to see so many people crowd around one painting

although to me it looked no different in real life.

When we left the following day, I knew I would always

be drawn back to this city.

Overall, both socially and educationally, this was a

fantastic trip.

Ibe Enwo, (MSc in Financial Analysis & Fund Manage-

ment 2008-2009)

Report on the MSc Euro-Trip, 2009

Issue 10

Business School Employability

EVENTS

A brief list of the autumn

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: Busi-

ness-School-

[email protected]

12.10.09

Careers in the City

1800-1930

13.10.09

Accenture Drop-in @ The Busi-

ness School

1100-1500

13.10.09

Accenture: Business Game

1800-2000

15.10.09

Getting in & Getting on: Insights

into…(speaker TBC)

1200-1300

15.10.09

Careers Clinic - Mary McCarthy

1400-1630

19.10.09

Business School Student &

Alumni Networking Evening

1800-2045

20.10.09

Planning Your CV

1200-1300

22.10.09


into…(speaker TBC)

1200-1300

27.10.09


1000-1230

02.11.09

'Would Like to Meet…': Account-

ing Careers Speed Networking

Event - Organised by the Insti-

tute of Chartered Accountants

in England & Wales (ICAEW)

1800-2000

03.11.09

Procter & Gamble CV Clinic

0900-1100

03.11.09

Job Hunting Strategies

1200-1300

04.11.09

Dunchester's Millions Policy

Game - Civil Service Fast Stream

(organised by the Business School but open to ALL Univer-sity of Exeter students)

1330-1730

05.11.09

PricewaterhouseCoopers Drop-in

@ The Business School

1000-1500

09.11.09

KPMG Business Game

1530-1730

10.11.09


1400-1630

10.11.09

Field Trip to Francis Clark for

Final Year Undergraduate Busi-

ness School Students

1500-(approx)1800

11.11.09


into Stockbroking with Nick

Wills, Lennox Lowdon & Denis

Oppong (Redmayne Bentlely

Stockbrokers)

1300-1500

12.11.09

Getting In and Getting On: In-

sights into working in the for-

eign exchange markets with Greg

Edwards (B Comm, MBA FRSA) ,

Director of Corporate eCom-

merce Sales, Deutche Bank AG.

1200-1300

16.11.09

Effective Application Forms -

Mary McCarthy

1200-1300

16.11.09

PricewaterhouseCoopers: Finan-

cial Challenge Business Game

1800-2000

17.11.09

Group Interviews for 2nd Year

Undergraduate Business School

Students with Procter & Gamble

(3 X 1 hour sessions)

0900-1200

19.11.09


1000-1230

19.11.09


into Marketing with Martin Moll,

Head of Marketing, Honda UK

Power Equipment

1200-1300

19.11.09

Preparing for an Assessment Cen-

tre: Practical session with Sam-

worth Brothers

1800-1930

23.11.09

Ernst & Young: Business Game (To

Be Confirmed)

1800-2000

24.11.09


1000-1230

24.11.09

Business School International

Students: working in the UK af-

ter your studies – support avail-

able and visa information

1400-1600

Business School Employability —What’s on this term?

Business School Employability

EVENTS—Continued:

30.11.09

Deloitte Drop-in @ The Busi-

ness School

1100-1500

30.11.09

Deloitte: Business Game

1800-2000

01.12.09

Mock Interviews with Pricewa-

terhouseCoopers

1100-1600

01.12.09

Understanding Psychometric

Testing

1200-1300

02.12.09

Mock Interviews with Edge

Recruits

1000-1600

02.12.09

Managing your Career

1800-1930

03.12.09

Getting in & Getting on: In-

sights into…(speaker TBC)

1200-1300

03.12.09

Careers Clinic—Mary

McCarthy

1400-1630

07.12.09

Ernst & Young Drop-in @ The

Business School (To Be Con-

firmed)

TBC

08.12.09

Careers Clinic - Mary

McCarthy

1000-1230

10.12.09

Getting in & Getting on: In-

sights into…(speaker TBC)

1200-1300

Issue 10

Having joined the University of Exeter Business School in 2005, enjoyed four years, and now graduating, with a career in the British Army ahead, it becomes increasingly apparent, discussing the matter with peers, how easy this process has been made by the efforts of the Business School. From the outset (as ‘Fresher’s’), we were constantly encouraged to consider future employment, more specifically our individual ‘employability’, assured that our time at university would fly by and before we knew it we would be starring down the barrel of the ‘real world’. Unfortunately, this prophecy has indeed been realised, and before you know what’s what you are a third/ fourth year who has a good degree from a good university and are, on paper…virtually identical to thousands of other applicants applying for the same jobs. However, this is where the University of Exeter Business School sticks its head above the parapet and offers a significant helping hand, providing a multitude of employability events, meetings, interviews and many other services! The point here is that help is on tap, and should be seized at every available opportunity, especially considering current employment climates.

From a personal perspective, having largely ignored many services available during my first year (with a rather smug view that I already had a ‘job’, so didn’t need to bother), I realised that if my existing plan fell through, I was stranded without a hope of finding anyone to employ me, as all those around me seemed to be taking full advantage of the services mentioned above and so were way ahead in the employability pecking order. I can only say I am pleased these mistakes were realised early enough to be corrected.

