Category: Business School

Antish Aubeelock, Program Officer, Trampoline ltée

Jenny Woolacott-Scarr
Antish Aubeelock, Program Officer, Trampoline ltée
Antish Aubeelock, Program Officer, Trampoline ltée

Antish Aubeelock graduated from the University of Exeter in MA Creativity: Innovation & Business Strategy, 2020. He’s currently Program Officer for social enterprise accelerator Trampoline ltée, based in Mauritius.

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

Since leaving Exeter in 2020, I joined the UK Government’s Department for International Trade in Mauritius. My role was to encourage private sector-led growth, by protecting and promoting investment and leveraging the strengths of businesses in order to support the poverty reduction, investment and broader economic objectives of Mauritius, as well as supporting the UK’s investment ambitions in Africa.

I then joined Trampoline ltée in 2021, a social enterprise accelerator designed to help passionate entrepreneurs grow sustainable impact businesses. My role consists of supporting the design and implementation of the Impact Accelerator Programme to match the realities of the nascent social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Mauritius.

“My role consists of supporting the design and implementation of the Impact Accelerator Programme to match the realities of the nascent social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Mauritius.”

As a Program Officer, I adopt a tailor-made and agile approach, including working closely with the incubatees, to design value-adding solutions such as consulting services, mentorship programmes, extensive networks, training and funds, based on their needs and challenges.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

My biggest passion is transforming ideas into innovative, value-adding solutions. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Banking & International Finance, and a Master’s Degree in Creativity: Innovation & Business Strategy from the University of Exeter, I am a Chevening Alumnus with five years of experience in product development, business development, and marketing. I enjoy the way I can leverage my professional and academic background, skills and experience to support organisations to innovate and scale their social and environmental impact and become financially sustainable.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?          

I was particularly attracted to the new, creative and practical approach of learning by doing. My classes were very engaging and interactive, and our assignments were practical. It pushed us beyond our comfort zone and provided a safe space to explore our potential in adopting creativity in business.

“I enjoy the way I can leverage my professional and academic background, skills and experience to support organisations to innovate and scale their social and environmental impact and become financially sustainable.”

What did you enjoy most about studying here?

I enjoyed the following: the course was creative, and practical and had a 1-month compulsory internship programme; the environment is safe and surrounded by nature; the people, lecturers, staff, and students were friendly, helpful and approachable

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?             

I completed my degree in BSc Banking and International Finance in Mauritius, following which I had three years of professional experience in Digital Product and Innovation. After being honoured with the Chevening Scholarship in 2019, which is one of the most prestigious and competitive international scholarships, I was keen to further enhance my skills and experience in creativity, innovation and business strategy.

I chose the University of Exeter because the MA Creativity: Innovation and Business Strategy was a pioneer programme designed to bring creativity into business, prepare us for a range of careers and enable us to pursue entrepreneurial ventures of our own.

“The following are the key skills that have been very useful in my career: Creative Problem Solving; Strategic Thinking; Project Management; Communication.”

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?     

During the course, I got the opportunity to network and work with different local UK businesses, including devising their product and strategy. I also got the opportunity to participate in entrepreneur and innovation workshops, which helped me better understand the entrepreneurial journey and the latest innovation methodologies. The following are the key skills that have been very useful in my career: Creative Problem Solving; Strategic Thinking; Project Management; Communication.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?     

Make the most of the lectures, networking and internship opportunities during the programme.

Jingyi (Zoe) Jia, Management Consultant and Big Data Analyst at EY

Jenny Woolacott-Scarr
Jingyi (Zoe) Jia, Management Consultant and Big Data Analyst at EY, and Exeter Alumn.

Hello everyone, my name is Jingyi (Zoe) Jia. I graduated from the University of Exeter in MSc Business Analytics this January. Before that, in 2020, I graduated from University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce. I have a lot of stories to share with you as an International student who studied in both Canada and the UK. 

Being an International student means my life full of challenges and joy. As a Beijinger born and raised I am glad to experience different study and work experiences in diversified cultures.

I still remember how excited I was when I got my first job in Canada. It took a long time to find the job. After I wrote my CV, I revised it many times so that it was a good fit for the role. Researching the job description and preparing for the interviews, including mock interviews, were significant parts as well.

“Big Data and Machine Learning will be a major trend in business as all industries are working on digital transformation.”

My first full-time job was a logistics analyst in a packaging company at Vancouver, Canada. During that time, I was in charge of logistics procedures for all the orders. I discovered the extended possibilities of Big Data by using coding tools to predict the cost of logistics. Big Data and Machine Learning will be a major trend in business as all industries are working on digital transformation. Although I did not learn any technology in my Undergraduate, I made a decision to study in Business Analytics at Masters level.  

In January 2021 I joined the University of Exeter to study MSc Business Analytics. At the end of the program, I received and accepted an offer of Management Consultant role in digital transformation at Ernst & Young in February 2022. This position is the first full-time job after graduating from the Master’s program, which is a career transformation for myself.  

“The main duty of my job is designing models for financial clients (such as banks) to fulfil their need of digital transformation in marketing or management.”

