Young Leaders Interview Series : Evelyn Anyiri Business Blog

Posted on: 2 January 2013
By: Westminster Business School Blog
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Filed under: Student Life

Can you please tell me a little bit about yourself? (Briefly about what you are studying etc.)

I am a final year undergraduate studying BSc (Hons) Accounting with Management. I have worked as a Student Ambassador for the University of Westminster for almost two years and I have interned with the New City Initiative at Stanhope Capital to understand and gain experience in the financial services industry, particularly in private wealth management. I am passionate about education so I also volunteered to be University Associate in Schools as an A Level Economics teaching assistant and higher education mentor. I currently serve as President of The Accounting & Management Society which I jointly founded last year.

How did you decide to study at Westminster Business School?

At College I studied a range of business related subjects and wanted to study a degree as versatile as my interests. I was really drawn to the degrees on offer at Westminster Business School because I could still pursue explore other areas of business while specialising in a particular area of business. The courses are tailored to make them really relevant to industry so have a strong understanding of theory and the chance to debate current issues happening now. The real icing on the cake was being able to bank exemptions with the ACCA while I studied so I study towards two qualifications at the same time.

I am really glad I decided to study here because the other students on the course are amazing personalities. We work really closely together and during the years I have formed strong friendships with students from different years that I hope will last for many years to come.

How and when did you get involved in the Accounting & Management Society?

The Accounting & Management Society started as a light hearted conversation I had with a friend Lydia Quartey before a lecture in my penultimate year. We noticed that there was a missing bridge between what students wanted to know and how it was being provided.

We wanted to do something about it from the grass roots in a way that created opportunities for students to talk to each other and take active responsibility for their own careers. After the conversation, we started the society. In one year, what started as a dream of two people registering a little known society has become a widely known society in Westminster Business School shy of 500 members and growing every week.

What do you think of the social learning platform?

I think it is a wonderful opportunity to make education and learning a collaborative experience. I learn so much from others and my ideas are often made better by working with others. In industry, the interconnected nature of business means that learning to work with other people from different disciplines and cultures is an important life skill. The opportunity to practice this life skill through the social learning platform on our courses makes our university experience relevant and forward thinking.

If you were asked to give one piece of advice to students then what would it be?

The most important advice I would give is to believe in yourself and your abilities. I know it is easier said than done but university is designed to challenge you and bring out the best in you. Sometimes it is hard to maintain that energy and optimism especially when you are working independently or do not achieve the grade you had wanted.

I found the best way for me to keep believing in myself is having many friends studying different courses across the Business School for two main reasons. The first reason is that they can relate you because we are all going through the same thing so we can support each other. Secondly, other students are happy to share their tips and experiences so you avoid common mistakes.

How do you relax out of school work? What are your interests/leisure activities?

Studying in the heart of London means there is always something going on so I am never bored or short of something to experience. I am quite a creative person and a big fan of the arts so when I have time I like to visit museum exhibitions or learn something new. The Westminster Business School has a really interesting exhibition space for contemporary arts on campus called Ambika P3 which I really enjoyed visiting between lectures. When I am not exploring London, I spend my time getting lost in classic literature or the Economist to stay current on world affairs which means I always have something interesting to talk about!

Everyone is talking about employability skills what do you think is the best way to increase your employability skills during your academic studies?

Make sure you invest your time making a positive contribution that reflects your interests or career ambitions. I find that many students do not realise they need to justify why they want to pursue a particular career so often struggle when writing applications or sit interviews. Employers are flooded with students with good quality degrees but what they really want are students who have shown they can make a difference. It shows initiative and makes you stand out from the crowd.

I have learnt the best way to do this is to create opportunities from everyday situations. Talk to everyone and anyone you meet, Westminster Business School is not the place to be shy! It is usually hard at first but as you get to know other people on your course or other courses who have similar ambitions as you do, you learn about so many opportunities you never knew existed!

We all know that student life is hard work! How do you manage to balance your studies with all the extra-curricular activities?

Having good time management is often repeated so many times at Westminster Business School but it is so important. I like to plan my day so I could not leave the house without my organiser to know my schedule for the day. I have handy 60 minute reminders so if I forgotten I have to be somewhere I have 60 minutes to make it! Studying in university is intense and increases as the years progress, giving yourself enough time to complete assignments and revising as you go along means you minimise last minute stress.

What does the future hold? Where do you see yourself in five years? time?

I would definitely say the future is bright right now. I feel really confident in what I have learnt and developed strong transferable skills. I would like to complete a few professional qualifications while I am still used to studying independently. I like being organised so a career helping others keeping their finances organised would appeal to me so in five years? time I would ideally like to be a highly experienced consultant in private wealth management or tax advisory as those are the two career paths that appeal to me right now.

Source: http://blog.business.westminster.ac.uk/blog/2013/01/02/young-leaders-interview-series-evelyn-anyiri/

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