university of exeter business school...

Welcome Back!!

Issue 8

Spring 2009

Grass Routes Challenge Champions

3

What’s On this term?

4

Seeing to stand out from the crowd...

5

What did you do last summer?

5

What could YOU do this summer: spotlight on Shell STEP

7

What did you do last year?

8

Rachel Torr’s Office Hours

10

Business School Study Skills

10

Graduate Recruit-ment: Top Tips on Strengthening Your Applications

2

Inside this issue:

University of Exeter Business School

Employability |Newsletter—Spring 2009|

Welcome back and a very happy 2009!

I hope that you all had a very good holiday. The spring 2009 issue of the Uni-

versity of Exeter Business School Employability Newsletter is bursting with useful

and interesting articles – most of which have not been written by me!

If you are wondering how to strengthen your applications to and interviews with

graduate level employers, Dr Dawn Lees, the University of Exeter Employability

Officer provides some ‘top tips’ to help you on page 2. On page 3, Elizabeth

Jones, Associate Teaching Fellow in Economics, reports on the magnificent win

that a team of first year undergraduate students secured at the 2008 Grass

Routes Challenge last November – well done to all who participated!

As you’ll see on page 4, the Business School Employability Spring 2009 Events

programme contains a range of useful skills sessions and employer presenta-

tions. If there isn’t enough in that programme to keep you occupied, don’t for-

get that the University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service offers many

more employability related sessions that you can participate in - information

about how to find out about these particular sessions appears on page 4.

Pages 5 to 9 contain a number of articles that have been written by current stu-

dents in the Business School who have been engaging in activities that have

enhanced their employability. In this issue, Nicholas Robbins (BA Business &

Management), Stephen le Roux (MSc Economics) and Malcolm Farnan (BA Busi-

ness & Management) write about the placements that they completed last sum-

mer. In addition, Dale Potter (BA Business Economics with European Study) and

Alex Mullaly (BA Accounting & Finance with European Study) write about the

year that they spent in Grenoble and Barcelona respectively as part of their de-

gree. Information about how YOU can contribute to this section of future issues

appears on page 5.

Finally, just in case you have forgotten during the holidays, you’ll find a re-

minder of my office hours and where to find electronic Business School Employ-

ability information on page 10 along with details of the Business School Under-

graduate Study Skills Spring programme.

Enjoy!

I would like to say a very BIG ‘thank you’ to all of the students and members of

staff who have written articles for this issue of the newsletter.

I am very keen to hear from anyone who has any ideas for items for future is-

sues or who is willing to write a short article. If you would like to contact me

about contributing ideas and/or a short article please email me:

[email protected] . If I don’t hear from you, you might hear from me, so be

wise and make the first move!!

Dr Rachel Torr School Employability Officer The University of Exeter Business School

Graduate Recruitment:

Top Tips for Strengthening Your Applications

The current down-turn in the economy is likely to have a negative effect on

the graduate recruitment market and students will have to adapt accordingly.

What can you do in order to try to stand out from the crowd?

In order to ‘recession-proof’ yourself, there are a few key things you need to do:

1. You must take an interest in your own career development. If you don’t, who will? Drop in to see Ra-chel Torr, Business School Employability Officer during her office hours for some starting points or make

an appointment to see a Careers Adviser to talk through the possibilities (see page 10 for further details)

2. Think about your personality. It’s the warm, outgoing types that can assert themselves without an-

tagonizing that will have a future in most companies.

3. Be a team player. You don’t have to be anonymous, rather point out what you have achieved and

provide the evidence for it.

4. Skills base. You need the specific skills the company values and also be a ‘flexible generalist’ to pick

up tasks outside your role. What does the company want? Do your research. In a tight job market, em-

ployers can hold out to appoint the perfect fit for the job. If you haven’t got the skills – develop them!

5. It’s all about marketing. By the time you are ready to interview, you should be able to identify and

discuss your skills, give examples of how you have used them and even suggest how you might use them

in the job you are applying for.

6. Think outside the box and consider applying for jobs not on your original preferred list. Increasing the sectors and geographical area you are willing to work in will increase the opportunities available to you.

7. Re-evaluate salary requirements. It’s better to start on a lower salary than anticipated than to have

no job at all.

8. Go to Employer Presentations to get advice from recruiters first hand. What are they really looking

for?