My role is highly enjoyable. The main duty of my job is designing models for financial clients (such as banks) to fulfil their need of digital transformation in marketing or management. For example, if the client aims to expand their female market or improve the revenue from the female market, we will design the strategies, road map first and then help them achieve the goal by building prediction models. Through using technical models built by SQL and p

Python, the client can predict the AUM growth, the most relevant triggers that boost the sales, or even the best channel to promote currently.

I learnt about EY through the employer career session held at the University of Exeter, and applied this position through the EY website. The Career Zone provided me a great chance to talk with the HR from EY at the Career Fair. I learnt that EY provides a better work environment for women, something which is really important to me.

For me, working as a business consultant in digital transformation is a new start to improve my professional skills in both coding and consulting. I am so glad I can bring what I learnt from Exeter and keep learning the Business Analytics in the real practice.

“…a good consultant always learns and grows faster with strong logical and critical thinking.”

 I would advise new graduates or current students who plan to start the career with consulting to gain more internship experience in project management or business analyst roles. Consulting is a good sector to start the career since a good consultant always learns and grows faster with strong logical and critical thinking. For students who are interested in business analyst or data analyst, I would suggest them to obtain the coding skills such as SQL, Python and R Studios.  

Last but not the least, a good analyst should clearly know what can be predicted or recommended to the clients through the result shown by data. Unlike programmer or developer, business sense is also one of important parts of the duties for business analyst and data analyst.  

“Career planning is a continuous thing. Every step at University such as choosing your major or applying an internship could affect your career in future.”

 In the short term, I plan to work and keep learning in the same sector – digital transformation consulting. Currently, I am preparing PMP certificate to help myself work better on project management in the workplace. Being a professional consultant for technology needs the ability to work well with technology, but also need the ability to manage and solve the problems well by using these tools.

Career planning is a continuous thing. Every step at University such as choosing your major or applying an internship could affect your career in future. Don’t be panic about what to do, but aim for what you are interested in and aim towards it. 

In the long term, I would see myself to chase the trend of emerging technology and management in different industries. Let’s see where I will be in ten years! 

Find your Pathway

Jenny Woolacott-Scarr

Morgan Smith is a current University of Exeter student studying Flexible Combined Honours in Economics with Geography and Study Abroad. In June 2021 they took part in the Pathways to International Trade programme and following the training, completed an internship with Martec International.

In this post, we hear from both Morgan and Brian Hume, Managing Director at Martec, on their experiences of the programme.

Please briefly outline the project you worked on during your Professional Pathways internship and any achievements you were particularly proud of.

Morgan: During my Pathways internship, I worked as a Distributor Manager for Martec International. My role involved reaching out to potential overseas clients and starting a dialogue with regards to a partnership in selling Martec online learning products.

Initially, I contacted potential clients via email, and this yielded little response. I then had the initiative to try contacting people through LinkedIn, which resulted in much higher engagement. I was able to reach out to individuals from a number of companies and my initial conversation with one individual has led to Martec International’s partnership with Future Sharp, a subsidiary of one of the largest retail companies in India. It was amazing for me to be able to see the tangible impact of my work whilst working for Martec International.

“It was amazing for me to be able to see the tangible impact of my work.”

Morgan Smith, Flexible Combined Honours in Economics with Geography and Study Abroad, and successful Pathways applicant

How did hosting an intern via the Professional Pathways programme benefit you and your organisation?

Brian: We were able to start a project that we have not had capacity to resource before.  We have a successful distributor of our products in America.  We want to recruit more of them in other countries and covering other market segments. Our intern helped in drafting a series of initial messages to potential executives and then sent the messages in my name.  This approach really surprised us at how well it worked.  Lots of CEOs and SVPs in target firms connected with me and got engaged in dialogue.  Our intern was able to participate in the initial face to face (via Teams) meeting with the CEO and COO of one company.  We now have electronic dialogues in progress with another 6 or so companies, albeit at earlier stages in the cycle.

Successful completion of this project will benefit my local team because it will help a faster recovery from the pandemic shockwave, it will strengthen the resilience of the business and protect jobs.  It will increase the staffing levels we will need locally as volume builds up. Morgan made sufficient promising progress that we arranged to keep him on for another three weeks on our own payroll to move the project on to more valuable deliverables and hopefully, much greater job satisfaction for him. When it works for the intern, it frequently works for us too!

Brian Hume, Managing Director at Martec

Given the Professional Pathways internship is 35 hours in total, what advice would you give to other students to ensure they gain as much as possible from the experience? 

Morgan: It is really important to work with your manager to make the most of your limited time with the company. In my case, I decided to work part-time in order to have more time for clients to respond to my requests. This worked so well that Martec International kept me on for another 3 weeks to see the project through to a desirable endpoint. Ultimately it is important to try and provide as much value as you can to your company using the skills you have developed both in your degree and your Pathways training. This will allow you to have the biggest impact and also help you to get the most out of the work you are doing.

How was your experience of hosting a remote working intern?

