Gaining Confidence through Capital Connections

Ethan Ross is an Economics student at Lancaster going into final year. Having completed various work experience opportunities including at Handelsbanken and St James’s Place, Ethan hopes to join a graduate scheme once graduating, having gained confidence to be successful having utilised services offered by GROW Your Future.?

My name is Ethan Ross, and I am a second-year economics undergraduate student. My first trip with GROW Your Future was an excellent experience and provided valuable insights into my future steps.?

On this trip, I visited several business sites and developed connections with company employees and fellow Grow Your Future members. It was a thoroughly enjoyable trip to Manchester, and I am extremely pleased that I attended.?

The trip began with a stop at McCann, a global advertising agency. I was thrilled to see how friendly everyone was and how closely connected the employees seemed to be. I was extremely interested in learning about the wide range of roles the company offers, and this visit provided an eye-opening experience into life after university.?

Afterwards, we continued into Manchester and visited PwC. My favourite part of this visit was the talk by graduate scheme workers. Learning about the various degree subjects these workers studied helped me understand the importance of transferable skills that my course provides, in addition to the degree-specific skills I gained from economics.?

Next, we visited Hilti, a company focused on making construction safer and more productive. Here, we received advice on creating an outstanding CV. They also kindly took the time to review our own CVs and provided valuable feedback. I am extremely grateful for this help. Alongside the support from GROW Your Future, I feel well-prepared to create a strong CV for any graduate jobs I apply for next year. At Hilti, we also received excellent advice about the rest of the application process for many graduate schemes, such as skills workshops and video interviews.?

Alongside the support from GROW Your Future, I feel well-prepared to create a strong CV for any graduate jobs.

Following a successful visit to Hilti, we headed towards the Digital Security Hub (DiSH). At DiSH, we heard from several interesting people with diverse skills and backgrounds who gave advice on becoming entrepreneurs and working in the technology industry. After this talk, we had the chance to explore the beautiful city of Manchester.?

After exploring Manchester, we returned to DiSH to attend a networking event. At this event, we listened to Lancaster University alumni who shared their successes and struggles after graduation. We then had the opportunity to speak personally with a wide range of alumni, and I received great advice from these conversations.?

Overall, it was an extremely enjoyable trip, and I am very thankful to the GROW Your Future team and all the businesses we visited for the fantastic opportunity.?

Capital Connections happens during the Easter Vacation period. You can register your interest in attending here - https://lancasteruni.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9QSzwiZfRrLworc