9. Follow up leads. Keep good records. A well written email or polite ‘phone conversation could give you

the foot in the door you need.

10. Don’t submit substandard applications. Writing style, grammar and punctuation are essential ingredi-

ents for success.

Top tips provided by: Dr Dawn Lees,

University of Exeter Employability Officer,

University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service

Issue 8

Issue 8

I travelled with a team of 6 first year students from the Business School to compete in the Grass Routes Challenge at The Royal Agricul-tural College in Cirencester. The event was fo-cused on the food industry and many of the other teams had students doing a degree in ag-riculture or another related discipline, but this

did not faze the team from Exeter.

They were given a business scenario that involved producing a mini, fast-growing cucumber, which required an investment of £25 million. They used Xing to develop their strategy and then had a num-ber of meetings with various experts from the food industry where they could ask questions and use the advice given. Throughout the morning, many of the other accompanying academics commented on our team and how well they were doing. When the experts arrived before the scheduled meetings and began an informal walk around, our team were the only students who took the initiative and actually sought out the experts whose advice they needed. This pro-active approach was noted by the experts and academics, and was undoubtedly one of the factors that led to their success.

The teams had several meetings throughout the afternoon with experts involved in different areas of business and this was their opportunity to ask spe-cific questions. They were assessed by the different experts they were meeting with, and this mark counted 50% towards the final outcome. After these meetings, I was able to join the team for half an hour before they had to give a 5 minute presenta-tion to the other teams and the experts, followed by 7 minutes of questioning about their strategy.

Their teamwork was brilliant leading up to the pres-entation and they decided that only two of them would actually make the presentation, but that they would all be involved in answering the questions. This worked very well and they all pulled together to ensure that everyone had an equal opportunity to respond to the questioning, which they all did with confidence and clarity. In the feedback, the experts commented on their confidence and on the detailed information they had gained from their very suc-cessful earlier meetings.

There were a total of 9 teams present and they were split into two groups (Exeter were competing

against 4 other Universities during the presentation part of the competition). Within each group a winner was selected based on the presentations, their re-sponses to the questions and the earlier meetings with the experts. The two winning teams then had to compete against each other for the title.

Before the two winners were announced, a ‘news bulletin’ was announced: Saudi Arabia’s oil supply was significantly smaller than what the world had been led to believe. As a result there were going to be massive limits on electricity and oil supplies for individuals and especially for businesses. Following this announcement, the winning teams were an-nounced: University of Exeter and Reading Univer-sity. These teams then had 15 minutes to prepare a 2 minute statement about how this announcement would affect their business. Both universities would then face the same questions and the experts would vote on which team deserved to win the title of Grass Routes Champions 2008 and the accompany-ing prize money.

Admittedly, panic did set in as the 15 minutes flew by, but the Business School students pulled together and produced a factual statement, which outlined the problems this announcement posed to their business and their solutions. Once again, their excellent team work was evident and they were all confident when answering the questions, making sure that everyone had an opportunity to reply. Following the announce-ment of Exeter as the winners, they were awarded the trophy and received a cheque for £600.

The organisers, experts and the other universities continued to comment on how well the students from Exeter did and that the right team won. The Busi-ness School is extremely proud of the effort and commitment these students showed throughout the whole day and would like to offer them our congratu-lations once more.

Team members: Thomas Coyte: BA Economics Rachel Trusler: BA Management with Leadership Steph Ley: BA Management with Leadership William Merton-Jones: BA Economics and Politics Daniel Borchert: BA Management with Leadership Ben Marchant: BA Management with Leadership. Report by: Elizabeth Jones, Associate Teaching Fellow in Economics

University of Exeter Business School Students

Win the Grass Routes Challenge 2008

More Congratulations...

IBM Universities Business Challenge—This year’s IBM UBC is well under way and this year SIX of the sixteen Uni-

versity of Exeter Business School teams will be competing in semi finals in Portsmouth and London during February

2009. Well done to everyone who has participated this year, and congratulations and good luck to the six teams in the

semis—a full report on the University of Exeter’s performance in this year’s IBM UBC will appear in the next issue.

CV Prize Draw—University of Exeter Business School students won 4 of the 7 prizes in the University of Exeter Ca-

reers & Employment Service’s CV Prize draw—well done to: Mellissa Cooper – 8GB iPod-Touch, Emily Johnston –

8GB iPod-Touch, Qian Ji - £25 Apple voucher, Alexander Hughes - £25 Apple voucher.

