Sharpen Your Career Management Skills...

Business School Employability Week

24th-26th June 2009 (see page 4)

Summer’s (almost) here...

I hope that you had a very good holiday and are ready to tackle the last few

weeks of teaching and the summer exams. I also hope that you will manage

to find some time to browse through this issue of the University of Exeter

Business School Employability Newsletter as it is packed with information

that will help you reflect on how you can enhance your employability.

This issue marks the introduction of two new sections in the newsletter. In

the first, ‘Let’s Talk’ (p2), Mary McCarthy provides some useful advice for

any final year undergraduates or masters students who are still considering

the options that might be open to them after they graduate. The second,

‘Getting In & Getting On’ (p11-12), contains the first of, what I hope will be,

many contributions from Business School alumni that provide some reflec-

tions on their experiences since completing their degrees. In this issue, one

of our alumni who graduated in 2007 provides some insights into her experi-

ences of getting into and getting on in PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

In addition, you will find a brief overview of this term’s School Employability

events (p4) plus articles by four current students who are ‘Seeking To Stand

Out From The Crowd’ by engaging in the International Student Buddy

Scheme (Melissa Dunn, Thi (Van) Duong, Emma Sim) and participating in

the Business School Student-Staff Liaison Committee (p6-10). Add to this

the reports that have been written by Business School staff on the IBM Uni-

versities Business Challenge Final (Jill Williams, p3) and the Be the Change

leadership programme (Jackie Bagnall, p5) plus the information provided on

Graduate Business Partnerships (p10) and the ICAEW qualifications (p12)

and you end up with an issue that is not to be missed!

As usual, I would like to say a very BIG ‘thank you’ to everyone who has

written an article for this issue of the newsletter.

Dr Rachel Torr

School Employability Officer, The University of Exeter Business School

Issue 9

Summer 2009

‘Let’s Talk’ with Mary McCarthy - Economic Crisis: Fight or Flight?’

2

IBM Universities Busi-ness Challenge: Report

3

What’s On this term? 4

‘Be the Change’: Re-port

5

Seeing to stand out from the crowd...

6

Graduate Business Partnership Place-ments

10

‘Getting In & Getting On’: Insights into Alumni Careers

11

Rachel Torr’s Office Hours

5

Inside this issue:

University of Exeter Business School

Employability |Newsletter—Summer 2009|

University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service:

Summer Graduate Recruitment Fair

Date: Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Time: 11:00 AM until 2:30 PM

Location: Great Hall and Lower Examination Hall

Still looking for a job after graduation?

Interested in further training or summer opportunities?

Want to get ahead of the game?

Then this is the fair for you!

The fair is open to ALL students, regardless of year and discipline.

Graduates from Exeter and other institutions are also welcome to attend.

For more information about this fair and many other events organized by the

University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service please go to: www.exeter.ac.uk/employability

….with Mary, McCarthy, Careers Advisor

Economic crisis: fight or flight?

For Masters students and for final year undergraduates, this is going to be a For Masters students and for final year undergraduates, this is going to be a For Masters students and for final year undergraduates, this is going to be a For Masters students and for final year undergraduates, this is going to be a tough year in which to graduate. So, what can you do if your career ambitions are not working out quite as tough year in which to graduate. So, what can you do if your career ambitions are not working out quite as tough year in which to graduate. So, what can you do if your career ambitions are not working out quite as tough year in which to graduate. So, what can you do if your career ambitions are not working out quite as

planned?planned?planned?planned?

‘Fight’:‘Fight’:‘Fight’:‘Fight’:

Recent reports – from the CBI and the Financial Times – emphasise the need for relevant work experience to secure graduate level work in this difficult time. It provides a key selling point on CV and ap-plication forms, demonstrates motivation and commitment to the career area and shows you can act professionally in that business environment. It will also help you to “ride the storm” until

the economic upturn

To gain experience, you need to think laterally. Who do I know who might be able to help me? Use your networks of family, friends and the University Alumni association (Exepert). See: http://

www.exeter.ac.uk/employability/students/jobhunting.shtml

Don’t just target large companies or organisations. In this situation, small may well be beautiful. Use the University library and public libraries to get details of small and medium sized organisations to

contact

Be aware of any graduate placement schemes available to you. The scheme here at Exeter is called: Graduate Business Partnership and gives you three months of well paid, project work experi-ence. Many other universities will be offering similar schemes. Check out universities near your home or the city/town you are moving to following graduation. These placements are competi-

tive and so make sure your CV and application form technique are as good as they can be

Know what you want. At least sound convincing! Do your research into the role and the organisation. With-

out focus, applications stand little chance in the current climate

Find a recruitment agency. Look at www.rec.uk.com/jobseeker They might do some of the job searching for

you and can offer careers advice for their geographical region and areas of specialism

Seek help and advice from the Careers and Employment team at any time. We are here to help you

through this year and for up to three years after you graduate

‘Flight’‘Flight’‘Flight’‘Flight’:

Many final year undergraduates think about further study and, each year, more University of Exeter gradu-ates go forward to further study than the national average. You might be passionate about your subject and/or wish to develop skills in a new area – both excellent reasons to consider a post-graduate Certificate, Diploma or Masters. However, it would be a mistake to think that further study automatically makes you more employable. If you have any doubts, talk to family, friends,

colleagues and careers staff

This might be an ideal time to take time out to travel, undertake voluntary work at home or overseas, teach English abroad and develop cultural and language skills. There are so many choices that some planning is essential. Can I afford it? What do I hope to achieve by the end of this time out? How will I convince recruiters that I am well organised and a goal-setter following this experi-

ence?

