Eliot Evans

‘I originally studied for a term at another university on a completely different course – zoology – but realised it wasn’t right for me. So after travelling for a while, I was working in a farm park office and got chatting to their accountant about his career, and I became increasingly attracted to the idea of working in the financial sector.

‘My previous choice of uni hadn’t worked out very well, so I was determined to fully research each candidate this time around. Some were city based, and didn’t appeal to me, but from the moment I arrived at Reading, it just felt right. It was a beautiful, bright sunny day, and the sports facilities looked so inviting. The business school in its swanky new building really appealed to me and the transport links are great, so it ticked all the boxes. It’s definitely been the right decision for me.’

‘It was really eye-opening in terms of the career opportunities, and you are so well prepared for every interview. The support you get is extremely helpful.

‘As for the course itself, it was such a new world for me, and I particularly enjoyed the trading simulations, both within the course and also after hours as part of the Finance Society, where I took a role as Secretary, and helped set up the simulations for other students. It gave me the confidence to build up my own personal account to trade stocks, and I didn’t expect that to happen so soon.

‘I regularly play in the Futsal first team, and enjoy rounders too, and I’ve done mentoring, helping school students, fundraising and being an ambassador for the university on Open Days – anything to make sure I kept a high profile and put my name out there!

‘The people I’ve met have been from so many different areas of the world, and I really get along well with people from different international backgrounds. Hearing the stories of their upbringings and experiences has been really nice. It’s a very friendly environment – especially the staff and lecturers. They are so supportive – I’ve never felt I was on my own at any time. The careers team are unreal!’

‘My passion is aviation, so I applied to companies such as Rolls Royce, Airbus and Boeing, and I got a placement at Boeing, where I ended up filling in for someone who was off with Covid. It proved to be so much more than just an internship; I really felt as if the work I was doing was important handling the invoicing and debt collection for Boeing’s training and flight services at Gatwick.

‘Having a more responsible role improved my soft skills immeasurably – communications and critical thinking. I can’t recommend it highly enough.'

‘If you’ve got any thoughts of working in the world of finance, this programme is excellent in giving you the skills you need, and showing you the options open to you. It will prepare you for a range of business careers, and the modules you can choose each year are so flexible, so you can design the programme to meet your needs. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here, and learned so much.’