Rachel Thomson

Course: BA History and Mathematics

Graduated: 2004/05 Academic Year

Destination approx. 6 months after graduation: Corporate Graduate Trainee Auditor, Nationwide Building Society

Background

Whilst studying for my A’ Levels at Sixth Form College in the subjects of Mathematics, History and Religious Education, I decided that I wanted to go straight into university after completing these studies.

I had looked around places like Liverpool and Manchester for further study purposes, but found myself liking Aberystwyth University for its campus overlooking the town and sea, and the size of the place – not too big, yet not too small either. The History department at Aberystwyth is what initially caught my attention and made me consider Aber as a place of study, and when I learnt that it was in fact one of the very few institutions that offered a joint honours degree in History and Mathematics, my decision about where to study became easier.

Where are you now?

Having now left university, I am employed as a Corporate Graduate Trainee Auditor for Nationwide Building Society. I work as a member of a team on various audits that cover different areas of the business. As such, I help provide opinions of the controls that are in place within these different business areas, which is done by attending meetings with these business areas, documenting findings, and liaising with managers and colleagues to discuss findings and maintain business relationships.

How did you get there?

I found out about this job on a graduate job website, www.milkround.com, whilst I was looking around and considering what I’d like to do post graduation, during my final year studies. I decided to apply, as it really did seem to be a great opportunity, and looked like a position where I could finally put the theory that I’d learnt throughout my studies into practice, and see first hand how my course would translate into what people need to know and apply at work.

Upon my paper application being processed and successful, I was invited to a testing day at the company where I had to sit two tests and have a first round interview. I passed these, and was consequently invited to the next stage of the application process, which involved attending an assessment centre for further interviews and tests. I found out the day after attending the assessment centre that my application had been successful, and I was being offered one of the training positions that they had available.

It’s no longer enough to just have a degree, you need to be able to demonstrate that you can organise your time to fit in more that just studying. During my third year at university, I joined the badminton club. Whilst it was only for a year, it demonstrated that I could communicate and build relationships with others, and being a part of any team demonstrates that you can be a dedicated and enthusiastic team player.

During this period I also sat on the student/staff committee for the Mathematics department. I felt that this was a great selling point for me during the application process, as it demonstrated to prospective employers that I had initiative and good communication skills; I was able to be pro-active in putting forward ideas and potential solutions to any problems that may have existed within the department.

Where are you going?

I am about to start the ACCA qualification, which I am studying for as part of my job and being funded to do so by my employer. The qualification, if I gain it, will mean that I am a qualified Accountant, and can lead to new opportunities within the company. Nationwide offers many opportunities, and I am confident that if I stay with the company, my career will go from strength to strength.

What advice would you give to a student doing your subject at university now?

Applying for jobs in advance of graduating is a good idea, but it gets difficult to fit interviews in towards the end of the year, the time where many deadlines for coursework and examination periods exist. So, if you do apply early, you need to be well organised, or your studies might suffer.

Also, make sure that you make the most of the Careers Advisory Service and all that they can offer you at Aberystwyth; services include CV and application checks, opportunities to practice aptitude tests, and they also hold a wealth of information on various graduate training schemes and careers information by degree subject. I wasn’t aware of just how much they could do to help me until it was too late, and it was only because I am such a motivated and organised individual, that I was able to land such a good job so soon after graduating without such outside assistance.