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Catching up with Ben
Ben studied Law with Business in the Business School, he graduated in 2013 with a First Class degree. He got in touch to tell us about what he’s doing now.
“I started my degree in 2010 at the Moulsecoomb campus and was already living in Brighton so I didn’t have to worry about a big move. I loved my course; I liked the fact that most lecturers were very friendly and approachable. There were some great opportunities for me, for example, I spent a day at Lincoln’s Inn which included lunching with legal professionals. I was also the Course Rep and part of the Law Society, I made some great friends who I’m still in touch with.
My degree taught me excellent communication, analytical and research skills that allow me to walk into a room with FTSE100 executive committee members and be able to hold a conversation and build relationships. What I miss most is having several weeks to produce a report, now I have to produce much larger reports in much shorter timeframes.
I was lucky enough to land an internship at Wilbury Stratton in Brighton soon after graduating and since then I haven’t looked back. I started as an intern, then about half way through, I had a dance off with someone at the Christmas party and my boss, who thought it was hilarious, offered me a full time job. I love that at Wilbury, we work really hard and play hard too. I then worked as a Research Analyst for eleven months before being promoted to a Research Consultant.
The job has given me a really good insight into alternative careers to law. I’ve always been interested in banking but wasn’t sure if it was for me so the good thing about working here is that I get the chance to work in lots of different sectors. I get to work with companies and people from all over the world. This job is going to give me an amazing platform to do whatever I want to do in the future. I’d like to study for an MBA and spend time volunteering either at home or abroad.
One of the best things I’ve learnt in my job at Wilbury Stratton is how to work in an office environment and how to use data bases which isn’t something I learnt at uni. Talking to people, like CEOs or directors, who earn huge salaries has been great too because I’ve learnt how to interact with people at all levels.
I love that the company is small; we get access to some of the biggest companies in the world because we’re small and we all share responsibility. We’re a close knit team and with great working relationships. We often have socials; since I’ve been there, we’ve been to Go Ape, the races, played beach volleyball, had amazing Christmas parties and we go out for drinks and meals quite often, we’re a very social bunch and it’s nice to work somewhere where you can get on with people in and out of the office.
My advice for any intern is to be keen to learn, don’t expect that you won’t be given responsibility and muck in as much as possible. Listen in on meetings or conference calls, get your face known to people and immerse yourself in the job.”
Fancy staying in Brighton once you graduate? Wilbury Stratton are hiring! They’re on the look out for a new intern, find out more and apply here.