Ellis Rooney – BSc (Hons) Mathematics graduate

“The course at Plymouth was great: it had a fantastic mix of classical, statistical, and applied mathematics. This allows students to begin to shape their careers whilst at university.”

During my exam period I was attending various job interviews with FTSE 250 companies looking to join the finance world, and with Thames Water I was really impressed with the amount of support and their emphasis on career development. I accepted the job offer and got my head down to study. After three months travelling, I came back to the UK to get started on my career. I joined the graduate development scheme and have been exposed to so many different challenges which have further enriched my development. Since then, I continued my career progression as a Financial Analyst for TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Company.

Has your career path changed since graduation?

When I graduated I was undecided on where I really saw my career going. However, after entering the world of work, I have spent time working on business partnering projects and have embraced being able to apply my skills to a real work scenario. I am now studying towards my accountancy qualification and am progressing well, picking up new experiences along the way.

What is the most difficult thing which you have faced in your career?

One of the largest challenges is moving away from the student life. Not only the going out and having fun, as one is still able to do that with a job (and often it is better as money is less restrictive), but adapting to an environment where you may not be the best academically and you are judged on what you deliver in work scenarios can be very challenging.

What is the best, most exciting or fun thing that you have done in your career?

In my role at the Treasury I have been fortunate enough to join some of our banking partners on relationship meetings. Some of these include the James Bond Spectre premiere with a martini bar, and a corporate host package to watch the football with player greeting, a stadium tour, and a three course meal.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to get in to the same line of work?

Passion and enthusiasm go a long way! Don’t be afraid to bring your personality with you to an otherwise stereotypically boring world. There is a really fine balance in accountancy between working with attention to detail and being able to see the bigger picture, so like with anything in life, take a step back every now and then to reassess where you are and what you want to achieve.

How did studying at Plymouth help you?

The course at Plymouth was great: it had a fantastic mix of classical, statistical, and applied mathematics. This allows students to begin to shape their careers whilst at university, and it has really helped in my professional career by teaching me how to steer my own development.