Out of 122 employed graduates, 68 elected to state their salary. The Mean Salary for this set of graduates is £25,300, the comparison group is £23,500. The Median Salary for this set of graduates is £25,000, the comparison group is £23,000.
11 grass football pitches3 rugby pitches 2 lacrosse pitches American football pitch2 cricket squaresFrisbee pitch
Nicky: My Experiences of Warwick Business School and the BSc Management undergraduate programmeIt really doesn’t seem like five years ago since Chris and I were sitting where you are now, trying to decide what we wanted to study, where we wanted to study and from our parents perspective, where we were likely to stand the best chance of getting a good job afterwards. Looking back, I don’t believe we could have made a better choice in choosing to study BSc Management at Warwick Business School. The professors at Warwick Business School are world class. Their inspiring knowledge and passion for their work, combined with the superb delivery of lectures and interactive seminars really brought the subjects to life. Their enthusiasm was infectious and I was invariably left with a feeling of wanting more... an amazing feat after a two-hour economics lecture you may say! I remember sitting in an operational management lecture one day, and being informed by the professor that the core textbook for the course had been written by him and was the bestselling book in its field in the world. He spoke of how the contents of the book had been sourced from years of global consultancy work and operational management experiments. He shared anecdotes with us that will remain with me for many years to come. It was times like these that made me realise just how lucky I was to be taught by such world-renowned professors. The tutors really know how to engage the students and get the best from them and it was evident that some serious thought has gone into the delivery of the course so that we were always one step ahead of the learning curve. Initially this all began with a teambuilding exercise which involved, having to build a Lego helicopter, without using any words, and only one person being allowed to see the instructions. This naturally developed into other enjoyable yet challenging modules involving pitching for an investment in a product (much like the Dragon’s Den TV show), and writing group reports and presentations to be delivered to real companies. The Warwick Business School undergraduate programmes had it all. Nicky: What I gained from the course As a person that didn’t really know what she wanted to do at 18 years old but knew that she had a passion for business (right from my GCSE and A-level business studies), the structure of the Warwick Business School BSc Management programme really appealed to me. The rigid base of modules in the first year eliminated my fear of having to make a choice so early on and gave me the opportunity to study the basics in each field of business. During the second year I was able to select modules that played to my strengths, whilst taking my understanding to the next level. In the final year, when I knew I had a job in the professional service sector, I was able to select modules that provided me with those useful exemptions from the first stage of the Chartered Accountancy exams. If you are thinking that it is all work and no play in the business school, you are very much mistaken. The students of the Warwick Business School Society provide social events for their peers throughout the year. One event in particular that you definitely wouldn’t want to miss, is the annual ball, held in December. From the champagne red carpet reception, to the complementary red roses and chocolate fountain, to the guest bands, professional dancers, magicians and casino, the Warwick Business School Society Ball is a night to be remembered! One thing that I was particularly impressed by was the number of high profile corporate sponsors that the society is able to attract. This means that not only do you get to experience the spectacular events for less, but you begin to broaden your horizons as to the types of firms you could work for in the future. Little did I know that the lead sponsor at the first ball in 2006 was to be my future employer. One of the greatest benefits of being part of the Warwick Business School, perhaps more so than any other business school, is the diversity of the individuals you are privileged enough to study and socialise with. I feel proud to say I now have a network of close companions from countries as far afield as Kazakhstan and Hong Kong to Sweden and the Seychelles. Quite an impressive feat for somebody who only moved a 35 minute drive away from home! Aside from making for some exciting road trips during the summer, exploring their home countries, the international student’s unique backgrounds and experiences made for a very stimulating learning environment. Especially during the seminars and integrative project modules where their contributions were refreshingly different and drew on cultures and concepts I would otherwise have been naive about. Chris: My Experiences of Warwick Business School and the BSc Management undergraduate programmeSomething that really stands out for me when I look back at my time at Warwick Business School was the ability of the academic staff to link complex theoretical knowledge to everyday business debate. This approach not only solidified the theory but also encouraged every student to develop his or her own opinions on a range of wider issues from the future demise of the US dollar to the impact of changes in financial reform. This teaching approach became even more valuable during interviews for summer internships, graduate jobs and senior roles within university societies. The staff here are world class, but it was not just the tutors who made the degree. During my first year, I remember telling my friends about the facilities we regularly used in Warwick Business School. Such as my.wbs, an intranet exclusively used by the business school students and tutors to upload lecture notes, set seminar work, discuss business topics through internal blogs and display those all important assignment and exam results. Because the site offered a 24-hour chat feature there was no need for pigeonholes, or the walk across campus to the department notice board, everything we needed was at the touch of a button. The site even allowed every student to complete anonymous feedback on the modules they had covered scoring the academics, the lecture slides, reading lists and seminar learning to make sure programmes were constantly updated and improved. Chris: What I gained from the courseI don’t think I could have been studying at a better place while the global financial crisis was unfolding. From 2006 through to 2009 my peers and I watched in dismay as Lehman Brothers Collapsed, Northern Rock was bailed out by the UK government, Merrill Lynch was bought out by Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, the biggest investment bank of them all, was forced to change to a traditional holding bank. It certainly was an exciting time to study. Warwick Business School ensured we were at the forefront of learning about the current economic environment. Credit Crunch topics were written into modules from corporate governance to financial markets. There was a tremendous turnout at the special talks given by Warwick’s top professors such as Andrew Sentence, a part time lecturer here at Warwick and one of the nine people who decide on the Bank of England interest rates, along with other more familiar faces such the BBC’s chief business correspondent Robert Peston. It was great to actually understand the theoretical shift that was happening and hear insights from those at the pinnacle of their chosen field.