Brian: It worked very well because we are a virtual business anyway and everyone is remote to everyone else, so we have the processes and IT systems to manage it.  We have a Wednesday morning Teams meeting with everyone and Morgan joined those meetings to see everyone else in action and to build a relationship with colleagues.  We also did specific project meetings via Teams regularly, so there was a high level of dialogue with myself and colleagues. Morgan is very personable so he built relationships quickly. Immediately before the project started we had a meeting with everyone involved and reviewed the project plan so we all knew where to start immediately on day 1. We updated the plan regularly as events unfolded. We spoke most days during his time with us.

Applications for all Professional Pathway programmes close next week on Tuesday 18 January at 1:00pm, don’t miss out on applying. You can find further details on the available Pathways and how to apply here, or contact:

How to Use your Finance Degree to Pursue a Career in Jordan

Jenny Woolacott-Scarr
Raniah Raed Talal Shawkat, University of Exeter alumn, and current Acting Credit Manager, Iiwwa Inc, Jordan

Raniah Raed Talal Shawkat graduated from the University of Exeter with an Msc in Finance and Management. She’s currently Acting Credit Manager, Iiwwa Inc, Jordan.

Where do you currently live and work? 

I now live and work in Jordan. After my studies in Exeter, I joined multiple internships then started working as credit officer for SMEs clients at liwwa, Inc. I’ve been with them for 3 years and 3 months, and recently promoted as Acting Credit Manager.

Why did you choose to pursue this career?

I chose this career as it needs analytical skills in addition to decision making, which I like. And I can use the knowledge and skills acquired during my studies to implement and develop through this career.

 Why did you choose to study at the University of Exeter?

The first point as it is one of the top UK universities, the second thing is my interest in the programme I wanted to study and finally its location as I know some relatives and friends who studied there previously and could gave me ideas and advice about the city. I liked everything about Exeter: the city, the campus, the availability of resources at the library.

Why did you choose your particular degree subject?

I liked the programme and its modules. I also took into account recommendations form friends studied there before me.

How did your degree help you prepare for the position you are in now?

It taught me analytical thinking, quick problem solving, ownership, entrepreneurship, solidarity, agility, and active listening.

Please tell us about the application process for your graduate job, and how you prepared and/or managed this?

I found the job through LinkedIn, went through multiple interviews, the cover letter and a follow up email reflecting on the interview, expressing the interest, the skills and values that can be added had a good impact.

Did you use the Career Zone whilst at Exeter? If so, what especially helped?

I attended some job fairs at the campus which was helpful to get an idea and planning about the career.

What aspects of your UK university education worked in your favour during the application process?

I could sense the focus on developing analytical skills and strategic thinking. Also, living abroad alone for the first time in my life taught me a lot of things and made me a stronger person mentally.

What did you do at university that you think gave you a competitive advantage in the job market in your home-country?

The practical dissertation part of my degree. It gave me the opportunity to work on a real life cases, analyse the financial theories and practice forecasting and valuation which solidified all that I had learnt through the programme on a practical level. I also was a member of the Financial group.

What were the biggest obstacles in gaining a graduate job in your home-country?

There is almost no or very rare organizations that offer internships for graduates, this has a bad impact especially for people who didn’t gain much experience before getting their postgraduate degree.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were applying for opportunities?

The importance of continuous learning and obtaining professional qualifications.

What is your advice for any international student seeking a career in finance and wanting to follow a similar path to you?

I would encourage them to focus on their studies from the first day they join the school.

Our alumni networks in these countries are available to help you socially and professionally now and in the future. You can connect with them whilst you are a student to take advantage of their support when you are back home during holiday season, and of course, reach out to them when you graduate.

 The Alumni Office organise regular virtual employability events, which are a useful resource both for graduates and current students. For a full listing of events, please click here and to watch historic records, please click here

Alumni Profile – André Luis Martins Filho, Co-Founder and Head of Product at Uello

Jenny Woolacott-Scarr

André Luis Martins Filho studied Bsc Engineering and Management at the University of Exeter on a 1 year exchange program, Graduating in 2016. He is the Co-Founder and Head of Product at Uello

André Luis Martins Filho, University of Exeter alumni, and Co-Founder and Head of Product at Uello

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now? 

As soon as I left Exeter, I came back to Brazil and co-founded Uello, a logistics tech startup. Going straight from the University to founding a startup is not your usual career path, and it has been very demanding. We began as a company of just 2 people sitting in a co-working space, validating the business model. Today we have over 90 employees, 10,000+registered drivers, and have delivered over 2 million packages in Brazil with an innovative business model revolving around the gig economy and technology. When you found a startup, you have to do a little bit of everything from carrying boxes in warehouses and delivering packages to modelling the business plan, planning budgets and building operational processes. Today, I lead the product division of the company and am responsible for identifying, prioritizing and delivering technology and product enhancements.

“When you found a startup, you have to do a little bit of everything from carrying boxes in warehouses and delivering packages to modelling the business plan, planning budgets and building operational processes.”

