27 91 2018
While studying at the University, I really wanted to maximise my learning experiences to help me reach my goals. It is often said that hard skills will get you an interview but you need soft skills to get (and keep) the job. With this in mind, the Business School offers many optional courses, classes and programmes, outwith the Masters programmes,that can help you to develop your hard skills and soft skills. This time I wanted to share my experiences of some of the classes and programmes that I have found useful in developing my skills and knowledge.
The Edinburgh Award
There are many versions of this programme in the University, and the one that I am participating in is the Edinburgh Award for Professional Development that is delivered by the Business School. In this programme, we are required to set out a vision of our ideal self, to reflect on our current "self", and to develop a plan that will help us get there.
I found this programme very helpful as it has challenged me to develop new skills and knowledge. It pushes me to optimise my time to engage in various activities, classes, and courses, which have benefited my professional development. I worked with a coach who was a Business School staff member and was also paired with a “buddy,” who was another student doing the Edinburgh Award. The coach and buddy helped me to reflect on myself to better understand my strengths and weaknesses.
Another good thing about this programme is that it is not demanding time-wise. We are supported to shape a development plan and execute it in our own time. This flexibility is important, since most of the time we are busy with assignments and studying. At the end of the programme, all students who took part will receive an award as recognition from the University that award will appear as an entry in our Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR).
if you are interested in finding out details of the program you can get more information from
Bloomberg Marketing Concepts
Being a student at the Business School means that I have had the privilege of accessing many precious data sources like the , one of the leading software systems providing real time financial market data and analysis. This terminal also provides access to a Bloomberg Marketing Concept (BMC) course, which is an eight hour self-paced e-learning course that provides a visual introduction to financial markets. I found this course very useful and interesting since it is delivered in a visual and interactive way.
Masterclass: A Practical History of Financial Markets
There are many masterclasses offered by the Business School, including one which I attended called 'A Practical History of Financial Markets'. By and large, this masterclass explained several techniques that are used to value stock markets; the different investment conditions during periods of inflation, disinflation and deflation; the monetary theory of asset prices; and behavioural finance. I found the materials very useful and complementary to what I have learnt in lectures. The masterclass was also attended by professionals and was designed to encourage discussion and problem solving opportunities. We were divided into teams, and after being presented with materials, we were given time to discuss and find solutions to several current challenges. Thus, this class also helped me to improve my communication skills.
So, those are some of the optional classes and programmes that I have participated in at the School so far. As students we will often have the opportunity to attend of these additional programmes for free. I really encourage you to take part in these if you can, since they can have a significant impact on your professional development.
Deddy, MSc Finance