Carly Bryer

Course/ Year Graduated: BA Economics with Accountancy 2008
Employer: Automotive Distributors Ltd.
Location: Marden, Kent

Career so far:
After graduating I took a project management internship with The Aspinall Foundation, an international conservation charity based in Kent with many projects around the world. I then began my current position of Sales Analyst in Sept 2011. The best part of my job is improving the performance of the company. Having developed a lot of sales analysis tools to be used across the company we now have a more focussed strategy within the UK Market. When job hunting, I used job websites and some recruitment consultants, sending my CV to as many prospective employers as possible. The key skills I learnt at UEA that I use in my job are networking, communication, team building and perseverance.

Advice to current students:
Don't fall into the trap of tunnel vision when looking for a graduate job, either to one place or within one career path. It is equally important to find out what you like doing as what you DON'T want to do in your career.
Never give up and NEVER underestimate yourself when applying for roles that may be out of your comfort zone, it might be what you've never realised you wanted to do.

James Hutchins

Course/ Year Graduated: BSc Economics and MSc Finance and Economics 2009
Employer: Aviva
Location: Norwich, Norfolk

Career so far:
After completing my masters I secured a role at Aviva as a Pricing Analyst which started straight after the completion of my course. I joined the company at a trainee level and after six months was promoted to Consultant level.
I applied for a role at Aviva because I liked the area, the job sounded interesting and fitted my degree well, and the pay was good! My job varies quite a bit from day to day. As a high level summary the role involves maintaining and developing insurance pricing methods whilst focussing on Sales, Claims, and Overall Profitability. The key skills required for the role are: Collecting and Analysing large data sets, producing analysis, working with other business areas to agree aims and assumptions, presenting analysis and results to gain sign off from the exec, working as a team on large projects and managing your time effectively etc.
I like my job a lot. I work in a small team and get on well with everyone, the work is interesting and makes a big impact on the overall strategy and direction of the company, the pay is good and the role allows for flexible working hours.

Advice to current students:

  • Apply for jobs as early as possible
  • Try to stand out from other applicants
  • Show employers that you are keen to learn and are committed to a career with the company
  • Practice numerical, and verbal reasoning tests these will be required for most graduate roles
  • Make sure your CV is clear, looks professional, and has no spelling or formatting mistakes
  • Prepare well for interviews
  • Practice presentation and Excel skills as some companies may also test you on these

Alex Kersey

Course/ Year Graduated: BA Business Economics 2008
Employer: Societe Generale Corporate Investment Banking
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Career so far:
A few months after graduation I moved to New York to intern with UBS. Due to the uncertainty in financial markets at the time unfortunately I was not hired after the internship and moved back to London where I took a job with Societe Generale in the Market Data team. After 1 year in this position I was promoted to a position in Tokyo with duties covering the Asian markets, which is the position I have held for the past 2 years.
My current job title is Market Data Analyst – the role is quite wide ranging; I am responsible for validating accuracy of multi-asset-class Market Data including fixed income and equity data from external vendors which are fed into the banks trading systems to build yield curves for example. This involves fielding a lot of data queries from traders. I'm also responsible for managing the relationship between my department, data vendors outside the business and front office stakeholders. Simultaneously I have a Business Analyst element to my role whereby I am responsible for sourcing new data requirements and negotiating prices and setting up contracts.

Advice to current students:

  • Soft skills are more important than technical ability when looking for your first job; employers can impart technical knowledge but will only invest in people they want to work with
  • When opportunities are thin on the ground or you don't meet the entry criteria for the job you really want to do, be creative. This means looking for a less conventional way into the industry you want to work in
  • Internships are a good route into a permanent position
  • Decide on what you want to do and know exactly why you want to do it; this will enable you to sell yourself to a potential employer which is difficult to do when you aren't 100% committed.

Chris Mccaffrey

Course/ Year Graduated: BA Economics 2006
Employer: Clays Ltd.
Location: Bungay, Suffolk

Career so far:
After graduating, I initially worked in a bank. I then found a position for trainee management accountant at my current firm. The role mainly involves commercial pricing of new jobs, and dealing with the sales ledger side of the business – pricing contracts, invoicing work, sales forecasts, credit control etc. Progression opportunities have been good. Because the firm is mid-sized, it has stability, but also offers good opportunities for regular involvement with the work of the board of directors, and other senior figures. This makes it easier to get noticed, and progress. In addition, passing various exams over the years has added to my understanding of the business. I would suggest that it is easier to gain experience and progress in a small or medium sized business, as the work you do there is of a wider variety, and offers more interaction with different sides of the business – this helps you to gain valuable experience that you may not get in a large company which is heavily departmentalised and bureaucratic.

Advice to current students:
Experience, and how you apply that experience to the job you are applying for are key things employers look for. It's worth getting internships/any relevant work experience during your degree.
When applying for jobs, it's good to do research about the company, the industry they are in, and the type of job, and then tailor your experience to suit this.

Ricky Shin

Course/ Year Graduated: BSc Economics 2009
Employer: JP Morgan Chase
Location: Hong Kong

Career so far:
I started off as a Credit Controller at AXA back in 2009 before moving to JP Morgan in 2011 at the Hong Kong office. The most rewarding aspect of my current role is working and learning alongside professionals of the highest calibre in the banking industry. The main skills I developed at UEA which are useful in role are independent / flexible learning, leadership, effective team-working and communication.

Advice to current students:
Do look out for career talk/events organised by the university or specifically for the School of Economics. The best advice I can give is to speak to people who are already in the industry in which you're interested in.
Never leave things till the last minute. Make the best use of the university resources available to you and try to explore different areas of interests. Find your passion and follow it.
Employers nowadays are not just looking for someone with a degree and technical ability. Having good understanding of the interpersonal / soft skills you possess puts you in a stronger position when trying to demonstrate these to prospective employers.