Issue 8

Business School Employability

EVENTS:

Tuesday 20th January

School Careers Clinic

1000-1200, Streatham Court

Room 2

Thursday 22nd January

Communicating with the re-

cruiter: CV design and covering

letters

1200-1300, Newman D

Monday 2nd February

‘Getting In & Getting On’:

Insights into Banking & Tax

Advising

1800-1900, Xfi 2

Tuesday 3rd February

I don’t know what to do and I

don’t know where to find it

1200-1300 Harrison 209

Thursday 5th February

PwC: Developing Commercial

Awareness

1830-2030, Xfi 1&2

Monday 9th February

Securing a Career in Banking &

Finance during a Financial Crisis

– Simon Dixon of Benedix

(organized by the Business

School but open to all students)

1830-1930, venue: TBC

Wednesday 11th February

Capgemini Management Consul-

tancy Presentation

1800-2000 Xfi 1




Room 2


‘The Backstage Event’ - Events

& Media Industry Day

(organized by the Business

School but open to all students)

1800-2030, Xfi Atrium


Interview Skills

1200-1300 Newman B

Tuesday 24th February

Mock Interviews with

Accenture

1200-1700, Xfi Boardroom

Tuesday 24th February

Accenture: What do Recruiters

Look For?

1800-1930, Xfi 1


Deloitte: Presentation Skills

1200-1300, Amory 128




Room 2


PwC: Risk Assurance Challenge

(Business Game)

1830-2030, Xfi 1&2

Monday 2nd March

Procter & Gamble: TBC

1800-1900, Xfi 1

Tuesday 3rd March

Mock Interviews with Procter &

Gamble

Time TBC, Xfi A

Wednesday 4th March

The Interview Experience

1300-1600, Newman D

Friday 6th March

International Students—

Careers & Employability: Op-

tions & Support

1200-1400, Xfi Lecture Theatre




Room 2

For more information about any

of the Business School Employ-

ability events, including how to

register for them, please look

at the Business School Employ-

ability site on web-ct and look

out for the weekly Business

School Employability ‘What’s

On’ reminder emails. If you

have any queries please email

me: [email protected]

University of Exeter Careers &

Employment Service EVENTS:

Here are just a taster of the sessions

and events available on campus this

term.

For more information about any of

these events, and details on how to

register please go to:

www.exeter.ac.uk/employability

Accenture: Corporate Social Respon-

sibility

Monday 9th February

What does consulting actually in-

volve and how important is it to be

socially responsible in the corporate

world? Come along to this workshop

and find out more.

Widen Your Options Career Fair

Wednesday February 18th

The Widen Your Options Careers

Fair will showcase a variety of career

and volunteering opportunities, pro-

viding you with the chance to gain

access to information on a wider

range of career opportunities – not

just those traditional pathways.

Mock Interviews

Monday 23rd February—Friday 6th

March

The opportunity to participate in a

mock interview with an employer is

a valuable experience, providing the

chance to improve your interview

skills and help you prepare for the

“real thing”. The University of Exe-

ter Careers & Employment Service

has run these sessions for many

years and they have proved to be an

enjoyable and useful experience for

both students and employers.

Business School Employability —What’s on this term?

Issue 8

The next few pages of the newsletter contain student written articles that highlight how cur-rent students in the University 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 en-

hance their employability...so read on folks and be inspired…!

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 chal-

lenges/business games, student 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...

What did you do last summer…? Nicholas Robbins and the Nestlé Sales Internship Scheme

My desire to ensure that I equip myself with the type of skills and experience that will give me the best chance of securing a good job when I graduate, gave me the incentive to get ahead of the game and look for an internship at the end of my second year. I knew that at least it would make my CV stand out from others and there was the possibility of obtain-ing a place on a graduate scheme with most companies if I im-pressed. I carefully selected which companies I applied for and after a couple of interviews and an as-sessment day at Nestlé I was of-fered a 10 week sales internship.