During my second year, following the award of an Army Undergraduate Bursary, I joined the University Officer Training Corps and attended training on Wednesday evenings (when not playing rugby for the University) and every other weekend. This decision has proved one of, if not the, best I have made at University, and even for those not considering a future in the military (as many who join OTC initially are not), I would thoroughly recommend attending a ‘welcome’ evening to see what goes on and what superb opportunities are available. Skills honed here have allowed many friends to find jobs outside the military, and although joining may seem a far more significant commitment to other clubs or societies (it is!), the mantra ‘the more you put it in, the more you get out’ wholly applies, with the returns from joining immeasurably larger than the costs. I have been lucky enough during my time to participate in training with the Royal Marines, ski in Austria (at a very reasonable price!), climb mountains and trek through jungle in Peru, as well as being a member of a Guinness World Breaking team! You also get paid and fed.

My third year of my degree was spent studying in Sweden, where the offer of spending a year living in another country sampling a foreign culture and opportunities for four week forays into the Arctic circle, proved too good to be true, and was gladly accepted. Opportunities for studying abroad are accessible through Erasmus Study Abroad Scheme and I would highly recommend this experience to anyone.

In the Business School, extra-curricular activities such as the IBM Universities Business Challenge - a large competition simulating a business environment - has facilitated meeting potential employers face to face, something that can only be encouraged when attempting to make a positive impression. The Exeter Award, achieved through attending opportunities ranging from ‘meet and greets’ with potential employers to simulation games, interview technique, advice on how to improve (or start writing!) your CV, provides an excellent way for you to enhance your employability. For those committed enough, there is the Exeter Leaders Award, harder to gain, but something that further differentiates you from ‘the crowd’. There is a multitude of employability-related skills sessions and presentations offered here and I believe that they should be seized at every opportunity. Good Luck!

Jordan Toy (BA Business Economics with European Study, 2009)

Events & Activities...Reflections on getting involved

Issue 10

YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO IMPRESS EMPLOYERS

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A

CAREER IN ACCOUNTANCY?

If you are a final year or post-grad

student the ‘would like to meet event’

run by the ICAEW could be the perfect

way for you to network with future

employers. As long as you have/are

expecting a 2:1 and have a genuine

interest in a career in accountancy, you

are eligible to attend this event.

The evening will run with a number of

three minute mini speed-networking

slots with employers, this is your chance

to impress and ask all the questions you

may have about the ACA. Who knows

where this networking may lead!

www.icaew.com/careers

Date: Monday 2nd November

Time: 6pm-8pm

Limited spaces only. Register now with the University

of Exeter Business School Employability team

Email: Business-School-

[email protected]

Issue 10

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

The CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) SocietyThe CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) SocietyThe CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) SocietyThe CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Society

The CFA ® Society was the brain-

child of three students on the MSc

Financial Analysis & Fund Manage-

ment, Roman Arbuzov, Timur Ashi-

mov and Vaibhav Singhal. Their

commitment and enthusiasm soon

brought on-board Danara Ber-

ishbayeva, Efe Omoduemuke, Ibe

Enwo and Yingna Huang. The Soci-

ety introduced a programme of ac-

tivities aimed at any student in the

School or University who was inter-

ested in the CFA (Chartered Finan-

cial Analyst) professional qualifica-

tion and finance more generally. CFA

designation is one of the most re-

spected amongst finance profession-

als worldwide.

The aim of our Society is to provide

academic support to students by en-

couraging them to work together and

to help each other. Every Wednesday

night during the last academic year

our academic officer, Efe Omodue-

muke, held a session on difficult top-

ics in finance that appear in the Uni-

versity’s finance modules and the

CFA curriculum. Those who attended

found these sessions very useful as

the topics covered were chosen by the

society members themselves. These

classes took the form of a discussion

and allowed students to reach the

solutions themselves.

An equally important priority of CFA

soc was to help students find a job.

Alumni working in the city were in-

vited to give current students tips and

advice on how to find a job in this

challenging financial climate. CFA

soc team also laid the foundation for

future cooperation between the next

generation of Exeter students and

several well renowned institutions in

the U.K such as the Bank of England

and CFA society of the U.K, the big-

gest society of CFA professionals in

the world. CFA UK representatives

came to Exeter to give a presentation

and offered society members free

places for big events in London. In

addition to this, CFA society estab-

lished links with local businesses that

will definitely pay dividends in the

future. An Exeter based brokerage

company and Ernst &Young Exeter

branch will both be giving their pres-

entations at the university this au-

tumn. This will be a great opportunity

for students to build their networks

that may even turn into a job offer,

just as it already has for one of our

members!

CFA Society Members en route

to the Bank of England

The biggest event that the Society

organised this year was the trip to the

Bank of England, London, with a

budget of nearly £2,000. At the bank,

students had an opportunity to dis-

cuss financial crisis with an industry

expert and get a good understanding

of how the oldest financial institution

in the U.K. functions. Thanks to the

efforts of our treasurer, Timur Ashi-

mov, the society secured £850 of

sponsorship. The trip itself was a

great success and this was largely due

to our Social Secretary, Ibe Enwo,

who was in charge of this event.