For a great many people graduating this year, the recession makes little difference to the fact that they have not yet worked out what they want to do with their lives and need more time to think about it. Experiencing lots of different types of work situations can, for some, be the only way to find out what they want to do. It might be that you are one of these people. Don’t panic!! You are not alone. If you want to talk about your ideas, the Careers and Employment team are here to help. Sometimes, just saying things out loud can make them seem more real – like the recent

conversation I had with someone thinking about starting her own business

I hope this note might generate some discussion and questions, which I shall try to

address in the next Newsletter.

Bye for now,

Mary

Mary McCarthy,

Careers Advisor, University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service

Issue 9 Page 2

tion twice in its 11 year history. Nevertheless, we are ex-tremely proud of the success of both teams from Exeter. Reaching the final alone was a fantastic achievement and they both competed extremely well in what was probably the closest final that the competition has seen. They were out-standing ambassadors for both the Business School and the University. From their perspective the students from both teams felt that the competition had given them a great opportunity to de-velop personal skills, to enhance their employability, to meet new people and to have some fun along the way.

Report by: Jill Williams, Executive Officer, The University of Exeter Business School The 2008-2009 IBM UBC finalists from Exeter were:

Andrew Dixon

Sally Edwards

Rachel Back

Cheree' O'Melia

Vin Chan

Shan Shan Lee

Melanie Clegg

Jordan Toy

Daniel Vanderputt

Craig Strachan

IBM Universities Business Challenge 2009-2010 ...Do you think YOU are up to it...? CALLING ALL CURRENT FIRST AND PENULTI-

MATE YEAR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS…

If you are currently in the first or pe-

nultimate year of your undergraduate de-

gree and would like to participate in

next year’s IBM UBC make sure that you

respond promptly to the call for par-

ticipants that will sent out via email

at the beginning of the summer term

2009. If you have any queries or think

that you might have missed the emails

contact r.torr@exeter.ac.uk to find out

more.

Report on the IBM Universities Business Challenge

Final 6th March, 2009

Issue 9

After 5 months of competition, and having seen off over 240 other teams from more than 70 Universities, the final 10 teams competing for the title of IBM Uni-versity Business Challenge Champions 2008/09 came together at IBM's offices in Bedfont Lakes, Middlesex on a cold morning on 6th March.

It had been a record year for the competition with 1,200 students starting the competition in October. An online first round held over 6 weeks resulted in the top 80 teams being invited to attend 10 live semi finals at sponsor sites around the country. From Citi Group and RBS, to BAE and the Royal Navy teams enjoyed the opportunity to test themselves against their peers, to network with employ-ers and to learn more about the graduate opportunities available to them. But only the winner from each semi final would make it to the final, and so it was that after some tightly fought contests the 6 teams of semi finalists from Exeter became 2 - winners of the Royal Navy semi final in Portsmouth (amid the snow) and the RBS semi final in London.

The day at Bedfont Lakes kicked off for the finalists with an inspiring talk from IBM's new UK & Ireland Chief Ex-ecutive, Brendon Riley, who was able to share with the students his journey from his home town in the South West of Western Australia and his time as a student at the Western Australian Institute of Technology to where he is today. He also congratulated the students on their great achievement in reaching the grand final and wished them the best of luck for the day.

The final comprised of teams from Exeter, Imperial Col-lege, Lancaster, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Abertay and Anglia Ruskin University. The teams were set the chal-lenge of running a fledgling sports clothing business with the aim of both increasing profits and the share value of the company. The winning team would be the one whose total share value plus cumulative profit was greatest at the end of the day. The challenge was set over 4 trading periods and with each trading period the students had to make a number of strategic decisions for their company. The two teams from Exeter clearly set out with different strategies and as the day progressed it was evident that the margins between success and failure were going to be very small. But it was the Exeter team captained by Cheree O'Melia that was rising up the leaderboard and with one trading period to go they had the 2nd highest cumulative profit. This led to an exciting final period with nerves and tension being felt by all the teams.

Sadly, a disappointing final trading period for Cheree's team and a surge that was just too late from Craig Strachan's team meant that neither of the Exeter teams made the top 3 this year . Imperial College took the title, making them the first University to have won the competi-

Page 3

Business School Employability Week 24th – 26

th June 2009: FOR ALL BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS

A three-day programme of activities to enhance your career management skills

Wednesday 24th June

Thursday 25th June

Friday 26th June

For more information, including how to register for events, see the Business School Employability

site on web-ct and weekly ‘What’s On’ emails. If you have any queries email: r.torr@exeter.ac.uk

TIME SESSION ALTERNATIVE SESSION

10:00-11:00 What job would suit me?