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I always liked doing things differently than expected. At Exeter, for example, I sought out experiences that I would have never had in Brazil, such as being a part of the Rifle Club. Many of my friends and classmates from University were seeking out careers in banking, corporate or consulting, but I wanted a different experience. What I enjoy most about my work is how much ownership I have. I am a part of every major decision that the company makes and am involved in every step in a way it would take me years to achieve had I followed a more traditional career path. I also like the fact that I can look back and be proud of how much we built from scratch; it is very satisfying and keeps me going even in the hardest times.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

I have always been a very practical person; I prefer to get my hands dirty and actually execute rather than just study. The Engineering and Management course provided me with several opportunities to visit actual companies and see our studies in action and being implemented. My final paper, which I wrote under the tutelage of Prof Voicu Ion Sucala, was a wonderful experience exactly for this reason. I got to work with a metal manufacturing company directly and simulate their processes in different scenarios. It was great to present my results and to know they would be used to generate positive results for a real company. I left wanting to experience that again with more intensity.

What did you enjoy most about studying here?

I enjoyed how international my experience in Exeter was. I got to meet people from all over the world, to live among them, and learn a lot from them. It expanded my horizons a lot.

“What I enjoy most about my work is how much ownership I have. I am a part of every major decision that the company makes and am involved in every step in a way it would take me years to achieve had I followed a more traditional career path.”

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

The University of Exeter was one of the most prestigious and recognized universities available within the scholarship programme I was a part of. At the time, though I was studying engineering, I very much wanted to pursue a career in business. The Engineering and Management course seemed like a great fit for what I wanted, and my experience at Exeter and how it has influenced me since underscores how great that choice has been for me.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

In an early stage startup everyone has to be generalist to some extent. There are just not enough people to have specialization. So I think that being able to navigate through most areas of a business whilst not necessarily being a specialist in any was invaluable. Courses like Business, Engineering and Management and others provide the necessary knowledge to become that generalist. For a startup, being tech savvy enough to communicate with and understand software engineers and other people in more technical fields is also critical. The rest is drive, dedication, and hard work.

“For a startup, being tech savvy enough to communicate with and understand software engineers and other people in more technical fields is also critical. The rest is drive, dedication, and hard work.”

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

Find a company with a mission and identity to which you connect completely. You are going to be working a lot and facing difficult odds, so there has to be a lot of drive, motivation, and eagerness to make this work. This only happens when there is fit between you and what the company represents. Also, don’t be afraid to take risks, especially in the beginning of your career because it only gets harder to take those risks later.

What are your plans for the future?

I fell in love with the startup and innovation environment. I plan to keep with it, either growing Uello beyond and beyond or helping other companies navigate through their journey.

Alumni Profile – Alla Alexeeva, Finance Controller, Chanel

Jenny Woolacott-Scarr

Alla Alexeeva graduated from the University of Exeter with an MSc Accounting and Finance, 2010. She’s currently Finance Controller (Russia & CIS), Chanel 

Alla Alexeeva, University of Exeter alumn, and current Finance Controller (Russia & CIS), Chanel

Where do you currently live and work? 

I live in Russia. I started my career in the beauty industry when I joined L’Oreal as an Intern just after graduation and was promoted to the position of Budget Controller within a couple of months. Now, I am working as a Finance Controller within the biggest business divisions at Chanel Russia & CIS and managing a team of three finance analysts.

Why did you choose to pursue this career?

My current job is very business oriented. It requires a lot of communication skills. My colleagues not only work in Russia, but also in Paris, London and NYC.

And for those less familiar with the term, what is a Finance Controller?

A Finance Controller is a business-oriented role. A person in this position would be responsible for strategic planning and budgeting, reporting, business analysis and finance key performance indicators.

“My advice on becoming more employable would be to never stop believing in yourself… Being confident and hard-working got me to where I am.” 

 Why did you choose to study at the University of Exeter?

I chose to study at the University of Exeter as it was in the Top 10 rankings in the Times and the Guardian when I started to look for the right place to study. The University provided very comfortable accommodation for international students and the city had good infrastructure. I would definitely recommend a Masters at Exeter due to all the new knowledge I gained, the friendly atmosphere, great networking opportunities among alumni, and the wonderful experience of living abroad in a very cosy city with great history and many places to explore.

Why did you choose your particular degree subject?

I chose to study this subject because I enjoyed studying economics in my bachelors degree and the programme suited these skills.

 How did your degree help you prepare for the position you are in now?

The Business School gave me a lot of practice in building strong relationships with people from different countries who spoke other languages. This is a beneficial skill for all young professionals starting their career in any field.

“While studying at University, I attended numbers of career events, which helped me in the future to do my best during the interviews and throughout the application process.”

Please tell us about the application process for your graduate job, and how you prepared and/or managed this?

I started the process when I was writing my dissertation in the library. I initially planned to apply for an internship with L’Oreal UK, but there were no vacancies. So, I sent my CV to L’Oreal Russia. I finished my dissertation in the middle of September in Exeter and joined the L’Oreal office in Moscow starting from 1st of November. The whole of October was dedicated to interviews and assessment days.

Did you use the Career Zone whilst at Exeter? If so, what especially helped?

While studying at University, I attended numbers of career events, which helped me in the future to do my best during the interviews and throughout the application process.

 What aspects of your UK university education worked in your favour during the application process?

