Laying the foundations for future financial success

Choosing Plymouth

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I would recommend undertaking a course with Plymouth – getting my final results back and knowing I had got what I wanted, has to be my favourite memory of studying my degree. 

I chose Plymouth because it offered a good quality foundation year, which was carried out on campus, while others used partner colleges. This foundation year gave me an awareness of the level of work that I would have to complete and the time constraints I would face during my full degree. While the full course opened my eyes to the many different routes possible to me after graduating, such as actuarial and analytical roles. 

If I was to start university again, I would focus even more specifically on the parts of each subject which I would most likely use in a real-world situation. My placement impacted my employment outlook heavily, as it was during this time in industry, in one I had never had any exposure to previously, that completely changed the direction of where I wanted to head towards.

Plymouth set me up well for the challenges I have had to face – from gaining interviews for positions of interest, to working and volunteering around and outside of University, which helped to distinguish me from other candidates. 

The University careers and employability service were very useful for CV advice and the PALs team really helpful during the earlier years of my study.

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Relocating to London

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When I was studying my degree Plymouth Student Pad was great for getting good quality accommodation with far lower costs than using other routes. It is definitely worth investing the time into undertaking research into accommodation – both at university and after you graduate – as I underestimated the initial costs of relocating to London for my current role.

After I graduated and moved up to London, I began working at Nephila Advisors as a risk analyst and started learning about how the company and various departments within it operated. I have since spent most of my time so far dealing with risk reporting to Lloyd’s of London.

My main highlight so far, after two weeks of working in the London office, was when I was flown out to Bermuda, where most of the business functions operate. I was able to see first-hand how deals were initiated and followed through from start to finish, while also having my evenings and weekends to explore the island.

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– Martin is now a Risk Analyst for Nephila Advisors in London.