In 2008-2009, starting from scratch,

the society grew to 130 members.

What helped us to get there and keep

our motivation high was clear vision

of where we wanted to be and careful

planning combined with great execu-

tion. However, above all, it was the

tremendous support of our members

that encouraged us to put in the extra

effort required to make the society so

successful in its first year. Although

the original committee members

completed their courses at Exeter in

2008-2009, we very much hope that the

CFA society will continue to build on

what we have managed to achieve so far.

Roman Arbuzov, (MSc in Financial

Analysis & Fund Management, 2008-

2009), CFA President, 2008-2009

Issue 10

Society News…Society News…Society News…Society News…One way to enhance your employability and have a lots of fun is to join

one of the Guild societies. There are literally hundreds of societies but the articles below provide information

about some of those that Business School students might find particularly interesting and useful to join...

The Finance Society

Fancy a career in finance? Want to be

offered high quality talks to help you

choose that career? Do you want to at-

tend some awesome socials? If you an-

swered yes to any of these, you may want

to give the Finance Society a try. With

over 200 members we are one of the larg-

est subject based societies at Exeter, and

we hope to get bigger and better for this

coming academic year.

The main aim of Finance Society is to

provide our members with access to some

of the world’s top recruiters; to equip

them with knowledge to help them suc-

ceed and to have fun whilst doing it. We

have invited many top professionals from

within the world of finance to come and

speak to us on a range of matters, and

have begun planning a variety of socials,

including our Welcome Week event, a

quiz night on Monday, 8pm in the Long

Lounge, Devonshire House (look out for

posters). Entry will be free, with refresh-

ments and prizes!

The more members Finance Society has,

the more events we can run and the more

everyone will benefit. It you wish to join,

you can do so at the reasonable price of

£5 for the year, £9 for 2 years or £12 for

3 years. Email me on [email protected]

with your details; come along to our quiz

night in Welcome Week or look for our

stand in the Squash. We are a very ap-

proachable committee, and will be happy

to help with any questions you may have.

We look forward to seeing you next year.

Kelly Harkins, BA Economics & Finance yr

2, Finance Society President, 2009-2010

Exeter Model United Nations SocietyExeter Model United Nations SocietyExeter Model United Nations SocietyExeter Model United Nations Society

Issue 10

Exeter Model United Nations Soci-

ety is entering its second year as a

Guild-recognised society at the Uni-

versity. The society takes part in

Model UN conferences, hosts talks

and, in 2010, will be hosting its own

Model UN conference, ExMUN, for

secondary school students in the

local area.

Model United Nations is a simulation

of the UN General Assembly and

other multilateral bodies. In Model

UN, students step into the shoes of

ambassadors from UN member

states to debate current issues on

the organisation's agenda. While

playing their roles as ambassadors,

student ‘delegates’ make speeches,

prepare draft resolutions, negotiate

with allies and adversaries, resolve

conflicts, and navigate the Model UN

conference rules of procedure, all in

the interest of mobilising

‘international cooperation’ to resolve

problems that affect countries all

over the world.

Before playing out their ambassado-

rial roles in a Model UN simulation,

students research the issue that their

committee will address. Model UN

participants learn how the interna-

tional community acts on its con-

cerns about topics including peace,

security, human rights, the environ-

ment, food and famine, economic

development and globalisation.

Model UN delegates also look closely

at the needs, goals and foreign policies

of the countries they will represent at

the event. The insights they gain from

their exploration of history, geogra-

phy, culture, economics and science

contribute to the authenticity of the

simulation when the role-playing gets

under way. The delegates' in-depth

knowledge of their countries guaran-

tees a lively and memorable experi-

ence.

The society had great success in its

first year, sending two delegations to

Model UN conferences: one to the

London International Model United

Nations conference, and another to

the Harvard World Model UN confer-

ence, this year held in The Hague, Hol-

land, which is the largest conference

outside of the USA - this year it

brought together 2500 students from

40 countries over 5 continents. In

addition to attending conferences, the

society held workshops every week in

order to train delegates for the confer-

ences, followed by socials in the Ram.

The Exeter delegation at LIMUN, rep-

resenting Bolivia, Jordan and Kuwait,

was very successful, receiving two

‘distinguished delegate’ awards and an

‘honourable mention’.

At the Harvard World MUN confer-

ence the delegation represented the

Central African Republic, San Marino

and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The delegation engaged in some fan-

tastic debates, including discussions on

effective methods for dealing with

natural disasters, democratic govern-

ance and the election process, health

care for sex workers, non-proliferation,

and the militarisation of space, to

name but a few. In true diplomatic

style, most of the deals were made

outside of the committee sessions at

the social events that were provided.

It was an amazing experience, and one

that was thoroughly enjoyed by all who

attended.

In the year ahead, the society will be

sending delegations to the Warwick

MUN, a conference that will be pre-

dominantly for those interested in ex-

periencing Model United Nations for

the first time, London International

Model UN, and once again, Harvard

World MUN conference which is to be

held in Taipei in 2010. In addition to

these, workshops will be held for those

wanting to find out more about the

society and Model UN.