Nicky: How WBS has helped me in my future career In third year one of my housemates had completed an internship with Ernst and Young, the second largest professional services firm in the world, and I was keen to hear more. He told me he had worked for six weeks in Restructuring in the global head quarters in London. This sub service line offers a broad range of professional services to help underperforming businesses from working capital and independent business reviews to formal insolvency proceedings such as administrations and liquidations.Inspired by my housemates experiences I decided to apply to my local Ernst and Young Restructuring practice in Birmingham. I was successful in my online application and was asked to attend a first round competency based interview followed by an assessment centre day. The assessment centre was intense, with a report writing exercise, group discussions and a partner interview. But I couldn’t have been better prepared having studied on the BSc Management programme. Throughout the report writing exercise, I successfully drew upon the frameworks I had learned during the course, in a way none of the other applicants could. I was not fazed by the assessed group discussion as I had done presentations in front of much larger audiences as part of the degree. In the partner interview, when I was asked about my understanding of the credit crunch, I was able to articulately explain the events that caused the credit crunch and elaborate on the impact it had had, after which the partner smiled and said “It seems like you have a better understanding than I do!”
Nicky: Current Role at Ernst and Young I am now two thirds of my way through my chartered accountancy exams, having successfully completed the Tests of Professional Skills last summer - a gruelling three months of college, followed by eight exams in four days! Although at times hard work, I really enjoy working for Ernst and Young. The variety of projects I have been involved in, from nightclubs and nursing homes to aerospace engineering and construction, have been thoroughly rewarding. I have recently completed a secondment in audit, working on part of the year end substantive testing for one of the largest oil companies in America. I have also spent time in the London offices, working on one of the most complex administrations the country has ever seen, involving over 19 different countries in addition to helping out in the Glasgow office trading a sizeable property and hotel chain. When I walk into the office on a Monday morning, I never quite know what I am going to be presented with but I know that whatever it is I will be working with a fantastic team of individuals who are committed to delivering the best result possible for the client and this is what I love about the job. Chris: Current Role at RBSFollowing several internships during the university holidays, I very quickly decided I wanted to pursue a career within Finance in the City of London shortly after graduation; I secured a role as an assistant trader at an equities hedge fund. The experience was one I will look back on with great memories and a place I met some of my closest friends. However, having so many friends from Warwick Business School around the city I rapidly discovered that for me, at 22 years of age larger firms presented better opportunities to develop a broader skill set and offered more opportunities to build lifelong networks and so I made the decision to move to the Debt Capital Markets division of RBS’ Investment Bank. Before joining my desk, I was enrolled on a global induction programme at RBS’ head office in London, alongside graduate colleagues from Asia, America and Australia. As the global class of 2010 we completed intense financial training along with business pitches and group activities, something Warwick Business School had prepared me for in advance. Since joining the desk last October, I have had the chance to travel across Europe pitching multi-million pound deals to CEO’s and CFO’s of some of the world’s largest companies such as Volkswagen and IKEA, allowing me to experience both the highs and lows of deal closing. Just last month I was heavily involved in the restructuring of a 1.5 Billion Euro deal, which was reviewed and approved by the CEO of the Investment Banking group. My role requires close interaction with other banks, consultancy firms, law firms and actuaries. Even during my short time in London it is rather amazing just how many people I have met who also studied at Warwick Business School, truly demonstrating the transferable skills you gain from undergraduate programmes.
Chris: Experiences from other members of the Class of 2006 Aside from banking and the professional service sector, what are the class of 2006 doing now? Some are working in the retail industry providing the brains behind the brand Abercrombie & Fitch, others are working for Shell, BT or Kraft and some have started up their own businesses. One of which was actually spawn righthere, as a direct result of the Integrative Project module. These two individuals won awards for their entrepreneurship while at Warwick and are now, I believe, running the successful business full time. Others chose to work in the not for profit sector and are working with young children on entrepreneurial schemes or with local governments in their respective home countries. Not all of the Class of 2006 were ready to leave Warwick Business School in 2009, many chose to stay on to study Finance, Marketing or Operational Management on the world class renowned post graduate programmes. Whatever careers my peers chose to pursue, I think we all would agree that Warwick Business School has set us up incredibly well for our future careers, particularly given the fact that we were applying for internships and graduate jobs during the worst financial and economic crisis of our lifetime.
Finally we would like to wish you the best of luck in your 6th Form studies and university life to come. If you have any further questions as to why we picked Warwick Business School please feel free to email or call either of us. Thank you for your time.