Industry insider

There's a wide variety of graduate positions on offer within the alcoholic drink industry. The roles available are quite diverse and can suit graduates from vastly different disciplines including science, marketing, finance, arts and horticulture.

While certain skills are useful in every career path, individual talent and experience are always well rewarded.  The industry is very accommodating to recent graduates and there is a strong demand for individuals who are enthusiastic about the products being sold; if you have a passion for wine, beer and/or spirits, you'll do well! 

Jenny Molloy, an Assistant Underwriter, tells us about what it’s like to work for a medium-sized insurance firm in the City of London, plus tips on how to make a good application.

Hello there!

While the world’s attention is focused on Greece, it may be worth taking a moment to acknowledge a startling economic shift in the fortunes of Spain – which recently posted a 2.6% growth rate for this year.

A note on Fiona Richardson’s blog over at King’s College London about an investment bank recruiting students with an interest in foreign affairs prompts me to remind readers of a number of posts over the last few years that showcase a number of politics students creating careers in the City and financial services.

As businesses compete for talent, expand into new markets and accelerate innovation, diversity and inclusiveness is a source of competitive advantage.

If HSBC does move to Hong Kong, its balance sheet will dwarf Hong Kong’s GDP by 10 times.

Reflecting on the last two blog posts which show that junior investment bankers at Morgan Stanley get paid the most and work the fewest hours – might this make it the most attractive proposition for graduates?

In 2014 Goldman Sachs paid its workers an average of £245k each. Morgan Stanley, meanwhile paid almost exactly half of this amount.

This graph (sourced from Wall Street Oasis & eFinancialCareers), shows Morgan Stanley comfortably heading the fewest-hours league. However, this should come with a note of caution – investment banks are large and multi-faceted institutions, and hours aren’t typically uniformly spread between divisions - or even teams. If you’ve been lucky enough to bag yourself an investment banking role for the summer or autumn – you might typically expect to work between 50 and 90 hours per week – and hopefully closer to the former!