It is compulsory to have an in-depth understanding of all international accounting standards while working as a Finance Controller. The knowledge I gained at University was a solid basis to develop my skills in this field.

“Many employers are searching for candidates with previous work experience – even for entry level positions. Therefore, I highly recommend starting internships and part-time jobs as soon as possible to be the first on the list for the best vacancies after graduation.”

What did you do at university that you think gave you a competitive advantage in the job market in your home-country?

I believe that my communication skills are excellent because I spent 2 years in the UK (1 year studying a pre-masters course in London, 1 year doing a Masters in University of Exeter Business School). It also helped me improve my self-confidence and endurance under stress. I also developed fluency in English, a deep knowledge of IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and a particularly good command of Excel.

What were the biggest obstacles in gaining a graduate job in your home-country?

Many employers are searching for candidates with previous work experience – even for entry level positions. Therefore, I highly recommend starting internships and part-time jobs as soon as possible to be the first on the list for the best vacancies after graduation.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were applying for opportunities?

My advice for students would be to remember that if you are accepted on a course, you become an asset to the University. It is your right to make your University greater by achieving excellent academic results and taking a breath-taking career path.

What is your advice for any international student seeking a career in finance and wanting to follow a similar path to you?

My advice on becoming more employable would be to never stop believing in yourself. If somebody had told me ten years ago that I would hold one of the top positions in Finance at Chanel Russia, I would never believe them. Being confident and hard-working got me to where I am.

Our alumni networks are available to help you socially and professionally now and in the future. You can connect with them whilst you are a student to take advantage of their support when you are back home during holiday season, and of course, reach out to them when you graduate.

 The Alumni Office organise regular virtual employability events, which are a useful resource both for graduates and current students. For a full listing of events, please click here, and to watch historic records, please click here.

Get The Scoop on Dr Cat Walker for International Women’s Day 2021

Jenny Woolacott-Scarr
Dr Cat Walker, Research Consultant/Director for  The Researchery and author of ‘The Scoop’

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2021 we’re profiling Exeter alum Dr Cat Walker, who graduated from the University of Exeter with a PhD in Economic Psychology. Cat’s currently Research Consultant/Director for The Researchery Her debut novel ‘The Scoop’ (described as “the lesbian Bridget Jones meets Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”) was published in early 2020. 

I have been working as a researcher in the voluntary sector since I left Exeter. I started out with the Fairtrade Foundation, then had longer stints with Charities Aid Foundation and the Directory of Social Change where I led the research programmes. In 2015 I set up my own research consultancy, The Researchery, which works exclusively with the voluntary and community sector. My clients have included the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport, The Big Give, Nesta, the University of Kent, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales, UK Community Foundations, and the Association of Charitable Foundations.

“I wanted to do something that was socially useful and benefited people. I like to think that my research helps charities to work more efficiently and effectively.”

I wanted to do something that was socially useful and benefited people. I wanted to make a difference. Although I’m not working on the frontline of charity I like to think that my research helps charities to work more efficiently and effectively. I love working with different clients, and learning from them as much as they learn with me. The variety of my work is a major bonus and with each project I know that we’re making the world a slightly better place.

At University I had excellent lecturers and PhD supervisors, particularly Professors Paul Webley and Stephen Lea. They mentored me and created amazing opportunities such as sending me to Aix-en-Provence for a year as part of the ERASMUS scheme, and employing me to run the Economic Psychology Training and Education Network. Highlights included the annual Lundy Island trip to study animal psychology and the Christmas Psychology Review which I wrote for and starred in on a ritual basis. Statistics and research methods have been most invaluable to me as a researcher. Also the general ability to get my head round facts, do literature reviews, make cogent arguments and write in a sensible and logical way.

“Statistics and research methods have been most invaluable to me as a researcher…. (and) we had weekly discos with Thom Yorke from Radiohead on the decks!”

Exeter has a beautiful campus and is near both the sea and the moors – making it exceptional for day trips. I enjoyed getting out and about both with hockey, cycling and surfing. The accommodation was excellent. We had weekly discos with Thom Yorke from Radiohead on the decks! It had one of the best Psychology courses in the country, with excellent lecturers, and I’ll never forget that they tried to put us off by saying that it wouldn’t be easy and we would have to work hard – that appealed to me!

“My advice to a current student would be that you don’t have to wait for the perfect job to come along. My first job in charity… gave me an insight into how things work and opened doors for me to take on bigger and better jobs!”

My advice to a current student would be that you don’t have to wait for the perfect job to come along. My first job in charity (after my PhD and being a post doc research fellow) was plugging in computers and some basic administrative duties but it gave me an insight into how things work and opened doors for me to take on bigger and better jobs!

In the future I hope to be able to carry on with my consultancy work as long as possible, but in the current economy I may have to have a back-up plan which is to work for a grant making foundation, helping them to learn from best practice and be the best funder they can be.

How to Use your Accounting and Finance Degree in Vietnam with AnhViet Huynh

Jenny Woolacott-Scarr
AnhViet Huynh, Exeter Graduate, and current Transfer Pricing Manager at PWC Vietnam

Home country – Vietnam

Studied - BA Accounting and Finance; MSc Accounting and Finance, 2014

Career – Transfer Pricing Manager at PWC Vietnam

Where do you currently live and work? 