Of course I was extremely appre-hensive before starting my role, I did not want to be making cups of coffee for the whole summer, however as I made my way to the head office I just kept in mind that I’m making good money and it’s only 10 weeks. After just a few days of inductions I was thrown straight in at the deep end. My task for the 10 weeks was to take ownership of a project that in-volved Nestlé’s biggest brand and most important retail account. This was incredibly daunting at first, however it was invaluable in providing me with key business skills and experiences. The pro-ject was of real importance to the business, aspects of it were im-plemented while I was there and investment has been made to build on the work I conducted. Throughout the internship I got the opportunity to attend various skills workshops and at the end of

the 10 weeks I had to present my project to members of the senior management team, which was fantastic exposure for me and a real opportunity to make a lasting impression on the right people.

After working in the business envi-ronment you suddenly realise how much you still have to learn and the Business Project module in my final year has allowed me to relate my academic studies to real business situations. When I left my role this summer I felt as if I had so much more to do and with this module I have the opportunity to not only take this further but take the project in my own direc-tion.

Fortunately at the end of my in-ternship I was offered a place on the Nestlé Graduate Scheme, so I went into my final year knowing I already have a job. I would en-courage anyone to apply for an internship, especially at Nestlé. With the economic climate the way it is and the increasing com-petition from other graduates, it is essential to get in early and stand out to potential employers.

Nicholas Robbins, Final Year BA Business & Man-agement Student

What is the

Business Project Module?

This is a level three Manage-

ment module (BEM3005) that is

based on a placement of four

weeks minimum with a company,

to help develop its organisation,

its management or its opera-

tions, or to specifically solve a

problem by means of writing a

business project report with

suitable recommendations. Ide-

ally this “Recommendations Re-

port” should be presented to

the employer (Guideline 2000

words + Appendices), this is

then to be included with an ex-

tended, analytical “Business

Project Report” for university

degree purposes. The latter to

be academically of dissertation

standard and must be com-

pleted by the following Easter

(Guideline 7500 -10000 words +

Appendices). The placement

must take place in the summer

vacation between the second

and final year. Longer and pre-

vious employment can also be

used as a basis. This module can

be taken in conjunction with a

Shell STEP programme, but not

if Independent Work Experi-

ence module is taken.

What did you do last summer…? Malcolm Farnan and the PricewaterhouseCoopers Summer Internship Scheme

I completed

an 8 week

internship

with

Pricewater-

houseCoopers

(PwC) in the

assurance

sector of

their Cambridge office dur-

ing summer 2008.

I wanted to make the most

of the summer between my

penultimate and final years

and the internship fitted

perfectly, leaving more

than enough time to still

enjoy the summer. It’s a

great way to get a job se-

cured early; I was one of

over 90% of PwC interns who

had a graduate job secured

before the start of their

final year. Even if I did-

n’t get the job offer it

would’ve made applying for

a post in my final year far

less daunting and given me

another thing to talk about

in my interviews.

It was a challenging ex-

perience; I got treated as

one of their graduates and

I was paid accordingly. For

the first week they sent

all interns to a really

good hotel and we got well

looked after. In return,

we had to put in 9-5 days

of class work which was to

prepare every intern for

what to expect and to bring

students from all disci-

plines to the same stan-

dard.

The other 7 weeks consisted

of travelling to large and

small clients all around

the south east as well as

spending time in the of-

fice. I worked in big and

small audit teams and by

the end of the 7 weeks I

was walking around the of-

fice feeling comfortable in

my own job, knew everyone’s

names and most importantly

was enjoying the work I was

doing.

The most pleasing part of

the internship was seeing

how all the work I’d done

at university was actually

helping me progress in a

career, for example, by at-

taining exemptions from

professional qualifications

and it started to put all

the hard work at Exeter

into context. If you want

to know what an audit is,

how it happens and whether

it’s what you want to do

when you leave university

the best way of finding out

is to go and try it. I

found that the employees

were intelligent and confi-

dent, which created a great

environment to work in.

The main challenges I faced

were punctuality and a

steep learning curve. Being

on time took a lot of ef-

fort, for example, when I

had to be at a client in

central London for nine in

the morning, I’d have to

book a taxi then book a

train and tube ticket then

on the day make it to each

of the three on time which

at rush hour wasn’t easy

especially when I wasn’t

familiar with the area. The

learning curve is something

you just get use to, the

company pushes everyone and

you end up enjoying facing

new challenges on a daily

basis.

