What course did you study?  

I graduated from Queen’s Business School in 2022 with a BSc Business Economics.   

 

Why did you choose this course?  

I chose to study this course given the unique combination of Economics and Management modules on offer, allowing students to tailor their undergraduate experience. I was particularly keen to develop an understanding of international trade, corporate strategy and environmental economics, and the qualitative and quantitative nature of the course allowed me to develop my skills and understanding through a wide range of assessments.   

 

Did you do a placement whilst at Queen’s? 

I interned for a year with Strategy&, PwC's Strategy Consulting business. This was a unique and fruitful experience as the impact of Covid-19 had meant that it was conducted entirely online! I was keen to immerse myself in a variety of projects to understand what I was most passionate about. 

I worked on a project which studied how government grants to support struggling businesses and charities from lockdown measures could be most effectively deployed, on international infrastructure schemes which taught UK best practice, regulatory economics projects in the aviation industry and (my personal favourite) international healthcare strategy formulation in the Middle East.

I spent around 5 months helping craft the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Chronic Kidney Disease Strategy and Treatment Pathway, which was a fantastic experience and involved engagement with practitioners and patients from across the globe whilst working in a transnational team. 

 

What has your career path been since graduation?

I work as a Senior Analyst at OCO Global, a technology enabled advisory firm focused on trade, investment and economic development. However, day-to-day I work within the Department for Business and Trade conducting data analysis, market research and writing economic reports to better support investors and businesses across the UK.   

I am the Finance, Professional Services and Business expert within the team, and have crafted reports used at several high-profile events - most recently the Northern Ireland Investment Summit. 

 

How did your degree prepare you for your current job role?  

My undergraduate degree has helped me to progress quickly within my career. My work involves both quantitative and qualitative analysis across many sectors of the economy, thus having these skills from university has been a fantastic aid. Management were confident to let me meet with clients from early on and have trusted me to manage myself and others.

Similarly, my understanding of international trade, economic models and methods and statistics has allowed me to work on some very exciting and high-profile pieces of work. 

 

What were your favourite courses, modules or educational takeaways from your time at Queen's and why were they impactful?  

Environmental economics was undoubtedly my favourite and most impactful module given its relevance to the current and ongoing crisis facing us all. Since graduating, I have made an effort to continue what I had learnt from Dr Mark Farrell and sustainability, climate change and green finance have been recurring themes throughout my work and readings.  

It would be wrong to not mention Dr Graham Brownlow's Economics of Corporate Strategy - a fantastic account of how the past impacts the present day thinking of business leaders. His enthusiasm is infectious, and I thoroughly enjoyed his lessons and appreciated the time he takes with all of his students. 

 

Did you do any extra-curricular activities whilst at Queen’s? 

I completed the DegreePlus / Future Ready award during my time at Queen’s Business School where I attended Carbon Literacy training and Master Your Sustainable Leadership.   

Alongside this, I was also a member of the Economics Society. 

 

What advice do you have for someone considering studying at Queen’s Business School?   

Queen’s Business School offers amazing facilities, and the new Student Hub is state-of-the-art - I envy those who get to use it now that the development has finished!   

Lecturers are personable, approachable and experts within their fields - avail of their expertise.  

Understand what your course offers you, particularly beyond Year 1 - as your time at Queen’s Business School progresses you will likely become clearer about what is of interest/not of interest to you. Whilst Queen’s are very accommodating, in some cases it is not possible thus be sure to review modules/pathways for the later stages of your undergraduate degree. 

 

What career advice would you give someone looking to go down a similar career path as you?    

Reach out! Quality of work is a big thing and applied both to my internship and my current role. Employers want to see that you can deliver high-quality, timely work. University assessments are a great way of showcasing your written ability through essays and presentations, so use the fact an employer may want to see some examples as an extra motivating factor.  

Basic skills such as PowerPoint and Excel, perhaps even some Data Analysis/Viz e.g. SQL, PowerBI and Tableau, will also make you really stand out from the crowd. 

  

What has been your career highlight so far?   

The highlight of my career so far is when I was the lead author on the economic collateral developed for the Northern Ireland Investment Summit 2023. 

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