For more information about Model UN

or the society, please contact Jonathan

Colmer at [email protected], or

come and see us at the freshers

squash, or at our welcome week event

in Amory 501 on the 1st

October, which

will be followed by a joint BBQ with the

Amnesty International Society in the

Ram beer garden.

Jonathan Colmer, BA Economics, yr 3

EMUN Society President, 2009-2010

2009-2010 Committee—Left to right: Andrew Chappell (Treasurer), Sophie Paulides (Vice President), Timothy Wilson (President), Laura Page (President) , George Robinson (Vice President) , Sam Hill (Social Secre-tary) , James Meadows (Sports Secretary)

Hellooo Freshers! Congratulations on getting into what, we believe, is probably the best Business School in the country! We’re your Business and Economics society com-mittee for this year! Our aim is to make sure you HAVE FUN and get as much out of this year as possible!

Why should you join our society? SOCIALS…we’re planning some HUUUGE socials for you…so be sure not to miss them! STASH…look like the biz in your BESoc stash! EMPLOYABILITY…we will provide you with an insight into potential careers you may pursue in the future

and provide you various useful contacts. Also, we have a number of interesting speakers lined up for you and attendance will count towards the Exeter Award.

TRIPS…to get away from the fast-paced business life of the West Country, we’re planning an excursion. SPORTS…get involved and compete against other societies… ADVICE…any questions about your course or general student life, we’re here to help!

The Business & Economics Society

Fergus Daisley and the Deloitte Summer Placement Scheme...Fergus Daisley and the Deloitte Summer Placement Scheme...Fergus Daisley and the Deloitte Summer Placement Scheme...Fergus Daisley and the Deloitte Summer Placement Scheme... I chose to do a

placement for a

variety of rea-

sons; the key one

simply being to

secure a job for

when I graduate.

Since my first year

I had hoped to get on to an internship

in my penultimate year and, through

chatting to recruitment staff at em-

ployability events on campus, I found

the scheme at Deloitte very appeal-

ing. The people they sent out to

events were confident, motivated and

easy to get on with.

In the second year of my four year

Economics and Finance WES degree

I went along to a Deloitte insight day

at their Reading office with the Exe-

ter Finance Society. It was an excel-

lent experience meeting staff of all

levels up to partner; we played busi-

ness games and listened to presenta-

tions. I got speaking to a Deloitte

director over lunch and afterwards he

suggested that I should apply for the

Summer Vacation Scheme.

I followed the director’s advice and,

as soon as applications opened for the

following year (July I think), I ap-

plied for the placement at the Read-

ing office. The application process

was thorough; I spent a lot of time

fine tuning my application form be-

fore sending it off and I heard back

within 24 hours. The online tests fol-

lowed and again I heard in good time.

I was actually on my year abroad in

France when I was invited to inter-

view, so I was pleased to see that

Deloitte covered travelling costs of

up to £150 at that time. I found my-

self enjoying the competency based

interview and e-tray exercise and felt

reasonably confident that they had

gone well.

The placement started towards the

end of June 2008, it lasted 7 weeks

and the idea was to gain an all round

experience with Deloitte. The first

week was spent in a hotel meeting

other students on the scheme from all

over the country, playing teambuild-

ing games and chatting to Deloitte

employees. I then had two three week

rotations in the service lines I had

chosen.

I chose to rotate between the Audit

and Corporate Tax departments. In

audit I spent all three weeks out of

the office at four different client sites

spanning from London to Oxford,

going over financial statements, car-

rying out physical stock checks and

reading over company minutes. In

corporate tax I got involved in a wide

range of work. A particularly interest-

ing project I worked on involved a lot

of research to determine the length of

time advertising has an impact on

sales in an attempt to price the intan-

gible asset of ‘brand value’.

Of the two departments I personally

clicked more with Corporate Tax so

when it came to my partner interview

at the end of the scheme that was the

department I opted for. Deloitte of-

fers great flexibility in making your

career choice; you were able to take

your partner interview in any office

for any department no matter what

you did during your placement. So,

while I carried out my placement in

the Reading office, I actually chose to

go for the job in London.

I really enjoyed my placement, I was

one of ten interns at the Reading of-

fice and we all got on really well. We

had a number of socials organised for us,

and a few that we set up ourselves. The

whole summer was an excellent experi-

ence, we were all assigned buddies in our

departments and they did their best to see

that we got interesting work and a good

look at all aspects of the job. As such, I

got the opportunity to travel up to North

London first-class with a director and

partner and attend a very interesting meet-

ing with the CEO and finance director of

a global company. This was also one of

my more challenging experiences as I was

given the role of note taking throughout

the meeting, and had to make sure I didn’t

miss any details.

The great thing about the scheme is you

get to try out a few service lines with no

strings attached and see which you like

best, all while being paid an excellent

wage. Also, you take your partner inter-

view at the end of your placement, and

after 7 weeks working with Deloitte

you’re more than ready for it!

Having a job secured all through my final

year was phenomenal, it gave me more

time to focus on everything else and

really make the most of my last year at

Exeter.

I would recommend this particular intern-

ship scheme, and Deloitte, to anyone who

is interested in business, finance, or sim-

ply a fantastic career. My advice would

be: apply as early as possible, places are

filled on a first come first served basis,

and attend as many careers events as you

can, particularly those organised by your

target firm. It will make your application

form much easier to write and will pay

dividends when you get to interview.