The biggest surprise was

realising just how many

different ways I benefited

from the whole experience:

the relevant work experi-

ence, the job offer, the

enthusiasm I gained to-

wards related work, the

networking I achieved, the

confidence it gave me, the

assurance I got from know-

ing I was going to enjoy my

graduate job, the drive it

gave me to work even harder

towards the future job – in

short, the whole experience

was invaluable.

My advice is don’t miss out

on an opportunity to par-

ticipate in a summer place-

ment or internship scheme;

apply early, set aside time

to do a strong application

form. Go to the interviews

knowing why you want to

work for ‘that’ sector, in

‘that’ office, in ‘that’

firm and show enthusiasm

towards relevant stories in

the latest news and you

can’t go far wrong.

Malcolm Farnan,

Final Year BA Business &

Management Student

Issue 8

Issue 8

I applied to the Government Eco-

nomic Service (GES) for a sum-

mer student placement using the

application provided on the GES

website (www.ges.gov.uk). The

application asks not only for your

academic qualifications and your

choice of department but also

gives you the opportunity to ex-

press your non-academic

strengths (e.g. work experience,

building productive relationships

and why you are considering a

career in the GES). Your aca-

demic qualifications should clearly

demonstrate your ability to attain

a 2:1 degree with at least 50%

economic modules. This will get

you in the door. Your non-

academic strengths will then get

you the interview.

I was informed at the start of

March that I was successful and

that my interview would be the

following week for a position at

the Department for Work and

Pensions (DWP). My preparation

included revising my first year

Principles of Economics course

and the first semester 2nd year

macro and micro. I also read ex-

tensively the Economist and daily

newspapers to ensure that I was

fully aware of current affairs, and

researched the DWP and current

issues affecting the department.

I believe that my preparation

along with my enthusiasm for eco-

nomics, the ability to apply eco-

nomics to real world problems and

demonstrate my non-academic

strengths allowed me to make a

good impression on my interview-

ers leading to a job offer.

In June I started as an Economic

Analyst in the Forecasting Divi-

sion of the DWP in the Pension

Credit and Pensions Service

Forecasting Team. My main task

over the summer was the revision

of the Pension Credit backdating

forecast model which forms part

of the overall model used to fore-

cast expenditure on Pension

Credit. This seemed like a very

daunting task at first but I soon

realized that I wasn’t expected to

master such a complex model

within a few days. First I had to do

a lot of background reading to un-

derstand how the benefit structure

worked, before starting to look at

the model section by section. By

the end of my placement I had

completed a comprehensive revi-

sion of the model, participated in

policy costing negotiations, as well

as producing a forecast that was

included in the Chancellor’s Pre-

Budget report.

I enjoyed the fact that I was given

real responsibility from very early

in my placement and it gave me

the opportunity to decide that I

wanted a career as a government

economist and to be successfully

interviewed for a post as an Assis-

tant Economist.

My tip to prospective government

economists would be that you

should be able to apply your eco-

nomic knowledge and skills to real

world problems as well as being

able to demonstrate your non-

academic skills. I used my leader-

ship of a team that took part in the

IBM challenge to great effect.

Stephen le Roux

MSc Economics Student

£200 a week - free of tax and NI last

summer) in a field of your choice

and an opportunity to deliver a

genuine project in a real working

environment.

Each year the programme places

ambitious second and penultimate

year undergraduates with organisa-

tions to undertake projects that re-

quire your skills. The confidence

and experience acquired during a

placement will make you more em-

ployable and put you ahead of the

competition on graduation.

The University of Exeter manages

the Shell Step agency across Devon,

Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset and

were awarded the 2008 Shell Step

Agency of the Year recently. Other

agencies manage areas throughout

the UK but you are not able to regis-

ter with two agencies but can ask for

your application to be moved at any time

should you wish. Placements are com-

petitive and as your application will be

seen by potential host organisations,

care must be taken on completion of the

form.

For more information and to register

your interest, go to

www.shellstep.org.uk or contact:

[email protected]

Careers & Employment Service

University of Exeter

AND THERE’S MORE…. Check out the placements and in-ternships area of the Business School Employability site on web-ct for links to relevant placement and internship websites...

Are you looking for a

paid, challenging

summer work place-

ment that could make a real differ-

ence to your career prospects?

Would you like a taste of the real

world before you graduate?

Imagine how you would benefit from

an opportunity to experience a real

working environment and adapt your

academic knowledge to a practical

project.

