Tag Archives: banking

Oliver, Management and Consultancy

Business and Management, economics, Management and Consultancy, , , , , ,

Oliver, Business Economics student, was in the process of applying to graduate roles in trading but was unsure about exploring other areas such as Private Equity aswell. Through the Career Mentor Scheme, Oliver was matched with a Economics and Political Development alumnus who is now a Consultant for Chestnut Advisory Group in the USA. His previous experience includes roles at Knight Capital, UBS London and New York and Citibank London and New York.

“His advice was useful and no doubt helped me get the job .”

Oliver achieved all of his objectives including securing a exciting graduate job while also improving his personal development skills and increasing his knowledge of effective interview techniques in the finance and consultancy sector.

Oliver provided some insight in his experience:

What were the highlights of the scheme?

He went to the same school as me (as well as Exeter) so we had a lot to relate too.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

He gave broad recommendations and had knowledge outside the area of expertise which proved really helpful.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Give it a go, gaining a perspective on your career from someone with years of industry knowledge is invaluable. I ended up getting a job in something unrelated to my mentor’s career but his advice was still useful and no doubt helped me get the job (at Amazon).

Hoi Yan, Banking and Financial Services

Banking and Financial Services, , ,

Hoi Yan, a Finance and Management student, wanted to pursue a career in corporate finance but needed the guidance of a experienced mentor to help her reach this goal. Through the scheme, Hoi Yan was matched with the Head of IPV and Curves for Centrica. This role involves product control, financial control and legal entity control and thereby has extensive experience relating to the finance division of corporate entities. This mentor’s previous work experience includes Vice President for JP Morgan, and he is also ACA qualified.

Hoi Yan achieved all of her objectives including personal target areas of work experience, job requirements and personal developments. Hoi Yan also increased knowledge of job hunting resources, improved knowledge of further professional sources related to this sector and increased knowledge of good and bad aspects of the profession.

Here is what Hoi Yan thought about her experience:

What were the highlights of the scheme?

During the scheme, I learnt about my career prospects and work experience which are very valuable through my mentor. This gave me an insight of developing my career prospects.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

My mentor’s work experience gave me inspiration for career development. During the mentor scheme, I was able to learn from his work experience and hence develop my personal skills.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

For students who are aggressive and eager to develop career prospects, it is an opportunity to get in touch with professionals. They could acquire best knowledge of their chosen sector and lean work experience from the tutor. It would be a valuable chance to improve their personal skills and create networking opportunities.

Thomas, Financial Markets and the City

economics, Financial Markets and the City, , , ,

Thomas, a Economics student, was interested in a career in investment banking or finance after undertaking work experience over the summer. Thomas applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to gain contacts in the industry, advice regarding what it takes to be successful in the city and help understanding the different paths within the industry. Through the scheme, Thomas was matched with an Investment Director for Lonsdale Capital Partners LLP. This roles involved originating, assessing and executing investments and management of portfolios. This mentor is also an ACA qualified accountant.

“My mentor has offered me a week of work experience over the summer with his private equity firm”

Thomas achieved all of his objectives including assistance in developing a career plan, increased his knowledge of sector entry requirements and increased his knowledge of finding internships and work experience in the sector.

Thomas talked about his experience:

What were the highlights of the scheme?

It has been extremely helpful to discuss interviews and assessment centres with my mentor, helping me to feel more confident before attending.

In addition to this my mentor has offered me a week of work experience over the summer with his private equity firm, which should prove an invaluable experience.

Hannah, Financial Markets and the City

Financial Markets and the City, Geography, Politics and International Relations, , , , ,

Hannah, a Politics with Geography student, applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to gain advice and learn about good and bad experiences in order to help her make an informed decision about a future career in the Finance sector. Through the scheme, Hannah was matched with the Executive Director for MSCI Inc. His role involves looking after the pension funds and insurers for German-speaking Europe, and he has past experience in credit, performance measurements for investment portfolios and sales of asset management.

“An excellent opportunity”

Hannah achieved all of her objectives including increased knowledge of effective application forms and interview techniques in this sector, and improved personal development skills.

Hannah talked about her experience:

What were the highlights of the scheme?

Having someone there to check over my application answers and help with interviews

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Talking to a professional who is not related to me, as David had an unbiased opinion which was useful.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

An excellent opportunity to meet someone new and have a guide who can help during this uncertain time (in final year) when we need to decide what to do next.

Jordan, Financial Markets and the City

economics, Financial Markets and the City, , , , ,

Jordan, an Economics and Finance student, applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to receive advice and guidance from somebody who understands his position and can advise of where best to target his career efforts. Through the scheme, Jordan was matched with an Investment Director for Lonsdale Capital Partners LLP. This role involves originating, assessing and executing investments and management of portfolios. This mentor is also an ACA qualified accountant.

“It is good to know that my career journey has been helped by having a mentor”

Jordan achieved all of his objectives including widened contacts and networking opportunities, received work experience and job shadowing therefore greatly increasing his knowledge of effective interview techniques in this sector.

Jordan shared his experience:

What were the highlights of the scheme?

I can see how my path, over the last year, has been positively influenced by having Mr. Knott as a mentor. It is good to know that my career journey has been helped by having a mentor, and I am grateful for the opportunity.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Insights into the mentalities/personalities of people working in banks, hedge funds and private equity. Coming from a daunting outsider’s perspective, it was helpful to realise that the people working in these roles are human too.