Fergus Daisley, BA Economics & Fi-

nance with European Study, 2009

Issue 10

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 internships and includes one article by a current final year student, Mark Bennett, on his year with Thomson Reuters and another by a recent graduate, Fergus Daisley, who wrote his reflective piece just before he

graduated last summer

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...

Why Internships are the Way Forward….by Mark BennettWhy Internships are the Way Forward….by Mark BennettWhy Internships are the Way Forward….by Mark BennettWhy Internships are the Way Forward….by Mark Bennett

Issue 10

Internship

Details

Company

Name: Thom-

son Reuters

Department:

Global Business

Operations

Position: Project Executive

Why do an Internship?

Internships are not just about giv-

ing you an experience within the

workplace; they can offer you a

fantastic opportunity to massively

increase your employability. In-

ternships can advance your inter-

personal skills to levels you would

never deem possible, and all this at

the age of twenty one.

My first thoughts upon taking up an

Internship began in December

2008. I was reading an article in

the Sunday Times - “Internships

Give an Extra Edge”. After reading

the article, and several hours of

thinking it over (Magners in hand),

I came to the conclusion, that not

only would an Internship give me a

great deal of experience within a

business function I am interested

in, but also give me a real ground-

ing in the business world for the

final year of my degree.

How to secure an Internship

After several weeks of research

into organisations which interested

me, using companies’ websites,

reading reviews and calling numer-

ous recruitment agencies, I pro-

duced a short list of ten top Intern-

ships.

The application process was gener-

ally consistent between organisa-

tions, and was based upon submit-

ting an application with your CV,

and getting through the numerical

& verbal reasoning tests.

You may find, like I did, that you

will receive no feedback for several

weeks, as often the recruitment

teams have a large amount of appli-

cations to get through. However,

one afternoon I received a phone

call from Thomson Reuters, who

wished to arrange a telephone in-

terview with me. Following the

telephone interview, I was invited

to their spectacularly sited Canary

Wharf Office where I would be

based, to have a formal interview

with my Manager, the Head of Busi-

ness Process.

Following a formal morning inter-

view, I found out that I had been

successful and would be the Intern

for the Global Business Operations

Team for the year 2008/2009.

My Thomson Reuters Internship

My Internship with Thomson

Reuters began in August 2008. I

was working for the Global Busi-

ness Operations Department, with

the role of ‘Project Executive’. My

first day felt like that first day you

went to school. I remember stand-

ing in the lift, surrounded by a

group of obviously very influential

businessmen, thinking, ‘Wow I feel

young’.

During the morning of my first day

I was given two long term goals by

my Manager. 1) Become a guru on

our Thomson Reuters Unified Sales

Tool (TRUST), 2) Present Top 10

Usability Enhancements for TRUST.

From this, I was handed a 700 page

User Guide for TRUST & a URL to

an Online Learning Resource. I re-

ceived no official formal training, or

step by step guidance, but natu-

rally, if on occasion I became com-

pletely stuck, the team were really

supportive. As my experience with

the company grew day by day, I

realised that if I wanted to succeed

in this role, I was going to have to

be ultra efficient with my organisa-

tion skills, and ability to manage

my own learning.

Over the following months, I spent

a large amount of time working

alongside Project Managers within

our Team, working on Projects

which were largely associated with

TRUST. This gave me a very good

insight into the main functions I

had to learn. Within 4-5 months I

was perfectly confident with the

application, and by the end of my

Internship I acted as a resource to

train new team members on the

system.

One of the biggest tasks I took on

during my time with Thomson

Reuters was managing several of my

own Global Projects. For each, I had

to produce a project plan, manage

deadlines, meet expectations of sen-

ior management, and supply the end

users with a project they were con-

tent with. I personally found this ex-

tremely enjoyable, as I was able to

delegate tasks, and was allowed com-

plete flexibility to manage the pro-

jects in a way I felt best. At no point

did I feel like I was ‘just an Intern’, I

always felt that I was a true Project

Manager.

What challenges did I overcome?

One of the greatest challenges which

I had to overcome started at the very

beginning of my time with the com-

pany. Maybe it is a guy ego thing, but

I can’t stand feeling inferior, and

wanted to advance my knowledge of

the TRUST application as fast as I

could. As there was no formal train-

ing on the application, I had to estab-

lish a way of training myself effi-

ciently, whilst also learning about

many other aspects of the business.

What surprises did I encounter?

From the first day I joined Thomson

Reuters, I was given meaningful

tasks, which were really contributing

to the success of the organisation.

Looking back, this management style

suited my personality perfectly, as it

quickly allowed me to feel part of the

organisation, and greatly enhanced

my ability to learn.

What did I get out of my Internship

Experience?

My experience with Thomson

Reuters has turned my ambition of

being a ‘City Boy’ into a reality. I have

been able to work in one of the

world’s most prestigious brands, in

one of the most spectacular locations,

alongside some of the brightest

minds within the organisation, and,

to top it all, during the most trau-

matic financial crisis since the 1930s.