11:00-11:30 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

11:30-12:30 Job Hunting Strategies

12:30-13:30 Lunch Break

13:30-14:30 Effective Networking

14:30-15:00 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

15:00-16:00 Graduate Business Partnerships & Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

International Students – Working in the UK after your studies: visa information

TIME SESSION ALTERNATIVE SESSION

10:00-11:00 CV Design & Covering Letters

11:00-11:30 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

11:30-12:30 Application Forms

12:30-13:30 Lunch Break

13:30-14:30 Psychometric Tests ‘Dress To Impress’ - an afternoon with Pat Ayerst, Image Consultant

14:30-15:00 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

15:00-16:00 Assessment Centres

TIME SESSION ALTERNATIVE SESSION

10:00-11:00 Mock Interviews with Employers Interview Skills

11:00-11:30

11:30-12:30

12:30-13:30 Lunch Break

13:30-14:30 Mock Interviews with Employers

14:30-15:00

15:00-16:00

Issue 9

Business School Employability

EVENTS

Wednesday 6th May

ICAEW Business Game

1300-1500

Thursday 14th May

School Careers Clinic

1400-1630

Tuesday 19th May

School Careers Clinic

1000-1230

For more information, including

how to register for events, see

the Business School Employability

site on web-ct and weekly ‘What’s

On’ emails. If you have any que-

ries email: r.torr@exeter.ac.uk

Business School Employability —What’s on this term?

Page 4

Issue 9 Page 5

Over thirty first year students came along to the Lemmy at the end of the Over thirty first year students came along to the Lemmy at the end of the Over thirty first year students came along to the Lemmy at the end of the Over thirty first year students came along to the Lemmy at the end of the spring term to find out more about a new programme starting in the Busi-spring term to find out more about a new programme starting in the Busi-spring term to find out more about a new programme starting in the Busi-spring term to find out more about a new programme starting in the Busi-ness School.ness School.ness School.ness School.

Focussed on doing good in the world, the Be the ChangeBe the ChangeBe the ChangeBe the Change programme sup-ports students to discover the things that really matter to them. To explore what it is they want to stand for and how they can make a positive differ-ence in the world.

Working on the belief that none of us can change the world alone and that we must all do our little bit, this programme is about creating change

agents who can lead others and launch projects and initiatives which get things moving.

Looking at a range of global concerns like social justice, well being, improved health, access to edu-cation, dance and arts therapy, ecology and sustainability to name just a few – there are a wealth of ideas and projects that our students told us they want to explore.

Be the ChangeBe the ChangeBe the ChangeBe the Change offers students an opportunity to identify what it is that they feel passionate about, what values are important to them and to identify who they are and what they want to be. Once on this journey of self-discovery they are then supported to go out and make it happen, working on the principle that they will be the change that they want to see in the world.

The project has access to the experts; coaches, trainers, charities and social enterprises who can guide and support students to get things started. The project also provides support in terms of ven-ues, trips to interesting projects, funds to bring in guest speakers – the list is endless and the pro-ject will only be as good as the ideas and energy put in to it.

If you are interested in knowing more contact Jackie.Bagnall@ex.ac.uk

Report by: Jackie Bagnall, Teaching Fellow in Leadership and ‘Be the Change’ Project Manager

Business School launches a programme with a difference Business School launches a programme with a difference Business School launches a programme with a difference Business School launches a programme with a difference ---- Be the Change Be the Change Be the Change Be the Change

A Reminder of Business School Employability

Office Hours and Electronic Information

If you have any careers and employ-

ment queries or are 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 ini-

tial pointers to get you started. Gen-

erally 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 occasionally

when I have other commitments.

If you are unable to make my office

hours you can email me for an ap-

pointment 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 Busi-

ness School Employability site on

web-ct:

http://exeter.blackboard.com

In addition, you should familiarise

yourself with the University of Exe-

ter central Careers & Employment

Service’s website:

www.exeter.ac.uk/employability

Also, please make use of

the Business School Careers Clinics

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 Summer Events

Programme on the Business School Em-

ployability 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 Streatham

Court.

Alternatively, you can book an appoint-

ment to see a Careers Advisor at any

time in Reed Mews by calling: 01392

264420.

University of Exeter Careers & Employment Service Events:

For information about careers and employability events that are organized by the University of Exeter

Careers & Employment Service and open to all University of Exeter students please go to:

www.exeter.ac.uk/employability

What is the International Student Buddy Scheme…? ‘Budding Friendships’ by Melissa Dunn

Exeter University students are

always being encouraged to ‘get

involved’ and there are plenty of

activities on offer to suit every-

one’s tastes with societies rang-

ing from pole dancing to poetry,

numerous sports clubs, musical

ensembles and theatre groups.

Another opportunity to enhance

your Exeter Experience is

through the International Stu-

dent Buddy Scheme. This

scheme, was established in the

Business School to provide the International students with a structured but informal way of actively meeting UK students. As well as looking great on your

CV and giving you those crucial

employability bonus points, the

scheme is also extremely worth-

while and rewarding.

As the name suggests, UK stu-

dents are paired up with an In-

ternational student to become

their ‘buddy’ for the year. This

involves meeting up regularly for

a general chat – for example

having coffee together, sup-

porting the International stu-

dent if they experience any

problems and most importantly

forming a new friendship. This

is a completely free service for

the International students and

the UK students were paid

£7.50 per hour for volunteering

their time during the 2008-

2009 academic year.

