Katharine Lennon
Credit Research Analyst, Bank of America Securities
MSc Business with Accounting & Finance (2018 - 2019)

Tell us about yourself and your background. 

I am originally from Cheshire and studied my undergraduate degree at Warwick in Politics, International Studies and Quantitative Methods before beginning my masters degree at Warwick Business School. 

Why did you decide to study at WBS? 

As I was already a Warwick student when applying for my postgraduate degree, I was aware of the international reputation of Warwick Business School. I wanted to do a masters degree to enhance my employability, specifically in finance, and I felt that Warwick Business School would be helpful not only through the relevant course content for financial roles but also through the careers service they offered.? 

What does your job involve? 

The role of a research analyst involves analysing and interpreting information in order to form a view on a particular area of the market. Analysts spend a lot of time undertaking detailed research within their particular area of focus to form their view which they will then distil into research reports. 

?How did the course you studied help you prepare for your role??

The MSc course was very useful in preparing me for my role. The course covered a wide range of subjects which were very relevant for a job in research. For instance, I was able to take modules in accounting, which is helpful for the analysis of company reports and then also develop knowledge in business and finance, both of which form key parts of the overall analysis undertaken in research. The wide range of skills gained through the course have really benefited me in my day-to-day role.? 

?What do you enjoy most about your role? 

I really like the varied nature of my role - I like the challenge of absorbing large amounts of information and distilling this into an overall view and I have learnt a huge amount since starting work. I enjoy meeting colleagues from around the world and the different perspectives they provide. 

What were the key things you took?away from your course? How have they helped you in your career? 

The WBS course was very focused on preparing students for the workplace environment, encouraging collaboration between students with regular group work assignments to complement course material. WBS frequently put on various extra-curricular events, including talks from professionals or institutions which enabled students to gain a variety of perspectives that helped when applying to jobs. 

?How did things change for you on completing your course? 

Having completed an internship and placement in various roles during my undergraduate degree, I realised that a WBS MSc would allow me to make stronger applications to positions. I applied to Bank of America’s Internship programme while completing my course at WBS and gained a place on the Credit Research Internship the following summer, based in London. At the end of the summer, I was offered a role on the programme commencing in January which led to me moving from Leamington Spa (where I was based for my Masters course) to London to start the job. 

Did you utilise the?WBS CareersPlus team whilst you were studying at WBS??How did they help you?

Yes, whilst at WBS I met with the CareersPlus team when initially making my applications and they were able to offer me advice on the?application process. The team offered tailored CV advice which I utilised - I found the team to be really knowledgeable with tips on how I could make my CV stand out, and they helped me prepare for interviews and assessment centres. I also found the CareersPlus site a very useful resource when making my applications - particularly the section which gave details of all of the career-related events and company presentations taking place on campus as it enabled me to organise my time efficiently during this period in order to get the most information out of the events on offer. 

?What would you say to someone thinking of applying?for your course at WBS? 

Go right ahead - it carries weight with potential employers, enhances your CV and gives you the opportunity to study with some very interesting people. The quality of teaching is excellent and the course content is very relevant for a wide range of roles.