Michael, Banking and Financial Services

Banking and Financial Services, economics, , ,

Michael, a second year Economics student at the time, was interested in going into the Financial Services sector and applied for a mentor in this industry. He was matched with a Director at EY. This mentor graduated from the University of Exeter with a BA in Economics and Politics in 1997. Between 1997 and 2002 he worked as a Manager in Fraud Investigation at PricewaterhouseCoopers, before working at Credit Suisse as a Global Head Securities Customer Onboarding from 2002 to 2010. He then joined HSBC in 2011 as the Global Head of KYC Data Remediation.

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Michael, having completed the scheme, let us know some of the highlights of the scheme for his career development.

He told us that he improved his personal skills, made a future professional contact in his mentor and developed his interview techniques – these being just a few examples of what he achieved by participating in the Career Mentor Scheme. Michael particularly highlighted that he increased his “knowledge of finding internships and work experience in this sector”, something incredibly useful considering how competitive the financial industry can be to get into.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

Meeting my mentor in London and seeing the EY offices was a good experience and getting the insight into interviews in the industry; as well as having a practice interview with my mentor was an invaluable experience.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Gaining an insight into my chosen profession.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Make sure you choose your mentor carefully to ensure they’ll be the most applicable to your career and that you make the most of the time as part of the scheme.

Deziree, Banking and Financial Services

Banking and Financial Services, economics, law, , , , , ,

Studying towards a degree in Economics and Law, Deziree was keen to get into the Banking and Financial Services. She participated in the Career Mentor Scheme and was mentored by the Managing Director at Barclays Bank.

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Deziree told us more about the advantages of the scheme.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

I had the great opportunity in meeting with my mentor face-to-face early into the scheme. It had really given us the chance to ‘break the ice’ and get to know each other outside our email and text message exchanges. Finding a job is a daunting task for every University student, so I was very happy to have been paired with a mentor who had faced the same qualms as I did towards entering the employment pool. It was truly inspiring to hear his work experience from the best (investment) banks around the world, whilst keeping me aware of the pros and cons of each job. My mentor was also kind enough to provide me a list of resources to nurture my commercial awareness and knowledge into financial events.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Perhaps learning in particular what the ‘compliance’ job role really entails has been very useful. Despite my embarrassing lack of knowledge on the profession, my mentor had been patient in explaining in depth of what the role not only requires, but also its benefits and disadvantages. His advice had certainly fuelled my desire to learn more about the job and even determined me to pursue a role in compliance.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

I highly recommend joining the Career Mentor Scheme for any student, be it to gain a deeper insight into an industry, receive support in work placement applications or even to chat with a professional. Just from my first meeting with my mentor, I had already received so much useful information into the processes of securing a career and had my many questions about my future in the financial industry answered!

Megan, Banking and Financial Services

Banking and Financial Services, economics, ,

Megan, Economics student, was really interested in going into the Banking and Financial Services sector and she was looking for guidance into the industry. Through the Career Mentor Scheme she was matched with a Director at Lloyds Bank. He was responsible for US Private Placements.

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Megan found the Career Mentor Scheme very helpful and enjoyed her partnership with her mentor.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

A highlight for me was the initial Meet Your Mentor event, where I was able to ask my first questions and make a plan for the scheme, which was stuck with and achieved.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

The most useful thing about my mentoring experience was the professional help and opinion I was given on my CV, which has further allowed me to apply for placement level jobs.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Definitely apply for the Career Mentor Scheme. It will not only let you see the industry you may want to go into, but also provide a guide with your own professional development.

Jessica, Banking and Financial Services

Banking and Financial Services, economics, ,

Jessica, coming from an Economics degree participated in the Career Mentor Scheme and her mentor was a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank.

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This mentor provided Jessica with a lot of advice and insight into the industry. As a result Jessica developed her understanding of the industry as a whole – in particular she found out more about the reactions to new regulatory requirements.

Here is what she shared about the Career Mentor Scheme.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

My mentor went over and above what I expected from the scheme in terms of support. We emailed regularly over the course of the scheme particularly over summer and I went to his office every 3 weeks to discuss various queries. One of the major highlights for me was the support I received from my mentor in the run up to my Morgan Stanley interview – I was asked questions surrounding regulation in my interview and my mentor gave me various material to ensure I was fully prepared for these questions. My mentor always replied promptly to my emails whenever I sent them – even when he was travelling regularly abroad!

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Insight into the industry and opportunities beyond the operations department in Morgan Stanley being the sector I have secured a year placement. Being able to speak to someone directly within the profession who deals with regulation – he was able to explain to me how it is impacting a number of broad departments within the bank. Gained a long term contact – still keeping in touch and hope to possibly go into Asset Management at a later stage of my life in Deutsche Bank.

 

Oliver, Banking and Financial Services

Banking and Financial Services, History, , ,

Oliver, a History student participated in the Career Mentor Scheme and his mentor was a Global Head of Equities & Strategy at Jupiter Asset Mgmt.

This mentor has previously held a variety of positions in his career. He started off as Fund Manager at Sun Alliance Insurance Group and then moved to Senior Portfolio Manager at Fleming & Co. In 1999 he became head of Japan Portfolios Group at JP Morgan Asset Management until in 2007 he became Chief Investment Strategist for EMEA at JP Morgan Private Bank. In 2011 he joined Caledonia Investments plc as Head of Global Equity Income & Growth Team before moving to Jupiter Asset Mgmt.

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Oliver had some really great feedback to give about the scheme. The mentoring partnership with his mentor helped him obtain job hunting resources and gain an insight into the career. He also developed professional contacts and learned more about the entry requirements.

What was the highlight of the scheme for you?

Meeting my mentor – this was beneficial in a way that is often hard to achieve simply via email.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

My mentor’s advise was very honest and showed me how best to approach a career in the sector from the position that I was in.