On a personal level, I have not only

advanced my understanding and in-

terest in the Global Business Opera-

tions role, but also the financial mar-

kets we are working within. Bringing

back my original point about employ-

ability, I now can add Thomson Reuters to the front of my CV, which will always provide me with kudos when faced

with future employers.

In addition the experience gave me a fantastic understanding of what a working lifestyle really involves. The ability

to balance a 2 hour each way commute, a strong fitness regime as well as a social life; the answer: Time Manage-

ment! You learn to appreciate those 30minute breaks, which normally get absorbed with a re-run of Top Gear on

Dave.

What advice would I give to individuals interested in Internships?

As the title of this report states ‘Internships are the way forward’. If what I have discussed really ticks boxes for you,

I advise that you have a sit down somewhere quiet, and really think about what kind of career you wish to pursue.

Don’t worry if you can’t decide on a precise function, any Internship experience will be priceless, whatever your cho-

sen role.

Once you’ve decided on which type of Internship to go for, investigate as many Internship opportunities as you can.

Use all the resources you can think of, you would be amazed how much help and assistance people will give you, if

you are willing to ask for it.

When applying, and submitting your application for the Internship schemes, make sure you have done your re-

search. As I am sure you are aware, it is an extremely tough market out there, and employers only want the best.

Once your application has been sent, remember to follow it up, if you haven’t heard any feedback within five-seven

days. But remember, don’t hassle, be polite and professional.

Once you are successful, remember to give it a constant 100%, make it your goal to never say no to a task. But most

of all ENJOY IT! It will be an experience you will never forget, and will give a huge boost to your future career.

Mark A Bennett, BA Business & Management, Yr3

Issue 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. In this issue, Ben Foulser and Jonny Morton provide some

insights into their current roles at KPMG and Tom O’Leary writes about his experiences at Duff & Phelps LLC.

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:

[email protected].

My name is Ben Foulser and I graduated from Exeter in 2006 with a BA(Hons) Economics. When I first en-rolled at Exeter I had applied to

join the Business Management course; however, having attended the first two weeks of lectures I decided that I wanted a more mathematically-based degree course. As a result I switched to Economics, taking elective mod-ules in Politics and Philosophy of Economics, French and German in addition to the non-elective modules including Statistics, Econometrics and Advanced Mathematics for Economists. Be-ing able to elect modules outside

of the Business School meant that I was able to take language mod-ules that have been invaluable in my role today, providing skills for overseas projects that have in-cluded a week in Paris with a well known Sports Broadcaster.

I am now in my third year in a Graduate Advisory role with KPMG. My role includes both Ac-counting System Audit and Busi-ness Effectiveness advisory. This spans many clients across multi-ple industries. Although my main focus currently is Defence and Transport I have been fortunate to work with clients ranging from Blue-Chip to local housing au-thorities. I have assisted transport clients with revenue protection and streamlining revenue proc-esses and, conversely, provided I.T. audit assistance for Defence,

Construction, Insurance and Banking clients. My training contract has af-forded me the opportunity to complete my ACA (Chartered Accountants) qualification, qualifying in August 2009. Training for the ACA will involve several weeks at college per annum, which is scheduled in-between pro-jects and paid for by KPMG.

In the summer of my second year of my degree, I undertook work experi-ence with a Management Consultancy in Exeter under the Shell STEP scheme, which provides placements for undergraduates in their penulti-mate years. This placement was in-strumental in both giving me the skills required for my current role, giving me the confidence and ability to talk to CIO’s and CFO’s, and in providing me with a career direction. I started to apply for graduate jobs within a week of completing my work experience

Insights from Ben Foulser at KPMG…..

placement, confident that I wanted to embark upon a career in Manage-ment Advisory services, supported by a well-known company with var-ied and interesting clients. KPMG appealed to me as an employee-centric firm which provided strong training, good pastoral support, and a host of extra-curricular activities.

The three years I have been with KPMG have provided me with a wealth of experiences, from interna-tional travel to working alongside CIO’s and CFO’s of Fortune-500 companies. The job is challenging but rewards you in the knowledge of how much you can achieve. Fitting in studying for the ACA alongside work commitments has resulted in many late nights and weekends spent revising. However, I will bene-fit from an internationally renowned qualification that contributes greatly to the work I undertake. I have been pleasantly surprised with the level of extra-curricular activities that KPMG supports, including Music, Sport and Drama. I am a committee member of the Choir and Drama groups and am actively involved in sailing. The people I have met through my ACA training and with whom I work are not just colleagues but good friends with whom I regularly meet up with at the weekend. This provides a good working atmosphere and a strong support structure.

Should you be thinking about enter-ing a similar field today I would sug-gest that you try and get as much work experience as possible. This does not need to be in the Accoun-tancy or Advisory sector but should show that you are confident and can show initiative. Try to get involved in extra-curricular activities and, if pos-sible, become a committee member. This shows that you can be both a team player but also hold a position of responsibility. Finally, when ap-plying for jobs, think about who you are applying to and for what role. Tailor your applications and do some research on both the company and the position being offered.

Since completing my degree, I have had three great years with KPMG and I would highly recommend both the company and my role to anyone wanting a career in Advisory or Au-dit-related work.