Melissa with her buddy, Heidi

Juliette Stephenson, who is a

key coordinator of the scheme

and a Senior Teaching Fellow in

the Business School said, ‘I think the Buddy Scheme is very important as it is an op-portunity for the International students to step outside the 'safety' of their own lan-guage/nationality group and to practice their English in a real

life situation - as well as en-gaging more with UK student culture. There have been some great successes.’

I have thoroughly enjoyed being

a Buddy and I believe that the

scheme is a two-way learning

curve, which enables UK stu-

dents to benefit from the in-

creasing Internationalisation of

the Business School in a proac-

tive way. In addition to this the

Scheme promotes greater un-

derstanding of other cultures,

tolerance, compassion and con-

sideration. I would definitely

recommend the scheme and

urge those who are not already

Buddies to ‘get involved!'

Melissa Dunn BA Economics, Year 1

How can YOU get involved?

The International Student Buddy Scheme is organised in the Busi-ness School by Elizabeth Jones and Juliette Stephenson. If you would like to find out more about how you could get involved please email Elizabeth Jones: E.H.Jones@exeter.ac.uk

Issue 9

The next few pages of the newsletter contain student written articles that highlight how current 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 enhance their

employability…

In this issue, the spotlight is on extra curricula employability enhancing activities that you can get involved in

through the University of Exeter Business School—the International Student Buddy Scheme, with three student reflections on this extra-curricula activity, plus the Student Representative system...so read on folks and be in-

spired…!

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: r.torr@exeter.ac.uk. 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...

Page 6

Thi (Van) Duong and the International Student Buddy Scheme—reflections from an international student’s perspective

Issue 9

I transferred

from another

University this

academic year

to become a

second year

Business student at the Univer-

sity of Exeter Business School.

Therefore, everything in Exeter,

especially the University was all

new and strange to me when I

joined last September. Moreover,

as an international student it was

more difficult to adapt to the life-

style as well as the studies here. It

seems as if many other interna-

tional students find themselves in

the same situation as I did, which

is why the Business School has

set up the International Student

Buddy Scheme to help us.

After the first few days of term, I

received an email from the Busi-

ness School that offered every

international student the opportu-

nity to team up with a British

‘buddy’, to help us if we have any

problems, not only in study but

also in many other areas of life in

the UK. I was interested in the

International Student Buddy

Scheme because I thought I was

not confident enough to make

friends by myself, especially with

the home students. I felt that my

English was not good enough for

them to understand me and as a

result they would find me boring

to talk to. In addition, because

they already knew each other,

having made friends during the

first year, I thought that it would

difficult for me to join their friend-

ship groups. This is why I decided

to sign up for the Buddy Scheme.

Furthermore, I thought that the

Business School was quite sensi-

tive when they promoted this

Scheme, because they under-

stood that not only first year but

also second and third year direct

entry students all need help from

the home students.

After signing up for the Scheme, I

received an email from my buddy,

Laurra, to arrange our first meet-

ing. We met in the city centre,

walked around and talked in order

to begin get to know each other.

Laurra took me to have an Eng-

lish style snack - a scone, jam and

butter. We talked quite freely even

though it was only our first meet-

ing. I really enjoyed that day. After

the successful first meeting, we

arranged some more days to

hang out together. For example, I

went to her house and she came

to mine to have dinner and she

invited me to play badminton with

her friends.

My involvement in the Buddy

Scheme has helped me to become

more confident and I have more

friends now. I feel confident when

communicating with the other peo-

ple here from so many different

countries. In addition, this Scheme

has helped me to realise that if I

put effort into something, it will be-

come easier and I will be success-

ful. For example, I know that if I try

to ask other students something,

or talk to them now, they are will-

ing to listen to and answer me.

As a Business student I am aware

that communication is one of the

most important skills that I need to

enhance. Therefore, the Buddy

Scheme gives me a chance to

speak and practice how to commu-

nicate in English with other people.

This Scheme has turned me from

an unconfident person into a confi-

dent one.

The last thing I want to say to any

international students who are

reading this is please get involved

in this Scheme. Everyone in the

Scheme is willing to help us and

the more effort you put in, the hap-

pier you’ll be with your life.

Thi (Van) Duong

BA Business Studies, year 2

Page 7

Emma Sim’s experiences of the International Student Buddy Scheme...

Issue 9

Being a first year Business

student is one of those amaz-

ingly emotionally exhausting

times. I personally remember

feeling excited, overwhelmed and

certainly a strong desire to suc-

ceed, I wanted to take every op-

portunity that arose and grab it

with both hands. During this pe-

riod the chance to become an

International Student Buddy

arose. I remember thinking at the

time how little experience I had

working with international people

(being brought up in a sleepy vil-

lage in Devon) and decided that

the opportunity was a brilliant

way for me to gain important

skills in communicating with peo-

ple from different nationalities as

well as hopefully provide some

support for my buddy.

After taking a closer look at what

is expected of a ‘buddy’ I decided

it was the perfect opportunity.