I relocated back to Vietnam after leaving Exeter in January 2014 and have been with PwC Vietnam since July 2014.

Why did you choose to pursue this career?

I got very interested in transfer pricing (“TP”) issues when I was in Exeter. That was the time when people started to get serious about TP, especially with the case of Starbucks in the UK. So when moving back to Vietnam, I applied for TP services in PwC and have been doing this for over 6 years now. This role has given opportunities to work with many colleagues around the world (either from PwC network firms or from head offices/regional offices of our clients), in order to understand the bigger picture of their intercompany pricing policies as well as to support our clients to comply with TP regulations in Vietnam.

For those less familiar with transfer pricing, how would you describe it in one sentence? 

It is actually quite tricky to describe TP, even in one paragraph. Essentially, TP is a practice to determine the price of goods and/or services between related companies (companies within the game group), in order to examine whether the price between related companies is comparable to the price between independent companies (companies not in the same group). This is to ensure that each company in the same group will operate as if they were independent, and hence they will earn proper profits and pay proper tax accordingly just like other independent companies.

Why did you choose to study at the University of Exeter?

Let’s just say Exeter gave me everything I wanted. It was the city, the people (both local people and members of staff), the students and the degree. The city is vibrant but at the same time not too big that you would feel overwhelmed. Everyone is friendly and that really goes against what overseas students like us tend to hear about the UK (eg. people are very cold and reserved). The degree is well structured and gives us everything we need for our career.

Why did you choose your degree subject?

The degree has really given me clear understanding of accounting, which is the backbone of any business. From that, I guess I could apply for any role that I wanted. The biggest highlight was that I got offered to be the Accounting Scholar, which was a prestigious scholarship back then where the University of Exeter Business School would pay 100% of my postgraduate fee and at the same time, I got to teach first year students. It was an amazing experience because I always love teaching and if it were not because of the visa requirements, I would have stayed longer.

How did your degree help you prepare for the position you are in now?

I was friends with students from the UK and around the world. So during our group work assignments, I was usually in a very diverse team, which helped me to understand how to work with different people from different backgrounds. Also, being pro-active and asking questions when I was not clear about something is a huge thing in my daily work life. I’m in consulting so we ask and ask and ask, to ensure that we understand what our clients are going through to support them.

Please tell us about the application process for your graduate job, and how you prepared and/or managed this?

For PwC Vietnam, back then I had to submit my application online (around January and February). Next, I was asked to take an online test, then I had to do another test at the centre after I passed the online test. A group interview where they assessed my group work and presentation skills would follow. And eventually, it was the final interview with 2 leaders of PwC Vietnam (usually a partner/director and a manager)

Did you use the Career Zone whilst at Exeter? If so, what especially helped?

I did use Career Zone whilst at Exeter and even the employability team of Business School. Both channels gave me lots of insights into how to write a personal statement letter and CV. However, I did not use these resources as much as I should have. As I said earlier, I love teaching and I found myself at the perfect place being the Accounting Scholar. So I did not really actively look for a job, until I decided I would not go ahead with a PhD after my MSc degree. By then it was already too late.

What aspects of your UK university education worked in your favour during the application process?

I think a lot of aspects of university education in the UK have helped me during the application process. This may also be applicable for university education in other countries where English is the native language, for example the UK, the US, Australia. As you may know, the whole application process is in English. So my experience in the UK helped me to react very well with all the questions during the process, from the tests to the interviews. My skills gained from doing many group work assignments also helped during the group interview. I knew how to navigate, lead and be a team member of the group through the challenges. The ability to proactively ask when things are not clear helped me during the interviews as well, because candidates who did not have much exposure to the cultures other than Vietnam felt intimidated during the interview and did not feel confident when they had to ask questions. I think the experiences and skills I gained from my degree really gave me the edge during the application process.

What did you do at university that you think gave you a competitive advantage in the job market in your home-country?

During the time at Exeter, I was the co-founder of Bright Futures Exeter society, part of the men’s basketball club, and international student society. I was also part of the International Welcome Team and University of Exeter Business School ambassadors.

What were the biggest obstacles in gaining a graduate job in your home-country?

The biggest obstacle to me would be the culture and language. It may sound very funny and strange, because I am a Vietnamese, left Vietnam at the age of 18 and came back for a job in Vietnam after 6 years in the UK. Theoretically speaking things should have been all smooth and familiar. But to me, going back to Vietnam was a real culture shock. People do and think differently here. For instance, the Vietnamese in particular (and Asian people in general) may not say “thank you” and “sorry” as much and as often as we do in the UK; so when I did that, they looked at me differently simply because it was not common here. Regarding language, it also took me a while to get used to the professional terms in Vietnamese. My whole degree was in English so English accounting and finance terms like “income statement”, “balance sheet”, “bonds” are very familiar to me. But when I saw the terms in Vietnamese which were not taught in high school, I had absolutely no idea what they meant.