Ben Foulser, BA Economics, 2006

Issue 10

Name

Jonny Morton

Graduated

Summer 2007

Degree

BA Accounting & Finance

Background

After Exeter I decided I wanted

to join tax because the variation

with compliance and advisory work

was appealing as opposed to au-

dit’s more compliance focussed

roles. I chose KPMG because their

tax graduate programme seemed

to provide a lot of opportunities

to move around different depart-

ments in tax. I believe this is

beneficial because until you have

tried something, you cannot be

sure you will like it.

During your graduate programme,

you are required to second to dif-

ferent departments for at least 8

months. I hope to have also tried

both private client and corporate

tax work before I qualify and at

KPMG they make this easy to do

and encourage it.

KPMG has its own school to study

for ICAS and CTA exams and the

Tax Business School (TBS) is a

great feature of the company.

TBS means that you get to meet

all the new joiners at KPMG in

your year from across the coun-

try when you study, which helps

to improve your inter-firm con-

tacts. TBS also makes getting

through the exams easier, with

support from the TBS team avail-

able all year round.

What do I do?

Indirect Tax – Knowledge Man-

agement

My current role focuses on ana-

lysing the latest happenings in

VAT. It mainly involves research-

ing new VAT cases in the courts

and new VAT legislation from

HMRC. I then communicate this

information to other members of

the Indirect Tax practice and

also to our clients via newslet-

ters.

This research role enables me to

gain a large understanding of

VAT in a short space of time

which will be very useful in my

future career progression. Also,

because I write a newsletter to

the whole practice each week I

am one of the most well-known

people in KPMG Indirect Tax,

even though I have only been

here for 6 months.

My role in Knowledge Manage-

ment is temporary and I will be

moving to another department by

the end of my first year.

Tips

I would advise anyone who is

thinking of joining a tax depart-

ment at KPMG to look at all the

different parts of tax that are

available before making a deci-

sion. Before I joined KPMG, I had

never even considered Indirect

Tax and it’s a really great de-

partment. VAT is interesting be-

cause it’s always changing and

counts for a large proportion of

HMRC’s tax revenue. The major-

ity of the work in Indirect Tax is

advisory based (which is a lot

more interesting than compliance

work), and the people who work in

the department are really inter-

esting well rounded people. I

work good hours and the work is

always varied.

Jonny Morton, BA Accounting & Finance, 2007

Insights from Jonny Morton at KPMG…..

Insights From Tom O’Leary at Duff & Phelps...Insights From Tom O’Leary at Duff & Phelps...Insights From Tom O’Leary at Duff & Phelps...Insights From Tom O’Leary at Duff & Phelps...

Issue 10

When I was given the chance to When I was given the chance to When I was given the chance to When I was given the chance to

write an article in the Exeter em-write an article in the Exeter em-write an article in the Exeter em-write an article in the Exeter em-

ployability newsletter my initial reac-ployability newsletter my initial reac-ployability newsletter my initial reac-ployability newsletter my initial reac-

tion was slightly reserved.tion was slightly reserved.tion was slightly reserved.tion was slightly reserved. I say this

because I am always a tad skeptical

of people who “report back” from

their position of relative success to

those who are still striving to get

there. Particularly in the current

climate, securing a job, let alone

one which merits your skills and

aspirations, is even more of a chal-

lenge than normal. So to read about

somebody who was fortunate

enough to “get in” just before the

world seemingly came to its knees,

may well have the opposite effect to

that which was intended - it might

do little to encourage and motivate,

more to stir resentment and loath-

ing. However I have decided to write

this article in the hope that those

who read it will understand I’m not

trying to advise on “living the

dream” and “never giving up” but to

try and offer a few helpful insights,

and panic-calming thoughts for

those who already possess the

drive and ambition to reach their

goals when they leave the confines

of university.

So, as a brief introduction, I gradu-

ated in 2008 with a first-class de-

gree in Economics from the Busi-

ness School at the University of

Exeter. I completed a straight three-

year course and achieved my result

through a combination of determi-

nation, hard-work and, as with eve-

ryone, an element of luck. I now

work at Duff & Phelps LLC (“D&P”),

a leading global independent pro-

vider of financial advisory and in-

vestment banking services.

D&P are a listed company on the

New York Stock Exchange with of-

fices across the United States and

in London, Munich, Paris, Amster-

dam, Tokyo and Shanghai. The firm

offers a broad range of financial

advisory services including valua-

tion, transactions, financial restruc-

turing, dispute and taxation. D&P

ranked third in “Mid-Market M&A

League Tables” (published by

Thomson Reuters). Although the

firm may be less well-known to

graduates in the UK, D&P are well-

respected and well-known in the

United States and its reputation is

growing across the rest of the

world.

Working for a company that is grow-

ing and evolving even during such

tough market conditions encour-

ages a certain entrepreneurial

spirit. The reason for mentioning

this is that I cannot stress enough

about being open-minded when it

comes to applying to companies for

that elusive first position. Try and

find an area in which you are inter-

ested, although admittedly this is

often easier said than done, and

then research the firms in that in-

dustry. In addition to the careers

centre, talking to people you know

and networking, getting the names

of companies in the industry and

doing internet searches for com-

petitors are good ways to help you

seek out all of the options available.