The Business School will pair you

up with an international student

also from the Business School; if

possible, of the same age and

gender. Then the rest is up to

you! You are expected to meet

once a week, for an hour at a

time but this is decided between

the UK buddy and international

student. I really liked the idea of

the flexibility which the scheme

offered. I was able to arrange the

meetings around my lectures and

to times that suited both of us,

the money that the UK buddies

receive for participating in the

Scheme is also a great bonus!

I was paired with Hong, a direct

second year entry student, studying

Accounting and Finance. Our first

contact was via email, where we

shared general details about family,

Exeter and China. For our first

meeting we met at halls of resi-

dence. I can honestly say I was

surprisingly apprehensive, I was

worried what Hong would expect of

me and what would happen if we

didn’t gel. However the hour was

over before either of us even real-

ised and we ended up chatting for

about two hours, before lecture

duties called!

Since then we have had six further

meetings with one another. We

have met in various places across

campus that suited us both. I help

Hong with her pronunciation

mainly, but she often brings along

queries that have caused problems

for her during the week (the only

problem is sometimes I have no

idea either!!!!). We discuss both

academic and non academic topics,

for example over the Christmas

period we discussed Christmas tra-

ditions and even shared small gifts.

I would thoroughly recommend this

scheme to any business student. It

is a really flexible, easy way to en-

hance your CV and have fun doing

it! Not only that but it allowed me

to build up my confidence dealing

with people from different nationali-

ties and develop my personal com-

munication skills, which ultimately I

hope will enhance my employability

prospects.

Emma with her buddy, Hong

Anyone who is considering becom-

ing a buddy should firstly GO FOR

IT! Why wouldn’t you? Secondly

they should remember that every

single person is different whether

they come from England, Japan, or

Spain. Traditions and ways of life

are different and you should be pa-

tient and understanding of this. But

seriously, go for it and have lots of

fun, it is such an easy way to en-

hance your employability and who

knows how much you will get out of

it.

Emma Sim

BA Business & Management, Year 1

Page 8

What could YOU STILL do this summer…?

In your second OR final year? Want to get a head start in the job market? Then take the first STEP!

You will be selected on the basis of your individual skills and interests and these will be matched to a

unique project with a local company. You will be given the opportunity to make an immediate and direct

contribution from day one, whilst applying and developing your own skills.

• Shell Step placements are for 8 - 13 weeks over the summer vacations.

• Undertake a specific project which will have real benefit and importance for your host company.

• Students will be paid £210 per week, exempt from tax and national insurance. You can also network

with other proactive, like-minded students.

To register on line please go to www.shellstep.org.uk or contact studentprojects@exeter.ac.uk

On Being a Student Rep & Chair of the Business School Undergraduate Student-Staff Liaison Committee by Sam Vaughan

Issue 9

My involve-My involve-My involve-My involve-

ment in the ment in the ment in the ment in the

student rep-student rep-student rep-student rep-

resentative resentative resentative resentative

system system system system

started quite started quite started quite started quite

by chance through a generic email by chance through a generic email by chance through a generic email by chance through a generic email

asking for student members for the asking for student members for the asking for student members for the asking for student members for the

Learning and Teaching Committee, Learning and Teaching Committee, Learning and Teaching Committee, Learning and Teaching Committee,

and I went into that first meeting and I went into that first meeting and I went into that first meeting and I went into that first meeting

quite oblivious to what student quite oblivious to what student quite oblivious to what student quite oblivious to what student

course reps were and what their course reps were and what their course reps were and what their course reps were and what their

jobs involved! jobs involved! jobs involved! jobs involved! However that first

meeting must have stimulated my

interest in student participation in

some way as I have now been in-

volved for two years and am now

Subject Chair of the Business

School Student-Staff Liaison Com-

mittee (SSLC). One of the reasons

for my continued involvement is the

great insight into the School that

meetings such as the SSLC provide

where issues ranging from individ-

ual module level through to the im-

pact of the change of the term

structure and the potential issues

associated with it are discussed.

Many of you at this point may be

thinking, what are course reps,

what is the Learning and Teaching

Committee and what an earth is a

subject chair? Well, I will start off

with the easiest of the lot which are

the course representatives, who are

elected every year to represent you

and your courses and provide you

with a voice in the SSLC which is

the student committee which con-

venes twice a term to discuss any

issues coming from the students

that could be a generic point on the

whole department such as exam

results or specific to a module or

indeed an individual. I think my

greatest surprise from the SSLC is

that the large staff presence on it

means that many of the matters

raised are dealt with there and then

and thus it acts as a superb bridge

in communication between the stu-

dents and the staff. There is no

denying that the best thing about

being a course rep is that it looks

great on the CV as it fits right into

all employers competencies in com-

munication as well as many others,

however there are other benefits

including helping you to influence

the department and gain responsi-

bility whilst giving up a minimal

amount of your time.

The subject chair of the committee,

in essence, is the main student rep-

resentative of the Business School

and there is one for every School in

the University. The subject chairs

are all elected by their peers mid

way through the summer term and,

although many do not realise this,

to run you do not have to be going

into your final year. A large part of

the subject chair’s role is based

around the various meetings that

you attend but the most important

part of the role is to act as a contact

point for you, the students, if you

have any problems and to act as

your voice. Again I got involved in

the subject chair elections quite off

the cuff through an email, and

wrote a quick manifesto and tried

to get as many of my mates to vote

for me as I could!