Shell Step can provide this, a chance

to undertake a meaningful work

placement, acquire numerous indus-

try and business skills, boost your

confidence and earn some cash – all

in just 8 – 13 weeks over the summer.

Shell Step gives you a chance to se-

cure paid work (students were paid

What did you do last summer…? Stephen le Roux and the Government Economic Service Summer Placement Scheme

What could YOU do this summer…?

What did you do last year…? Dale Potter’s experiences of European study in

The

ERASMUS

pro-

gramme

first

entered

my con-

sciousness thanks to the

film ‘L’auberge Espag-

nole’ which I remember

watching even before com-

ing to university. This

enjoyable film follows

the experiences of a

French ERASMUS student,

Xavier, who spends time

studying in Barcelona

and, although I was un-

aware at the time, is a

pretty accurate summary

of all that occurs abroad

for most students. How-

ever, it was in my first

year at the University of

Exeter that I took the

plunge, and it’s fair to

say I have hardly looked

back since! My primary

motivation was to improve

my linguistic skills, al-

though after meeting ex-

change students already

in Exeter and reviewing

my new favourite film, I

was already aware that

studying abroad would

yield much more than just

a good level of French:

it was the chance to

really experience another

culture; to travel to

places I had only previ-

ously seen on maps; to

meet people I would never

have met otherwise; as

well as to gain all the

stuff that employers love

such as being able to

adapt, cultural awareness

and international experi-

ence.

I chose to go to Greno-

ble, a medium sized city

in South-Eastern France,

near Lyon on the western

extremity of the Alps.

The city contained three

universities totalling

over 50,000 students and

really quite different to

Exeter. In the town there

were impressive mountains

all around, typical French

architecture all around,

cool trams and a scent of

gorgeous cheese and wine in

every piazza. At the uni-

versity campus, things

seemed somewhat less glam-

orous at times. Wooden

benches replaced comfy

seats and there were few

lectures with powerpoint

presentations, which was

quite a shock! However,

once the first few weeks

had passed and you settle

into lectures, all this

seems irrelevant and the

real ERASMUS experiences

begin: you start travel-

ling; go hiking in the snow

covered mountains; and

there are lots of interna-

tionally flavoured parties.

In fact, the paradox of

most ERASMUS experiences is

that meeting natives of the

country in which you now

live can be difficult, at

first in any case. With

new places, come new ideas

too: in November the whole

of the university was

blockaded for four weeks by

irate French students un-

happy with proposed reforms

to higher education.

By Christmas, it became

clear that that my level of

French was really improving

fast – by this time, you

can understand almost eve-

rything and begin being

able to speak with reason-

able fluency too. The

rest of my time in France

seems to have passed at

lightning speed. In the

spring, I travelled to six

countries in a month, went

hiking regularly and vis-

ited friends across Europe

- the majority of which on

the grant from the EU and

the increased student loan.

By the time the year is

over, comes not wanting to

leave after having gener-

ally had the year of your

life. Back in Exeter and

with an uncompromising

forth-year workload, ERAS-

MUS seems like a world

away. I look at the incom-

ing exchange students with

envy. And I’m jealous of

the first and second year

students too! You have what

is a very unique opportu-

nity in life: to plant

yourself in a foreign coun-

try with decent financial

support, to meet the most

amazing people, to travel

and gain so many new ex-

periences. Even language

skills are not obligatory:

most leave Exeter after an

intermediate or advanced

level foreign language

course - some even go, and

succeed, after just a be-

ginners course; and even no

language skills can take

you to Scandinavia and

other universities in

Europe where courses are

taught in English. There’s

no real reason not to do

ERASMUS and every reason to

embark on what will be the

experience of a lifetime!

Go for it!

Dale Potter

Final Year BA Business

Economics with European

Study

University of Exeter

Business School Students

in Grenoble 2007-2008

Issue 8

Issue 8

Having been brought up in Paris, speaking French and English, it was an obvious choice for me to choose Spain as the location for my ERASMUS Year. To add a third language on top of a de-gree in Accounting & Finance from the University of Exeter would put extra weight on my C.V. when facing the job market. The choice between Barcelona and Valencia was not easy, but the reputation of Barcelona won out!

In order to get the best out of the year, I knew that it was im-portant to have a reasonable level of Spanish. I had studied Spanish for my bacalaureat in Paris, but the language lessons run by Exeter in years 1 & 2 were a necessary help. As a re-sult, I was reasonably fluent in the language before leaving for Barcelona.

