Your Future Starts Now

Your Future Starts Now Albert Linney graduated from the University of Exeter in 2017 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.  He talked to us about life after Exeter, using the Career Zone to get ahead, and making the most of your time at Uni.   Life is sweet for Albert after Exeter What have you been up to since graduating in June? Ive always been fascinated by global economics so after graduation, I travelled around India and Sri Lanka for six weeks. It was an extremely informative experience, meeting so many amazing people along the way. It inspired me to work with emerging economies like India later in my professional career, though quite how, Im not sure just yet. I managed to bag a graduate job at a large multinational trading company as a Junior Agricultural Commodities Trader, but was also inspired during my philosophy modules to give writing a go so Ive actually been doing some freelance remote blogging for a company called Cluboid. Studying a split focus degree like PPE just made me hungry to try all sorts of avenues to be honest. Id always worried that selecting a degree would pigeonhole me, or mean I was only considered for one specific field, but its been quite the opposite. It seems to just have opened tonnes more doors. Id always worried that selecting a degree would pigeonhole me, or mean I was only considered for one specific field, but its been quite the opposite. How did you find these opportunities? Right from the start of my 3 years at Exeter, I made sure I was hooked up to the Career Zone email alerts I was getting notified weekly with opportunities ranging from CV boosters to interview advice. The Career Zone was of particular help in preparation for the final round interviews for Graduate applications conducting mock interviews was a massive help. How did you prepare for the life of a graduate? Whilst at university I was keen to keep myself occupied. This meant that when I wasnt in lectures or the library, I participated in the French and Debating Societies, as well as in Boxing and the Officer Training Corps (A British Armed Forces initiative for Uni students to learn army-related skills and experience). I even acted as president of the PPE society where I was directly responsible for the running of a society consisting of over 100 members. During the summers, Id occupy my time with internships. I found the continuation of work experience prepared me excellently for graduate job applications, because I was that much more accustomed to the business acumen and how to conduct myself in a professional environment. How did your time at Exeter influence  your future? I owe a lot to my tutors, two of which stand out for me in particular. Firstly, Gary Abrahams was a great source of inspiration. Having been a huge economic success even in spite of the 2008 financial crash, I was so enamoured by his insights. His approach to the Economics of Financial Crises module was inspired, with a heavy focus on morality and changing behavioural standards in the finance world. Insight like that made me feel like I was approaching the field with something to give. Secondly, Lenny Moss my Philosophical Anthropology lecturer is an absolute expert in his field. He inspired me greatly towards further education. In fact, Im currently in application for my masters in Politics and International Relations at Kings. What would you tell your First Year self in retrospect? I would have loved to have gotten more involved with the sporting side of Exeter being one of the top sports Universities in the country. Im pretty injury prone though, so I would have perhaps have told my first-year self to take rehab and physio more seriously. Maybe then I could have! What has the future got in store for you? Im still intrigued by International Relations a subset of politics. My dissertation focused on the North Korean nuclear situation and the Obama Administration so working for an NGO or political think-tank to address current issues such as this would be the big dream. Having said that, the nature of my course has made me hugely interested in so many different roles and areas, so quite honestly who knows.