The main differences I found in

moving from a course rep to subject

chair are a) your role within the

SSLC and b) the time issue. The

time commitment increases quite a

lot as being a course rep the main

time constraint is attending the

SSLC meetings, which only occur

twice a term, and dealing with any

issues within your course; however,

as a subject chair, you attend more

meetings, deal with all students’

issues and have to prepare for

chairing the SSLC and the agenda.

In the SSLC meeting itself I have

learnt, more through experience

than anything else, that my role is

more to direct the meeting and

gather the course rep’s views rather

than provide my own opinion. Sub-

jectively I have found that the most

enjoyable part of being a subject

chair has been the various other

meetings that you go to such as the

Learning and Teaching Committee

(which involves the Heads of De-

partment within the Business

School and the committee which

the SSLC feeds into) and the Aca-

demic Affairs meetings (involving all

SSLC subject chairs), which give you

exposure to all parts of the Univer-

sity and all projects.

One of the best bits that I have

found in being the SSLC subject

chair this year is that, as the Busi-

ness School is entering an exciting

time (increase in numbers etc), it

has meant great variation in my job

and every week I have something

different from a meeting about con-

tact hours to picking personal re-

sponse systems. Along with many

of the course reps I have under-

taken a research project looking at

the technology that is being imple-

mented within the Business School,

looking specifically at the video-

recordings of lectures which are

happening in many of the first year

modules through questionnaires

and interviews with the lecturers.

This is part of a larger project that is

looking at the implementation of

various technologies within the

school to try and enhance the learn-

ing experience from making lectures

more interactive with personal re-

sponse systems (ask the audience!)

to the use of sms texting.

There is no shying away from the

fact that the role is not all positive

as it does take up a bit of your free

time and does put you out of your

comfort zone from time to time such

as talking to 100 freshers in Fresh-

ers Week whilst your friends are re-

covering from the previous night!

However I would definitely say that it

has not taken as much time as I had

thought it would because much of

the role is based around attending

meetings and giving views more

than anything else. One of the main

reasons that it has not taken up as

much time as I thought it would is

due to the great work of Sam Yard

and Kristiina Woollard in the Under-

graduate Student Services Team

who have helped with the agenda

and any queries that I have had and

have booked meeting rooms.

There is no doubt that if you ask any

subject chair they will say that they

get a lot out of the role. The two

main skills that I have improved

Page 9

Continued from page 10

most are communication and or-

ganisation. Both of these skills are

important for and further developed

through chairing the SSLC as, organi-

sationally, you need to send emails

around a week before the meetings to

give course reps enough time to add

to the agenda or send apologies and

then it is vital to do your own prepara-

tion. With regard to communication,

this skill has been enhanced through

chairing the meetings again (although,

because the course reps have been

so good at their roles this has been

easy for me!) but also in other meet-

ings, such as the Learning and Teach-

ing Committee, where, initially, I was

quite overawed but am now less so

and more confident when making con-

tributions.

I would encourage anyone to run for

course rep or subject chair as they will

both look great on your CV and they

are both positions that you can get a

lot out of. Course rep elections tend to

happen just after Freshers Week and

subject chair elections occur mid way

through the summer term and are

done on the electronic voting system.

If you are interested in standing for

either position but would like to find

out more before putting yourself for-

ward please feel free to drop me an

email anytime at sdv202@ex.ac.uk.

If you have anything that you want to

add to the agenda for the next SSLC,

please send me an email at

sdv202@ex.ac.uk or contact your

course rep. Your course rep’s details

can be found on the undergraduate

page in web-ct or on your respective

year’s notice boards in the lecture

theatre corridor in Streatham Court.

Sam Vaughan,

BA Business Economics, Year 3

Business School SSLC Subject Chair

What could YOU do next year…? Graduate Business Partnership Placements: A Programme for Recent Graduates

Not sure what to do on gradua-tion?

Register your interest in a GBP placement by sending your CV to studentpro-jects@exeter.ac.uk .

Graduates from all disciplines can benefit from the University of Exe-ter’s graduate placement scheme – the Graduate Business Part-nership – which is available throughout the year. The scheme places graduates with host or-ganisations to work on specific projects for an initial period of ap-proximately 20 weeks.

A GBP placement will enhance your CV and provide an opportu-nity to “kick start your career”. More than 70% of graduates are retained by their host organisa-tions either on a permanent or extended contract.

All successfully placed graduates are paid at least £300 a week by their host organisation and will attend a Business Training Course, managed by the Univer-sity. Modules include Project Management, Team Building, Leadership, Negotiation Skills, Understanding Business Finance and Making Money as well as modules on Networking, an Image session and Careers Workshop.

Placements are available in Devon and Somerset but informa-tion on similar schemes through-out the UK is available on www.exeter.ac.uk/em

ployability

In July 2008, Flybe appointed Anna Howard to help turn their Flybe Academy vision into a real-ity.