I strongly suggest doing as much

research as possible, because it will

open up a wide range of possibili-

ties.

I am based in the London office of

D&P located in Canary Wharf and

work in the Valuation Advisory

team. My work primarily involves

the valuations of companies and

private equity portfolios. I have

been fully involved with D&P’s cli-

ents, which include some of the

world’s largest corporate compa-

nies and major private equity

houses. As an independent firm,

D&P is able to value the portfolios

of private equity houses to give in-

vestors an indication of the true

value of their investment in today’s

market. The work is varied, interest-

ing and it requires a whole range of

skills, none less important that

common sense! There is a definite

need to be able to think outside the

box on occasions. Don’t make the

mistake that it is all about numbers,

valuation is as much an art as it is a

science.

I joined the firm in July 2008, so my

final summer’s freedom was cut

painfully short. However I was ex-

cited to start work and begin the

next phase of life. I was excited be-

cause it was something I wanted to

do and I had a genuine interest in

the industry. I wanted to learn about

the industry, start being tested in

the finance world, and to earn some

money at last! But I urge everyone to

try and become involved in some-

thing that they have an interest in.

It’s very easy to say that they will “do

it for a few years then leave”; work is

an everyday commitment for a long

time! Please don’t let me put you off

the working world. There are times

when it’s tough, and times when it’s

great, but you just won’t experience

any of those “great” times if you are

not doing something you enjoy, at

least a little bit. Most of us will have

to work for 40 years or more, don’t

keep striving to earn more money at

the expense of your happiness. Be

determined, be driven and strive for

success, absolutely; but maintain a

balance in your aspirations and

don’t feel pressured into choosing a

job that you think you should do,

rather than one that you want to do.

So far, my time at Duff & Phelps has

been a steep learning curve and one

which has developed both my tech-

nical skills “on the job” and also my

overall persona. Dealing with tough

questions in front of a client, work-

ing to tight deadlines and interacting

with a wide range of people have

really helped me more than I can

explain in this article.

My first two weeks were spent in the

office and I was then flown to Chi-

cago to undergo a two week inten-

sive training program called D&P

University with the other new-hires

from across the world. This was a

fantastic learning experience, not

only for the business class luxuries I

was privileged to enjoy, but meeting

my new colleagues, exploring Chi-

cago and becoming more orientated

with the company. There was plenty

of work too, but it genuinely was one

of the most enjoyable times I’ve had,

and something that gave me an im-

mediate good feeling about the firm

I had joined.

Since my time at D&P University, I

have used the contacts I made there

in my day-to-day work on a regular

basis. Getting involved and making

the effort to meet people when I was

in America has helped me no end,

and it is another thing that I believe is crucial in getting a foot in the door. With this in mind, I would encourage you to

try and attend the employability events that the University organises, maybe some of them don’t appeal, but you

really do not know who you will meet and where it may lead. It may be a surprise to hear, but the people I work with

now do come back to the office and talk about those they have met at university recruiting events. People who make

the effort to interact, who put in the work to research the industry and are pro-active are much more likely to get no-

ticed and be remembered than those who think everything will come to them purely because they are finishing uni-

versity with a degree.

Getting a good degree does open a lot of doors and, from what I can gather, it is almost a pre-requisite nowadays,

particularly in certain industries such as finance. Since I started working I have furthered my education by passing

the first level of my Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) exams, which D&P helped to support. This was a rigorous few

months of work during my own free time and with no tutor to guide me. However since I completed this, I’m so

pleased I put in the effort. Not only has it helped my work, given me more credibility with my colleagues and in-

creased my employability, I have subsequently learnt that certain universities, including Exeter, offer the CFA program

as part of its finance courses. Understandably, many students are staying in the education system longer than be-

fore, as the job market becomes tougher. If you are studying for another year I would strongly recommend taking this

opportunity not just to go through the motions but also to try and gain something extra, something that will set you

apart from all the other people who had the same idea as you. It is very satisfying when you achieve something you

put so much effort into and when that first paycheck gets put into your bank account!

If you are interested in the finance industry, the CFA is widely-respected and a fantastic qualification. I would strongly

recommend it. Combine this with an internship, sporting achievements, extracurricular activities and good back-

ground research into the industry and company to which you are applying, and any position is achievable. There will

undoubtedly be set-backs and frustrations at not even being given the chance to get an interview in some cases, but

never be deterred. Arm yourself with a range of skills, a confident persona and an interest in the industry and eventu-

ally there will be an opening. Don’t sit-back and blame the economy because that won’t get you a job, there are op-

portunities out there and, from my experience at Exeter, there are plenty of capable people to fill them. Best of luck!

Tom O’Leary, BA Economics, 2008

To learn more about the opportunities at Duff & Phelps, please visit the website www.duffandphelps.com. If you

would like to contact Tom for more information about his role at Duff & Phelps or advice on entering the job market,

please contact Rachel Torr in the Business School Employability Team: [email protected].

Issue 10

The Works

Work Experience Fair Date: Thursday 8th October 2009

Time: 1pm to 4pm

Location: Lower Examination Hall The fair is open to ALL students, regardless of year and discipline.

For more information about this fair and many other events please go to: www.exeter.ac.uk/employability

university of exeter business school...

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