Concerning other preparatory work before leaving, the check-list provided by the ERASMUS Department at Exeter was use-ful. I still made the mistake of not organising my accommoda-tion until I got to Barcelona to start my course. A trip in ad-vance to fix up accommodation would have avoided a great deal of stress on arrival!

My initial intention was to spend the full year at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. I did spend the first three months there; the courses were interesting and the social life excellent! How-ever, I felt that perhaps I could get more out my ERASMUS year if I could obtain a full-time internship in an accounting firm as not only would this fine-tune

my business Spanish, but it would also provide a long (six months) internship in the work-ing environment of an accounting firm.

I discussed the idea with Mrs Anne Mayes, my ERASMUS co-ordinator back in Exeter. She approved the concept on the condition that the internship must be fully relevant to my uni-versity degree. It was my re-sponsibility to find an internship and I managed to secure an in-terview with Grant Thornton, one of the top international ac-counting firms in the world. I knew that a six-month intern-ship in their Barcelona office would be ideal.

If you are thinking about looking for a similar internship during your ERASMUS year abroad, a couple of points that are worth highlighting from my interview experience are:

- My interview was held in Span-ish, although the partner spoke fluent English. This was logical; I would not have been able to perform in the role if I could not communicate well.

- Research the firm before the interview and be ready to dis-cuss what you can “bring to the party” if you are offered a place.

Following the interview, I was

offered a six month internship.

Dressed in suit and tie, the “new boy” checked in for work on 10th January 2008. I was immediately incorporated into the audit de-partment and throughout my time there I was treated as any other junior beginning his/her career in an accounting firm. Most of my time was spent out of the office at clients’ offices where I was taught basic auditing procedures by the other members of my team. In total, I audited eleven different companies ranging from a pharmaceutical company to a publishing house.

The work was extremely interest-ing and informative and was a mar-vellous introduction to life in an accounting firm. I cannot thank the partners and staff of Grant Thornton, Barcelona, enough for having given me this first taste of professional life and the friendly way in which they looked after me.

I would encourage any other ERASMUS student to spend part of his/her year abroad on a work placement or an internship. How-ever, s/he must be prepared for hard work and be open-minded. An internship is a two-way agreement the intern must perform and, as I said above, “bring something to the party”. I understood this and, as a result, I came away with flu-ent business Spanish and some excellent professional experience, which I gained in one of the most exciting cities in the world!

Alex Mullaly Final Year BA Accounting & Finance Student

What did you do last year…? Alex Mullaly combines university and an internship with Grant Thornton in Barcelona

What could YOU do in your third year…? Calling all FIRST YEAR students...

It’s never too early to start thinking ahead. If you are a first year undergraduate student and would like to explore the idea

of studying or working abroad for year during your degree contact Mike Robertson, in the Business School Student Ser-

vices Team, via [email protected] or call in to the Business School Undergraduate Student Services Centre to

speak to him in person...NOW!!

A Reminder of Business School Employability

Office Hours and Electronic Information

If you have any careers and em-

ployment queries or you are just

starting to think about applying for

work experience, internships or

graduate jobs and want some

support then please come and

see me, Rachel Torr, during my

office hours for some initial point-

ers to get you started. Generally

these will be:

Monday 1200-1300

Tuesday 1100-1200

Wednesday 1300-1400

Thursday 1200-1300

My office is Room 2, Streatham

Court

However, please check my door

as the hours may change occa-

sionally when I have other com-

mitments.

If you are unable to make my

office hours you can email me

for an appointment at a time that

is more convenient for you.

Don’t forget— you can find em-

ployability related information

and links to useful websites on

the Business School Employabil-

ity site on web-ct:

http://exeter.blackboard.com

In addition, you should familiar-

ise yourself with the University of

Exeter central Careers & Em-

ployment Service’s website:

www.exeter.ac.uk/employability

Also, please make use

of the Business School Careers Clin-

ics which are held fortnightly in

Streatham Court by Mary McCarthy.

Details of these are available on

page 4 of this newsletter and on the

full Business School Employability

Spring Events Programme on the

Business School Employability site

on web-ct. If you want a 20 minute

1-2-1 appointment with Mary during

one of the clinics you must sign up in

advance at the Undergraduate Stu-

dent Services Reception in Streat-

ham Court.

