Two Bradford School of Management work placement successes return to find new staff

Lyndsey Shaw and Waheed Ali both did a one year work placement for the companies they now work for.

Lyndsey, who graduated in Accounting and Finance BSc in 2006, is now a partner at Sterling Corporate Finance, and Waheed Ali, who graduated from the same course in 2013, works at 1825, a financial planning company part of the Standard Life Group.

Both Lyndsey and Waheed returned to the School of Management for the ‘Keeping Talent in Yorkshire’ event in a bid to source talented students for placements, internships and potential graduate jobs for their respective companies.

The event gives businesses from across Yorkshire a chance to meet a group of pre-screened first and second year students.

Lyndsey, pictured right talking to students at Keeping Talent in Yorkshire, clearly impressed Sterling because when her 12-month period was coming to an end the partners said they would like to offer her a job when she completed her degree.

“I was over the moon when I was offered a graduate job,” said Lyndsey. “I had always wanted to be an accountant and planned to take the traditional route of working for three years in audit whilst I studied for my qualifications.

“During my time on placement at Sterling I realised that the audit side of things wasn’t for me - Sterling doesn’t do audit or tax, it’s purely corporate finance, so I was really pleased when I was offered a graduate job.”

Sterling also took Lyndsey on for one afternoon a week while she was studying in her final year, so that she could keep up-to-date with developments at the company.

Lyndsey says studying at Bradford School of Management played a big part in enabling her to realise her ambitions.

“I really enjoyed my time at the School of Management," she said. "It’s a lovely campus and the staff, both teaching and support staff, were always very helpful. There was always a nice atmosphere at the campus which I found engendered a positive attitude towards studying.

“I am from Bradford and had always planned to go away to university but a close family friend was on the University of Bradford board at the time and he told me all about the School of Management and how well it was doing in the league tables.”

She added: “After visiting I was sold - even though it meant staying at home!”

After Lyndsey joined Sterling, the firm did not take a placement student for the next few years. However, recently the company has started taking placement students again, and chooses to source them from the School of Management.

Lyndsey said: “Humaas Khan is our second placement student since we reinstated the programme. We are planning to take another student at the end of this year, making it our third year.”

“The job that the student does at Sterling is a real job, if we didn’t employ a student then we would have to go to the market and employ somebody else to do it.

Waheed got his role with 1825 also after securing a year placement with the firm as part of his course.

He said: “During my placement at 1825 I was given the opportunity to engage in many projects which allowed me to show my skills to senior management.

“It was a fantastic experience which allowed me to work for a global company and view business from a very high level.

“Once I graduated I contacted 1825 and they have me a job with an immediate start without an interview!

“The company has now offered to pay for my Chartered Insurance Institute exams and they have tailored a graduate programme to suit me.”

Waheed added that he chose Bradford for its excellent reputation, as well as the School having a resemblance to the alma mater of Harry Potter.

“Other than its uncanny resemblance to Hogwarts, Bradford School of Management has the coveted Triple Crown of accreditations. It’s also ranked number one in the whole of Yorkshire,” he said.

Waheed’s manager at 1825, Kath McKenna said the partnership with the School of Management has been very successful.

“We have been working with the School of Management for a number of years and attended the first ever careers event,” she said.

“It gives us access to high calibre candidates for our internships and placements and we are often spoilt for choice. We have provided internships for seven students, placement years for two and have employed two alumni.”