Our studentsShannon Ferries
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am a student who loves to learn and found my niche in economics in secondary school. I am fascinated by how the world works and why we, personally or as a country, make the decisions we make in the interest of the economy; I have found that Business Law also ties into this interest very neatly.
I lived on a council estate for most of my school life, so I had a particular appreciation for learning about money and the world around me. Therefore, I was keen to get a job as soon as possible to learn to budget and buy the things that made me happy. I went through a particularly rough patch in my home life from the ages of 11-17, and my school grades reflected this for the most part. However, my determination to succeed grew stronger as a result; I went from achieving mere passes (and some fails) in my early secondary school work to straight As in all exams. This was an immense achievement for me and my drive to succeed and learn has only grown during my time at Strathclyde.
Why did you choose to study at Strathclyde?
I chose to study at Strathclyde because I was drawn in by the concept of 'useful learning'. I wanted to go to a university that provided me with the best possible tools to succeed and get a job once I graduated. I visited an open day in my fourth year at secondary school and loved the campus, especially the gym. I was also drawn in by the fact that the campus was very central, both within Glasgow and intra-university- meaning that there wouldn't be a need for excessive travelling to get to classes.
The final thing that drew me to Strathclyde was the course choices. I attended many Scottish universities and their courses didn't appear very flexible and had very basic titles, such as Business Management. However, Strathclyde made it clear that the business school courses were up to the discretion of each student in which subject areas they like the most, with the option of taking every course in the first year and refining your degree over the 4 years to suit your preferences. I have found this to be a very enjoyable option as the 4 years have progressed.
How has coming to Strathclyde improved your career prospects?
In all honestly, and this may seem far-fetched, having the degree title that I have has helped my career prospects. Normally, with a degree title that’s vague, such as 'BA Business’, you can appear as another small fish in a big river. However, having a degree title that demonstrates my learning and interests, such as ‘BA(Hons) Economics and Business Law’, has drawn the attention of many employers, and I have received a lot of questions in interviews about my degree title.
I also feel that the Strathclyde Business School itself is very respected. Many employers I have spoken to know colleagues from Strathclyde, who are now esteemed professionals.
Moreover, moving from a small town beside Aberdeen to Glasgow has irrefutably improved my job prospects. There is a huge variety of employers here, in both large sectors like finance and smaller, more niche, sectors like AI development. Therefore, I have found that there are a lot more opportunities presented while going to a university in Glasgow than I might have had if I had gone elsewhere.
Tell us about any activities you have been involved with while at Strathclyde that have enhanced your employability.
I have been an active part of the Strathclyde Consulting Society for 3 years now, and have just become the president in my final year. The Consulting Society was something I joined in my second year when I was unsure of the jobs I wanted to go into after university. After attending some events and learning about what consulting was, I was hooked.
The positions I have been in within the society have opened a lot of doors for me, including being made managing director of the Scottish branch of a UK-wide student-run consulting company. They recruited me from my LinkedIn page (which I built as a requirement within a module in my degree), noting that I was the Operations Director within the society. We have built SCS over time and are now one of the most established and followed consulting societies in Scotland.
We also organise networking events at SCS, both across universities and professional employers- our most notable being office visits to PwC- which significantly increase employability.
Irrespective of the activities of SCS itself, joining a society is a great way to build skills necessary for employability. It helps with your organisation skills, time management, networking, and confidence. I definitely recommend joining one, even if you don’t understand fully what it is!
What is the most important thing you learned from the experience?
The most important thing I have learned from being at Strathclyde is that you have to be open-minded if you want to get the most from your degree. This can be a difficult concept after secondary school, which is quite cliquey and all about "fitting in", but you can unlearn these behaviours. Some people I’ve met, activities I’ve participated in, jobs I’ve interviewed for and nights out I’ve gone on would have been completely out of my comfort zone had I approached university with a closed mindset. All of the people I have met at university who have truly made the most of their time have come into it with an open mind and without preconceived negative attitudes. With an open mind, it will be the best 4 years of your life.
Please tell us about something that you are proud of/you have achieved during your time at Strathclyde.
I am proud of being selected to attend 2 finals for the Undergraduate of the Year awards during my time at Strathclyde. These awards are highly esteemed and recognised by businesses all across the UK. Despite not winning the awards, the selection process, interviews, attending the offices for the hosting companies in London, and the experiences I got from this were unforgettable.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future now are not dramatically more solidified than my plans for the future were when I joined the university. However, now I am more equipped with skills, experience, and a network which I can take forward with me into my next venture, whatever that may be.
I have got my eyes on some consulting jobs in more boutique firms as well as more economic roles in various business sectors. There is also always the drive in me to start up my own business again - like I did just before I started university, but this may be in the distant future. I enjoy keeping my options open and seeing where life takes me, as cringy as that may sound!