Alternatively, you can book an ap-

pointment to see a Careers Advisor

in Reed Mews at any time by calling:

01392 264420.

Business School Undergraduate Study Skills:

Repeat Sessions ‘skills for learning are also skills for earning’

If you missed the Business

School undergraduate study

skills sessions that took place in

autumn 2008 there’s no need to

panic as they will be repeated in

February and March 2009.

These sessions will not only help

you to improve skills that you

need to be successful in your

degree programme but will also

cover skills that are vital in em-

ployment. They are open to all

undergraduate students in the

Business School but are aimed

specifically at first year stu-

dents. The sessions focus on:

Essay Writing Skills (coursework essays) Monday 9th February 1000-1130 Repeated at 1400-1530 Essay Writing Skills (exam essays) Monday 16th February 1000-1130 Repeated at 1400-1530 Presentation Skills Monday 23rd February 1000-1130 Repeated at 1400-1530 IT Skills: Using Excel Monday 2nd March 1000-1200 Repeated at 1400-1600

Full details, including

information about how to sign

up, can be found in the study

skills area of the Business

School Undergraduate News and

Information site on web-ct: http://exeter.blackboard.com

Information about the services

that are provided for all stu-

dents in the University by the

central study skills team can be

found on the University of Exe-

ter Education Enhancement Unit

website:

http://as.exeter.ac.uk/eeu/stud

entskills/

Issue 8

Backstage ‘09

If Events Management interests you this is a must!

Ever wondered what it is like:

• to be one of the “Crew” of a major event

• to organise a 100,000 person event

• to build massive temporary structures

• to design the marketing for nightclubs and dance music events

• to be responsible for sound for a complete world tour

• to be the person who lights the stages at major festivals

• to be a local promoter producing events every month

• to be an Events Project Manager who needs to control all of the above

• to control an entire VIP Village at world class sporting events

For One Night Only on February 18th in the Xfi Atrium at 18:00 you have the opportunity to meet, talk, and net-work with the people behind the scenes of some of Europe’s most renowned events. Backstage ‘09 will include, interactive projections, lighting, music and refreshments.

To reserve a place you must register in advance on the University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service Website:

www.exeter.ac.uk/employability (click on ‘forthcoming careers events’ on the right hand side of the webpage)

NB: This event has been organised by the Business School but is being advertised and is open to all Univer-

sity of Exeter students—spaces are limited so remember to sign up quickly to avoid disappointment

The Guests

1. Ralf Bergmann (MD TOC Madrid and ex world tour laser show designers / technicians– one of Europe’s most renowned lighting, laser, interactive environment and water screen designers, including Expo 2008 Zaragoza)

2. Paul Clayden (Freelance Professional Event Photographer, ex-project manager for MotivAction)

3. Jon Curtis (Technical Manager Phoenix Arts and Media Centre, Freelance Lighting technician for major UK Festivals including Big Chill, Sunrise)

4. Paul Giblin (Exeter Respect Summer Festival and Phonic FM Committee Member as well as being one of Exe-ter’s most active independent promoter working under the name of FSOE)

5. Chris Hall (Marketing and Sponsorship Specialist for Dance Music Events and Nightclubs including Gods Kitchen, Gatecrasher, Manumission, Kiss FM, No1 Leicester Square)

6. William Aldiss (M.D. of Clubshots and Lab247 which specialising in printing, media, pr for events and night-clubs across Europe)

7. John Hiley-Payne (Diverse Project Financial Acquirer, including Unite the student accommodation company)

8. Chris Iddon (Temporary Structure Project Manager Specialist working with companies including De Boer Inter-national and GL Events executing events including: ICC World Cup, Chelsea Flower Show, QE2 Terminal Dubai, Equestrian Olympics 08)

9. Peter Miles (CEO Sub.tv the exclusive UK University Media Network , ex World Tour Crew including Tina Turner, Supertramp, Pink Floyd and ex MD of The Spot Company Britain’s foremost moving head/mirror lighting company)

10. Jenny Shepherd (Project Manager MotivAction, clients include Barclays, Audi, KPMG, Apple, Del Monte, Unilever, JCB)

11. Rick Wolkers (Freelance Sound & Recording Engineer, clients include: Muse, Annie Lennox, Levellers, Twang, G-Cap Media)

Issue 8

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