Akaash Rajput
2017 Quantitative Finance and Risk Management MSc graduate Akaash is Real Estate Data Architect and Insights Manager at PwC in London, UK.
Since graduating, what have you gone on to do?
Following my postgraduate studies I decided to travel before beginning my career. I worked as a Pricing Analyst for 6 months before flying to South East Asia for 6 months to try something different. Shortly after I returned I moved to London to start my new role as a Business Analyst. The position did not best utilise my financial expertise so I continued to pursue a more suitable role and soon after, I managed to secure a position at PwC in Deal Advisory.
Is the above what you planned to do before starting university?
I had very little direction prior to starting university. During my studies I changed my mind several times before really being sure. In fact, it wasn’t until I’d returned from my travels (a year after completing my postgraduate studies) that I was confident in where I wanted to work!
What was your favourite thing about your course?
The course was well structured and did not assume any prior financial knowledge which was helpful since my undergraduate studies was Mathematics. It was well suited to my background as it was (as the name suggests) more on the quantitative side of finance whilst still providing the theory to demonstrate its application.
Were you involved in any other extra curriculum activities or societies during your time here?
I was involved in the Newcastle University Investment Society which I co-founded in 2016. Most of my other hobbies were outside of the University societies.
How do you see future technologies and new ways of working (Future of Work) affecting your sector?
My particular stream of Deals (Financial Decisions and Analysis) has emerged straight out of the changes we are seeing in technology. Deal advisory is able to go much further with the use of better data analytics and visualisation tools to help deliver data driven insights to our clients. Being tech savvy and open to new and changing technologies is becoming more and more compulsory!
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I may specialise in a particular sector where I can truly utilise my expertise and interests in tandem or I may continue on to become a Senior Manager in Deals advisory where I am more involved in client acquisition and managing projects which drive growth in their business.
Make use of the Business School’s subscriptions and other utilities, Financial Times can become quite the expense after studying and Bloomberg terminal experience may come in handy!