“My placement has given me the chance to significantly im-prove my interpersonal skills and gain much greater knowl-edge of an industry that I have always wanted to work in. My ability to communicate and

manage time effectively has also been enhanced as a result of the various projects under-taken. I feel that my GBP place-ment has drastically contrib-uted towards my personal de-velopment, as I have finally been able to apply all of the skills learnt whilst studying for my degree.” Anna Howard

Another graduate, Ben Beard, who achieved a degree in Mathe-matics, was accepted for a place-ment with Devon County Council in November 2008 to “Analyse the results of the Exeter Travel to Work Tally 2008” Ben said:

“The main aim of the Exeter Travel to Work Tally is to moni-tor the way employees in Exeter commute to work in an effort to identify possible improvements that can be made to the City’s transport system. My task has been to collate and report on the results of this Tally and compare these results, where possible, with those from previ-ous years. This will identify any trends that may be devel-oping in the way people are changing how they commute to work.”

“Ben is both keen and able and it has been a good experience for us (and hopefully for Ben). He liaised with client depart-ment and carried out most of the analysis of the data already collected. He made good use of his statistical skills, from his degree course, in the presenta-tion of results and has also contributed substantially to the final report”. Malcolm Mac-donald, Devon County Council’s Corporate Consultation Officer

For more information and to register your interest please contact: studentpro-

jects@exeter.ac.uk

Issue 9 Page 10

Issue 9 Page 11

‘Getting In & Getting On’: Insights into Alumni Careers...

My name is Kelly, I’m 22 and I graduated

from the University of Exeter in July 2007

with a 1st class degree in Accounting and

Finance. I enjoyed a memorable 3 years

in the Business School (then known as

SoBE) and it was undoubtedly the exper-

tise and enthusiasm of the lecturers there

that helped me to achieve such a fantas-

tic degree result that in turn enabled me

to get my dream graduate job.

After what seemed like the shortest sum-

mer ever I joined PricewaterhouseCoop-

ers LLP (PwC) in the Assurance practice

at their Bristol office in September 2007.

What drew me to PwC were the opportu-

nities available. For me the most attrac-

tive aspect was the fact that I would be

able to get a professional qualification

whilst working and gaining life experi-

ences, not to mention earning money

after spending 3 years as a poor student!

Before I get into too much detail about the

job I do now I thought it might be helpful

to give a little background on how I actu-

ally got there. From quite a young age it

was apparent that I was an academic

person as opposed to an artistic person. I

was always keen to get to maths lessons

but always had a sense of dread as I

headed to an art lesson. When it came to

choosing A-levels I decided that account-

ing would be a good thing to try as it

would include maths but would also teach

me about the business world around me.

I took accounting along side Maths, Eco-

nomics and Geography, as well as a

French AS level.

I really enjoyed the accounting A-level

and decided at that point that accounting

was the career path I wanted to follow. I

applied to study accounting at several

universities and subsequently spent 3

fantastic years at Exeter.

The first year of my degree flew by and

as I entered my second year I began to

think about life after graduation. I sought

advice from the careers service who ad-

vised me that doing a summer internship

at the end of my second year would go a

long way to helping me get a graduate job

at the end of my degree. After several

failed applications to the big 4 accounting

firms I finally found success at a medium

sized firm in my home town of Swindon

and spent the summer before my 3rd year

working in accounts preparation and au-

dit. This was an extremely valuable learn-

ing experience and was a fantastic asset

for my CV.

My biggest tip is not to give up on your

dream. After being knocked back by the

big 4 firms I could have just given up, but

I decided that any experience I could gain

would prove valuable in the long run and

it certainly did help a lot when applying for

graduate jobs. You have got to remember

that summer internship programmes are

particularly competitive.

As I entered my 3rd year at Exeter I de-

cided that I should start my graduate

applications as soon as possible. In my

experience, the earlier you apply the

better chance you have as firms have a

greater number of places available. I had

sent applications to all of the big 4 ac-

counting firms by the end of November

and had secured my graduate position

with PwC by mid January. The fact that I

had this job in place really lifted the

weight off my shoulders and meant that I

could concentrate on getting a good de-

gree result without the worry of working

out what to do next.

My advice would be not to narrow your

options too early, applying to all of the big

4 certainly didn’t prove a problem for me,

in fact the number of interviews involved

really helped me to perfect my interview

skills. Also I would advise you not to be

put off by the psychometric tests involved

in the applications for many jobs, they are

not as scary as they might first seem!

I have been at PwC for a year and a half

now and I am still thoroughly enjoying the

challenges the job brings. Alongside work

I have completed the professional stage of

the ACA qualification (12 exams in total)

and now have only the two advanced

stage papers and the final case study left

to sit. Although I did an accounting and

finance degree, I have still found the pro-

fessional exams extremely challenging.

That said, I wouldn’t let a lack of account-

ing experience stand in the way of you

completing the ACA qualification. I study

in a class where the majority of students

This section of the newsletter is set aside for contributions from University of Exeter Business School

(formerly the School of Business & Economics or ‘SoBE’) Alumni who have very kindly agreed to reflect

on their careers—or any particular aspect(s) of their careers— since their graduation. In this issue,

one of our alumni who graduated in 2007 writes about her experiences of getting into and getting on in

her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Please note: I am very keen to hear from any alumni who would like to contribute an article for this section of future issues of the newsletter. If you would like to share any aspects of your experiences

in your career in order to provide some insights to students who might be considering similar pathways

please email me—Rachel Torr: r.torr@exeter.ac.uk.

