Jay Cadman
"Surrey helped me become more comfortable in my knowledge and abilities, guiding me out of my comfort zone to stress and improve some of my weaker skills in a controlled environment."
Course
International Corporate Finance MScGraduation year
2018What attracted you to choose the University of Surrey and to study your programme here?
One of the main draws to Surrey for me as a Corporate Finance student was the ability to learn from seasoned professionals as well as academics at the forefront of finance research. The programme content was aligned to my interests, and the dedicated finance resources such as the Bloomberg terminal room made Surrey a clear front-runner amongst my choices. The campus and location also played a big part in my decision. The campus was close enough to London to interact with potential employers (as well as days out!) and being in the countryside helped me to relax and focus on my studies without too much distraction.
What were the best things about your programme?
Authors that I had come across researching my undergraduate dissertation were available to discuss theory and answer questions around the subject, as well as people with the experience to inform me about how the theory relates and how it all works in the real world. The lecturers and tutors frequently used real examples to back up their teaching, helping reinforce how what we were being taught would be relevant in our careers.
What do you find most enjoyable about your line of work?
The thrill of having it all come together on a tight schedule. Working in finance means that I’m often working to tight deadlines alongside multiple other teams with varying priorities. When it all comes together and you deliver something that you're all proud of, despite the obstacles, it can be extremely rewarding.
How did your time at Surrey influence your career?
Surrey helped me become more comfortable in my knowledge and abilities, guiding me out of my comfort zone to stress and improve some of my weaker skills in a controlled environment. I know for sure that I am a more confident presenter now, which is a very necessary skill in the business world. My time at Surrey also taught me the value of networking and diplomacy, helping me navigate the inner bureaucracy of big business.
How can students hoping to work in your profession make the most of their time at Surrey?
There is a wealth of knowledge and experience among the academics at Surrey, any student hoping to make it in finance should not only use this opportunity to learn from experts, but also to practice and test their understanding and casual conversation skills in finance. This will help them immensely when they begin interviewing for roles after their degrees.
In addition, network, network, network! In my experience, the students that found more relevant or interesting roles were made aware of the role or even sponsored for it by contacts they'd met through networking. Surrey put on loads of networking opportunities, go to as many as you can and talk to anyone and everyone!
What is your happiest memory of your time at Surrey?
I have many great memories at Surrey, though at times it was a challenge and I wasn't sure what I was doing. My happiest though was probably shortly after our summer exams; my group of friends were all still working on our final projects and we were discussing them over a BBQ and I felt like we were on our way.
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