Salary is another thing. To big companies like PwC Vietnam, I was still a fresh graduate and the salary would be the same for all fresh graduates (regardless of where I got my degree from). So I did get the job, and the pay was okay but not as high as I had thought I might get. Don’t get me wrong. I still love my job and my workplace and would have not picked anything else. But I do hope the pay would be better. (Who doesn’t?!)

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were applying for opportunities?

I think we all make mistakes along the way and will always say “I wish I knew blah blah blah”. But perhaps just embrace the journey. If you are still at university, use Career Zone or whatever it is called now as much as you can. Do as much research as you can before applying for a job and be yourself in the interview. You will be just fine.

What is your advice for any international student seeking a career in the financial services and wanting to follow a similar path to you?

Keep an eye on what’s going on around you. There are TP issues everywhere you go.

 End of interview.

Our alumni networks in these countries are available to help you socially and professionally now and in the future. You can connect with them whilst you are a student to take advantage of their support when you are back home during holiday season, and of course, reach out to them when you graduate.

 The Alumni Office organise regular virtual employability events, which are a useful resource both for graduates and current students. For a full listing of events, please click here, and to watch historic records, please click here. 

Students and alumni in, from or looking to relocate Vietnam to are welcome to join our Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/305956466185407 to connect with our alumni community, ask questions and keep updated on the latest alumni news and events.

A virtual internship during lockdown

Jenny Woolacott-Scarr

Georgia Humbert is a 2nd Year Business and Management with Industrial Experience (at Warner Bros). 

Georgia Humbert, 2nd Year Business and Management with Industrial Experience (at Warner Bros), working from home on her internship.

I’m on my 7th month of an internship with http://spoton.net a web design company with whom I started in October 2019. I found the marketing internship through My Career Zone, and the experience has been amazing for developing my workplace skills, and has shown me where my strengths and weaknesses lie. I would really recommend everyone to consider doing one! I have the aim of working in either the fashion or the entertainment industry, so wanted to explore if marketing would suit me as a potential long-term career. My time with http://itseeze.com/ (subsidiary company of Spoton.net) has been really valuable for this and, as a result, have just secured a third year placement in marketing. Furthermore, it has provided me with clarity that creativity is one of my strengths and something I enjoy applying to my work, so I intend to pursue creative roles moving forward. Prior to the internship I had started a hand painted wall art business

and have subsequently found my own ways of marketing it, so it’s been great to push myself to go about things slightly differently, and I have learnt skills I will carry over to my personal work.

For everyone doing a term time internship, we all know that juggling lectures, assignments, societies, as well as this regular commitment can have its challenges. But now, working from home due to the Covid-19 lockdown is a new one to overcome. As I started the internship a while before lockdown, I have had to change from working in an office once a week to homeworking, a change that seemed a bit daunting. I have a desk at home which I work from and I structure my day as I would if I was going to the office. Despite the big adjustment I would say it’s nice to skip the long commute to Torquay! This means I wake up with time to get ready so I can start at 9am and take a lunch break as I would normally. I find that I tend to take more breaks in the day at home because my family is there, so I usually make up for it by working a bit later into the early evening. I find this actually helps my productivity because breaks help me to stay motivated and alert.

Luckily for me, the team at http://itseeze.com/ are really supportive and as a web-based company, pretty much all my work can be done remotely. The marketing team is very small with just three of us so it’s easy to stay in contact, mostly through email or Trello. Because of the nature of my work, which is often content creation or routine tasks, plus how we use online task managers, we didn’t often have meetings in the office so this hasn’t been a problem since lockdown measures.

The original plan was for me to work in the office for a whole week in April, after which I would finish my internship, but since lock down we have decided it would be more useful for the company if I stuck to working one day per week. It will be strange to finish the internship remotely after working in the office for a few months, but the change has been another learning experience in terms of being adaptive and organised to work independently.

If you are currently doing a term-time internship from home, here are some things I’ve learned from the transition which might help you:

Make sure you have all the resources you need

One of the main things to consider if you’re used to working in an office is transferring all the files, passwords you’ll need etc. It’s probably a good idea to ask your manager to do the transfer of essential data to you; for me that was email passwords and social media logins. I had a bit of a struggle to set up my work email from home but once it was managed it has been a lot easier to stay in contact with the rest of the company (Thunderbird is a great desktop app for this).

You might need to change how you are allocated tasks 

Since I started at  http://itseeze.com/ we have used Trello as a tool for my managers to give me tasks online, allowing us to all see my progress. If you are used to chatting to your supervisor about being given jobs to do, suggesting this could be a good idea as it is really clear and easy to use plus you can add attachments and messages. It will probably be useful to your manager at this time in particular, if you can get on with your tasks without having to constantly communicate, and this is a great way to do that.

Get used to working independently 

As said before, every working environment is different, but if you run out of jobs to do it’s a good idea to have a list of other things to be getting along with without needing to be asked. For example, I have set up a Pinterest account for  http://itseeze.com/ so I can spend time managing that. If you’re stuck for ideas, competitor research and new marketing ideas never go amiss! We have a routine of procedure for my colleagues to give me feedback, via either email or Trello, the week after I send it; this way we all know what time frames to expect and I can access all the feedback online.

