School of Law
Graduate fast-tracks to corporate world
Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:06:00 GMT
When it dawned upon a soon-to-be graduate that he was about to enter the ‘real world’, he was unsure what career path he should take.
Olly Strawbridge, 23, of Cheddar, Somerset, had excelled as a History student at the University of Portsmouth and his tutor had suggested he stay on and enrol in the Master’s programme.
Although Olly enjoyed the subject, he couldn’t see himself pursuing it as a career. Instead, he turned his attention to finding a route into the corporate world which led to him begin studying for his Master’s degree in Corporate Governance and Law.
Because the course also carries the professionally recognised Chartered Secretary qualification, Olly managed to secure a job as a Company Secretarial Assistant before graduating.
He said: “I now work in the head office of a FTSE 250 global corporate; something I am pleased to have achieved so early in my career.
“Everything I learnt on my Master’s is directly relevant to the work I do now. In this respect, choosing a career-specific post-grad course really was beneficial.
Olly stayed on in Portsmouth after graduating and now works in Whiteley, near Fareham.
He said: “I didn't know what career I wanted to pursue following A levels. I decided it was best to go to university to study something I was good at and enjoyed, so I enrolled at Portsmouth to read History.
“Towards the end of my degree it dawned upon me that I was about to enter the real world and didn't really have a plan. All I knew is that I wanted to be successful, both in terms of having a rewarding career and financially.
“A friend told me about the Corporate Governance and Law/Grad.ICSA course which I soon viewed as a ‘golden gateway’. It was a way of accessing the corporate world and therefore provided the potential for the rewarding career I was looking for.”
Olly successfully applied to work as Company Secretarial Assistant for Chemring Group PLC before he graduated in 2011; initially working part-time to enable him to complete his dissertation.
He said: “I haven't looked back since.
“Most people in similar jobs are having to study while working full-time to achieve the ICSA qualification.
“I know some people at university who struggled to get work, others who got work related to their degree, and others who got unrelated work. The Corporate Governance and Law course was good in this respect as the ICSA accreditation provided a route into a fulfilling and financially rewarding profession. As with any job, it helped that I had relevant work experience which I had undertaken throughout my Master’s year.
Olly has remained in contact with the University; mentoring current post-graduate students wishing to follow in his footsteps.