The Information Management and Business Studies Graduate
Degree: Information Management and Business Studies University: Loughborough First Role: Fixed
Income Derivatives Analyst, Bank of America Current Role: Private Client Stockbroker, Edward Jones
Why did you choose your degree subject? What was your first graduate job? I now work for a stockbroking firm, Edward
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but the mix of I was a Fixed Income Derivatives Analyst for Jones, working under my own steam in an
IT related subjects and business seemed a Bank of America, in London. office close to home in Cheshire.
good platform.
How has your career progressed since Please tell us anything else you think is
Did you know what you wanted to do when then? relevant to this article and your own
you graduated? I stayed with Bank of America for 4 years journey.
Not really, only that I wanted something moving across a couple of different roles with The recruitment process should not be viewed
numbers related. the bank. I was fortunate enough to be invited with any trepidation.
on their graduate training class of 2002 to New
How did you approach job hunting when York, and then into 03’ and 04’ I worked largely The degree process is really what most
you graduated? between London and Chicago, so the institutions look for rather than university
I used some a couple of graduate job boards, experience there was invaluable. attended/degree read.
there weren’t as many around as there are
now. I also used most of the university led After London I made the move back home to The interview process was essential in all of the
application forums. the North West, working more closely on posts that I applied for so, to that end, practice
securities with Rathbones Investment makes perfect. Good Luck.
Managers, a private bank based in Liverpool.
The Media Graduate
Degree: Media, Culture and Society University: Manchester
First Role: Information Executive Current Role: Category Executive
Why did you choose your degree subject? How did you approach job hunting when years, by which time I had worked my way up
I originally chose to study a Business Studies you graduated? to an Account Executive for one of the biggest
degree but although I competed and passed I started looking for a job just before I left pharmaceutical companies in the UK. This
the first year, I realised that I wasn’t enjoying university by using the careers service mainly. gave me an enormous amount of experience in
the course and decided to look for something I moved back home and got a job for the every form of research and analysis but also
that would both interest and stimulate me. After summer through a friend, and spent evenings presenting to clients, structured industry report
a lot of research, I decided to go for the Media, applying for jobs. In those days, most writing as well as an in-depth knowledge of my
Culture and Society course instead. Although applications involved filling out long forms by market and the products within it. I started
it meant an extra year at university, it was well hand and posting them off which was quite looking for my next career move using the
worth it as I enjoyed this course a lot more. time consuming. internet and this time only applied to a handful
of positions that I thought would develop my
Did you know what you wanted to do when What was your first graduate job? career in the way I wanted. I attended thee
you graduated? I applied to a lot off graduate training schemes interviews and was fortunate enough to be
No, not entirely, although I knew I didn’t want to and in the end decided to take a job as an offered all three jobs. I chose to move to a
go into ‘the media’ in anything like film, TV, Information Executive with an international market-leading FMCG company, this time to
journalism etc. I enjoyed the research and research company, working with a wide range work in-house, using my industry knowledge to
analysis parts of my degree and started to of retail clients. develop, launch and market new products. I
consider a career involving these aspects. have had two promotions since being here and
How has your career progressed since I now work on higher value products and
then? manage a team of three more recent
I stayed with that company for around four graduates.
Poll
Let us know what you think:
Do you know what you want
to do for your first
YES NO
graduate job?
Email your comments here
Last month’s results: 75% of you said NO, you haven’t found recruitment agencies useful.
Refer back to issue 4 to read our top tips for using recruitment agencies.
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