Don’t worry too much and keep in contact 

Checking in with your supervisor regularly with any questions or concerns is great for everyone, so they know how best to support you and can get a heads-up if things aren’t going to plan. It is understandable that the transition can take a bit of time to get used to, but the more you work independently the easier it becomes!

Insight Weeks Explained

Jenny Woolacott-Scarr

My name is Maxine and I’m a 3rd year Business and Management student at the University of Exeter, Streatham Campus. In April 2018 I participated in an insight week at KPMG on their ‘Women in Deal Advisory’ programme. This summer I completed a summer internship at KPMG in the same department and in 2020 I’ll be joining them as a graduate. 

Maxine Mukunga, BA Business and Management student, University of Exeter

What are insight weeks?

Insight weeks, also called spring weeks, are short internships offered to early year university students so that they can learn more about a company. They are intended to give students an ‘insight’ into what a company does and what career options they offer. Despite the name, they vary in length depending on the company, with some being a full week and some only a couple of days. Insight weeks are often used by companies as recruitment channels for future internships and placements.

What time of year should students apply for them?

Applications open from as early as August up to around January but the exact dates do vary from company to company. On many company websites, there will be the option to sign up to be notified by e-mail when their applications open. Application deadlines also vary, with some even closing early.

Some people I know who applied to many spring weeks found it useful to create a spreadsheet with the opening and closing dates for all of the companies they intended on applying to, and the stages they were at with each application.

Most insight weeks will be for first year students if they’re doing a three year course or second year students if they’re doing a four year course. Some companies will accept penultimate year students, so it’s still worth doing your research if you’re a second year student on a three year course, or a third year student on a four year course.

Where did you find out about your insight week?

I wasn’t aware of insight weeks until I attended an employer event on campus where they talked about the one they ran. After the event, I did a Google search of other companies that did them. Google directed me to websites like e4s which list opportunities from many different companies, and also official recruitment pages on company websites. I was mainly interested in consulting so I looked at consulting and professional services companies.

When I first started looking, I planned on applying to management/strategy consulting but as I had (surprisingly) enjoyed the accounting module I had done in my first term, I decided to also apply to the KPMG Women in Deal Advisory insight week as a wild card. I applied for 4 insight programmes but decided that KPMG was the one I wanted.

What was the application process like?

The first stage of the application was completing a form with information about myself, work experience and education. The next stage was completing a situational judgement test and a numerical reasoning test. In preparation for these tests, I practised with ones I found online and through My Career Zone. After that, I was asked to record myself answering set questions related to why I was interested in deal advisory, and why I was interested in KPMG.

The final stage of the process was an invitation to their London offices where I had to complete a case study exercise on one of their laptops in a room with the other candidates. The case study involved reading through a booklet of information with written sections, graphs and tables, and financial statements about a company. After given time to read the case study, I then had to answer questions and make recommendations for the company based on the information provided. Spellcheck and autocorrect was disabled on the laptops during the case study exercise. I tend to type quickly and hope that spell check corrects me, so not having that safety net did make me a bit nervous. So, if you type like me, I would recommend getting comfortable with typing without autocorrect and spellcheck in case you encounter something similar!

Was it paid?

I was paid for the duration of the internship which was great. Luckily I was able to stay with family members which meant my costs weren’t too high anyway, but lots of companies understand not everyone is that fortunate which is why many insight weeks are paid. If you find one that isn’t paid but the travel/living costs would be affordable, I would recommend doing it as the experience is worthwhile.

What did you do during the week? Who did you meet? 

During the week, we had presentations from various employees, from recent graduates to partners. They talked about their career paths and the projects they had worked on. Throughout the week, we were given group activities to do related to the roles available. One of them was working together to come up with a solution to a problem and then presenting our ideas to senior members of staff. We also got to shadow employees at various levels of the business.

The final day was an ‘assessment centre’ style session where – if successful – led to a summer internship offer. The first part of the assessment was a group exercise with several stages. The assessors swapped tables for each stage so we were judged by a different person at each stage. The second part of the assessment centre was an interview with a senior member of staff asking us more about our motivation for deal advisory, our career goals and also some competency questions. Having spent the week learning about the work employees did, the interview was much easier than others I’d had in the past as I had lots of information to draw on for my answers.

After the assessments, there was a networking drinks session with employees we had interacted with during the week and others. They were all happy to answer any questions we had and keen to find out more about us.

Was the insight week useful? 

I found the internship to be very useful. As it was an area of business I hadn’t had much exposure to, I learnt a lot from hearing the experiences of current employees, getting to ask them questions and shadowing them. Getting to see what they did day to day made me feel less nervous about going into work after graduating as the tasks were not as complicated as I had imagined them to be.

Has it influenced your career choice? 

The insight week led me to choose a completely new career path. I was set on going into management consulting before it but now I have accepted a graduate offer from KPMG in deal advisory. I am very glad I took a chance on something new and started thinking about my career early on.

Which professional services and consulting companies offer spring weeks in 2020?

 To find out if a company offers insight weeks, head to their careers website. Here is a brief list of some of the most popular insight weeks:

KPMG

Deloitte

PWC

EY

McKinsey