Louise Hooper

BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance

Louise spent a valuable placement year working as a Junior Analyst with Clearwater Corporate Finance. What surprised her most? Just how much she loved the experience….

A thoroughly enjoyable experience

"Going into an environment where I didn’t know anyone was really daunting to me, but everyone was really welcoming. This placement year has been much more than I expected. It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable experience! I’ve met some great people and will take some fond memories with me when I leave. The whole company went on holiday to Ibiza in June, so this was definitely one of the highlights!"

Extra work, new experience

"I’m currently completing an extra 8eight weeks with the company, after being asked to stay on. I’m working in a part of the company where the work is completely different and its allowing me to extend my skills base further and giving me experience in dealing with a different part of the corporate finance cycle."

Learning valuable skills

"I had a few issues with time management at the start of the placement as I wasn’t used to dealing with so much work at the same time. I was also just accepting work from everyone who needed help without actually thinking if I had the capacity to do it or not. Once I established a framework (how long will it take, when does it need to be done by, is it a priority or not) I was able to resolve this."

In-depth support

"The Placements Office was great in helping me out with applying for placements. They helped with my CV and covering letter, telling me how to improve and tailor them to suit each role; and what to do in interviews, what questions may be asked and how to tackle these. They were also very much on hand throughout the placement to deal with any problems."

The experience to set you apart

"In my opinion, a year’s worth of experience is what sets you apart from other graduates. I can prove to other employers that I know how to put theory into practice. It’s also allowed me to enhance my skills base and has boosted my confidence."

A definite recommendation

"I think that the one thing that put me off doing a placement was the thought of having to get up early and go to work all day, every day for a year. I realised that it wasn’t as bad as I thought and it’s definitely prepared me for the future, as it’s something I’ll have to do for the rest of my life! I would most definitely recommend a placement to other students. You get to differentiate yourself from others and get great exposure to a working environment."