Role: finance graduate
Education: BA (Hons) accounting and finance, Lancaster University
Graduated in 2009
‘I will have a qualification that is recognised all over the world’
How did you get into your job at RBS?
I went along to an RBS presentation at my university and was interested to hear about their finance graduate scheme. After a couple of months of research, preparation and attending the various assessment stages I was offered the job just before Christmas 2008.
Part of the scheme is completing a qualification so studying was inevitable, but I choose CIMA over the other accountancy qualifications on offer. As well as financial knowledge CIMA offered me the management skills to help me progress in my career.
Tell us a bit about your role.
As part of the graduate scheme, I get to change roles every six months. I am currently nearing the end of my second placement, at Coutts, which is part of our wealth management area and serves 107,000 clients worldwide. I’m in the decision support team and am responsible for producing weekly and monthly reports and analysis to support the teams of private bankers and the CEO.
What about the future?
I think regardless of which area of the business I choose to go into once I finish the graduate scheme, my CIMA training will be beneficial. It will also be attractive to future employers. CIMA’s global presence will provide me with a qualification that is recognised all over the world.
What advice would you give anyone thinking of studying the CIMA qualification?
I would say that it is definitely tough, but there’s a huge feeling of reward every time you pass an exam. When I get my CIMA qualification I will feel relieved but also excited and very proud. Working so hard to succeed can only make it much more worth it in the end.
If CIMA was a holiday destination where would it be and why?
Australia – it takes a lot of time and effort to get there, but once you do hopefully it provides a better quality of life!