Kelly, BA Accounting & Finance (2007), gets into and on in PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Continued from page 11

have completed entirely unrelated degrees and

they have picked it up very quickly. The ACA is

such a versatile qualification that it can be put to

good use in many different roles and that is what

makes it so appealing.

I work in the core assurance part of the business in

the financial services sector. My audit client portfo-

lio varies greatly, from large companies such as

Cheltenham & Gloucester (the mortgage part of

Lloyds Banking Group) and Bank of Ireland down

to small local insurance companies in and around

Bristol.

Being an auditor doesn’t just involve looking at

financial statements and ‘number crunching’, a big

part of my job is liaising with client staff and build-

ing strong relationships with our clients in order to

ensure their satisfaction. My job also allows me to

get involved with the graduate recruitment process

which is good fun and extremely rewarding.

For me the most attractive aspect of my job is the

variety I get. Being in audit involves working at

various different client sites, and generally I am

never working in the same place for more than 1

month at a time. This is ideal for me as the thought

of going to the same office and sitting at the same

desk every day really doesn’t fill me with excite-

ment.

Yes, the job can be challenging and can involve

long hours during busy periods, but it is also ex-

tremely rewarding. I am constantly being chal-

lenged and my knowledge has expanded vastly in

the short period of time that I have worked for the

firm.

During my time with the firm I have made an ex-

tremely diverse network of friends and have built

up a strong support network. The friendliness of all

of my colleagues has undoubtedly made the ex-

perience an enjoyable one.

Looking forward I know that PwC has many great

opportunities to offer me, perhaps a secondment to

work in another country or perhaps just a second-

ment to a different sector of the business. What-

ever I wish to do in order to progress my career I

know that PwC will work with me in order to make

my ambitions achievable.

My advice to anyone trying to secure a top gradu-

ate job is to remain focused on what you want to

achieve in the long run. Do not let rejections stand

in your way. Even if an interview doesn’t result in a

job you should see it as valuable interview practice

for the future. Ultimately if you are passionate

about pursuing a particular career and are able to

demonstrate this to an interviewer then you are

likely to be rewarded with the job that you want.

A Message from Holly Stevens:A Message from Holly Stevens:A Message from Holly Stevens:A Message from Holly Stevens: ICAEW Student Brand ManagerICAEW Student Brand ManagerICAEW Student Brand ManagerICAEW Student Brand Manager

Hello, my name is Holly I am cur-rently in my second year studying BA Accounting and Finance at Exe-ter. I have just taken on the role of the Institute of Chartered Account-ants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Student Brand Manager to increase my employability and improve my knowledge of the ACA. My main role is to represent the Institute in promoting careers in chartered ac-countancy and the ACA qualification to potential students at Exeter and to increase awareness of the pro-fessional qualifications the ICAEW has to offer at careers fairs, events and in lectures and also answer any questions you may have about the ICAEW.

The ICAEW is the largest profes-sional accountancy body in Europe, with more than 132,000 members in over 165 countries. Over 15,000 members live and work outside the UK. The Institute also has some 9,000 students. The Institute under-takes or facilitates a wide range of professional activities including edu-cation and training of students, con-tinuing professional development for members, maintenance of pro-fessional and ethical standards, cut-ting-edge work on technical ac-counting issues, and provision of advice and services to members.

ACA The ACA qualification is an interna-tionally recognised qualification that comprises of a programme of work experience, study and exami-nations. It provides skills across the full spectrum of accountancy disci-plines and a solid grounding in busi-ness, marketing, economics, fi-nance, management and informa-tion systems. The ACA comprises two stages: the Professional Stage and the Advanced stage. The Pro-fessional Stage introduces the core concepts of accounting and demon-strates how to build on and use your knowledge in practise. This stage comprises of 12 modules, you may be eligible for credit for up to 8 modules. The Advanced Stage builds on your technical knowledge and consists of 2 technical papers

and a case study.

There are numerous benefits from studying for the ACA which can be found on the website. One which may be of particular interest is that generally, ACA trainees can expect to double their salary by the time they qualify. For more information on the ACA qualification visit www.icaew.com/careers

Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB) The CFAB is an exciting new quali-fication developed by the ICAEW aimed at individuals who want to work in business or in practice. It provides essential knowledge of finance, accounting and business and will improve your employabil-ity. It will enable you to step ahead with your career even if you are not sure exactly what you want to do.

CFAB is made up of six modules: business and finance; manage-ment information; accounting (compulsory); law; assurance and principles of taxation. These are the same six modules of the ACA which means the CFAB can be used as a stepping stone.

The CFAB is open to everyone, no formal academic qualifications are required. It will benefit those who are considering a career in ac-countancy, finance, professional service firms, banks and financial services.

The CFAB can be gained in one year and can be self taught. As-sessments are computer based and credits for prior learning may be available for 5 of the 6 mod-ules.

If you think you may be interested in the CFAB you can visit their website on www.icaew.com/cfab

If you have any questions on the qualification or the institute, please do not hesitate to email me on has207@ex.ac.uk,

Holly Stevens ICAEW Student Brand Manager

Issue 9 Page 12