Case Studies
There's no better way to gain understanding of what a career has in store than by asking those who have 'been there and done that'. Real World has gathered an extensive portfolio of successful graduates within a large range of careers and posed the questions not answered in your typical careers advertisement sites. We ask everything from "What does your typical day involve?" to "What do you enjoy least about your job?".
Read on for an insider's view on the career you're looking for...
|
Case Study - Karen Cross - Yorkshire WaterThe way the programme is structured means that you are able to undertake a wide variety of roles across the business. This breadth of knowledge is invaluable in your future career. The three core placements in Production, Distribution and Asset Management help you to cover the basics which give you the knowledge to build on for future placements during the rest of the programme. ... more |
|
Assif Yousif - Structural engineer - MouchelI’m a structural engineer working for Mouchel in partnership with Costain on the Yorkshire Water / AMP4 Water and Waste Water Projects. ... more |
|
Frank Bachmann - Assistant Management Accountant - Salford PCTMy main reasons were to improve my employability and gain valuable experience in a foreign country. I also wanted to make international friends and find out more about different cultures and mentalities ... more |
|
Mairi Gemmell - Treasury Front Office Manager - Scottish PowerTreasury is responsible for protecting the group from interest rate and foreign exchange exposures, and for managing the group’s cash flows. As Treasury Front Office Manager I am responsible for ensuring all trades are undertaken to close out known group exposures. ... more |
|
Christopher Wright - Treasurer - SSP GroupSSP Group Ltd is an international food and beverage concession business that runs restaurants, catering outlets and convenience stores in travel locations in 30 countries throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. ... more |
|
Luigi Brambilla - Investment Banking Analyst - BarclaysI work in a team to evaluate opportunities for our clients such as acquisitions or mergers with other players in the same sector, disposal of non-core divisions, potential listings for private companies, and de-listing of companies which are poorly valued by the market. ... more |
|
Darren Carlile - Business Analyst ManagerI look after the Underserved Credit Policy team. My team is responsible for deciding which sub-prime applicants to accept on our credit card products, how much credit to give them upfront, and how best to alter their line during their time as a customer. It’s my job to identify which opportunities we should pursue and driving improvements in our strategy and processes ... more |
|
Kathryn Baker - Business Analyst - Capital OneThe Business Analyst role serves as our internal consultancy function, assessing ways that we can optimise our marketing, products and way we operate to maximise profitability. Examples of projects would include building statistical models to identify different types of consumers, and which products would appeal to them or how risky we believe they will be over a period of time; or pulling together a long term strategy on how and where we should spend our marketing budget to attract the volume and type of customers we need to build and sustain our successful portfolio. ... more |
|
Allan Ferguson - Associate - Clydesdale BankI work within the Specialist & Acquisition Finance team in the Glasgow Financial Solutions Centre (a one-stop shop with access to a whole team of local banking specialists and credit facilities all in-house at one location). We are not so active in day-to-day relationship banking, but instead work on a deal by deal basis. For example, we provide funding for companies wishing to make acquisitions of other businesses, or for management teams wanting to buy out the shareholding of a departing owner. ... more |
|
Rhiannon McComb - Operations Trainee - Standard LifeI am a graduate trainee on the Investment Operations programme. The programme involves three, eight month placements and my previous role was in the Finance Department, where I worked in a business performance team learning about financial forecasting, budgeting and planning. I was also involved in several projects. ... more |
|
Geoffrey Barranco - Real World Europe - Strategic Planning AnalystI was actively looking for the concept of a European Graduate Programme ? several rotations in different countries with various projects ? when I was contacted by a Graduate Headhunting Agency. Ironically, the Wolseley French subsidiary also contacted me later in relation to an application I had sent before the recruiting process had even started. I guess that is what people call destiny! ... more |
|
Laura Esslemont - English Literature - Hodder & StoughtonI work at Hodder & Stoughton as a production controller. I am responsible for the H&S backlist ? all the reprints, special sales and also a handful of new titles as well. ... more |
|
Amy Albright - Fine artistIt was a real turning point for me. I remember visiting art galleries and seeing paintings that inspired me and thinking how I would like to produce paintings that would have that effect onother people. ... more |
|
Lucy Abbot - Creative coordinatorIn my role as Creative coordinator, I am the main source of support for the consultants in the business. When I first started in the role, I provided creative and logistical support for client projects but I became really interested in the design side so my work has become more focused on that area. ... more |
|
Laura Murphy - Social Work - Children's PractitionerI work for the London Borough of Hackney in the Looked After Children Service. I work with children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their families. The children are in foster care or in residential care. ... more |
|
Hannah Crampton - Sales GraduateAt present, I am a Customer Analyst working across all product categories. On a day-to-day basis, I manage the Customer Marketing budget, and ensure as a team we are planning and executing relevant and effective marketing in store. ... more |
|
Natalie Chiang - Client Services AssistantEffectively, there are two main roles in my capacity of a client services assistant/graduate. The first is to help the Directors in handling client queries, requests or needs efficiently, and the second is to watch and learn. ... more |
|
Razuana Siddiq - Recruitment Consultant"I love the fact everything about recruitment moves so quickly and is constantly changing. The market is fiercely competitive, which means I must always be on top of everything, ensuring I know the market and the clients inside out. I also really enjoy the contact with people at every stage of the recruitment process. " ... more |
|
Hena Yearley - Ernst & Young - Summer Internship ProgrammeHena Yearley discusses her experiences of the Ernst & Young Summer Internship Programme ... more |
|
Alexis Humphrey - Centre Director - Explore LearningI had always enjoyed working with children and never dreamed that I would find a career that let me carry on my passion whilst developing me and exposing me to so many elements of running a business. When I came across the opportunities with Explore Learning I was thrilled that I could have the career and progression I wanted whilst really making a difference to children. ... more |
|
Sanjay Hallan - graduate trainee - RBSI currently work for The Royal Bank of Scotland and was accepted onto the graduate scheme for its Group Technology function in October 2007. I am working with a group of highly qualified people in a team called Image & Workflow. Collectively we design, develop and test a suite of business process management applications which are used nationwide. ... more |
|
|
Laura Murphy - Social Work - Children's PractitionerI work for the London Borough of Hackney in the Looked After Children Service. I work with children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their families. The children are in foster care or in residential care. ... more |
