Cameron Bateman
2018 Economics BSc graduate Cameron is Buyside OMS Account Manager at Bloomberg LP in London, UK.
Interview
Since graduating, what have you gone on to do?
After graduating, I wanted to stay in Newcastle for the summer and enjoy a final few months in such a great city, before moving to London. I was fortunate enough to be offered a summer internship by one of my lecturers, where I was able to use some of the skills picked up throughout my final year. I helped produce a lot of research and provided material for a government project regarding the valuation of a human life.
Whilst completing my internship, I was also looking for jobs in London within finance (particularly Asset Management). I was offered a job by the BMO (Bank of Montreal) in London. I chose this because the job allowed me to work across front, middle and back office. As a recent graduate at the time, it was invaluable in gaining an understanding of how the business works. I'd been involved with trade settlements and resolution of issues that have arisen, corporate action events, collateral and pledge account movements, cash and stock reconciliations, and much more. I learnt a huge amount about the lifecycle of a trade, including some derivative contracts, and gained an insight into managing a portfolio of assets. I also spend some time dealing with both internal and external queries and completing monthly reporting.
At the start of 2021, I started a new role at Bloomberg as AIM Trade Desk - EMEA Analytics.
Is the above what you planned to do before starting university?
I wanted to work in the city of London, and probably within a finance-related role, but I really didn't have much more of an idea than that. I was very open to different career paths, and I think that was a good thing, as it led me into what I wanted to do after university anyway.
What was your favourite thing about your course?
I think the diversity of the course was the best thing for me. It covers such a vast amount of content, and so many different elements of Economics. This challenges you to push the boundaries of what you think you can achieve and makes you a more capable individual entering the workplace.
Did you do a placement year/study abroad/summer internship during you time at Newcastle?
I chose to do a placement at the end of second year. I applied for a variety of jobs but chose to work for UBS Asset Management in London. Here, I worked within Fund Finance for a flagship UK Real Estate Fund. I provided cash flow forecasts for the Fund Manager and had responsibility for multi-million pound transactions. I also collated and analysed data for month end reporting and liaised with both internal and external property managers. This was my first introduction to Asset Management and I really enjoyed it, however I wanted to work with Equities rather than Real Estate. I gained the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) during the year, and the combination of this and my experience helped put me in the role I am currently in.
What extra-curricular activities were you involved with during your time here?
I am a very passionate skier, so was on the annual NUSSC ski trips. I also played quite a bit of Squash, as well as 5-a-side football on a weekly basis.
How do you see future technologies and new ways of working (future of work) affecting your sector?
With increased automation, it's true that lots of jobs will be automated in any industry. However, with this I think comes a shift in job roles. An oversight and understanding of the business will always be needed, and there will be people employed to make the technology work. It's why it is important to be reasonably technological so that we can keep up with the changing environment we work in.
Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
I don’t know what the future holds for me just yet but I certainly want to be seen as someone with a reasonable amount of expertise in the industry. This should open up a variety of options, some of which will be more outward-facing than my current position.
Always say yes and get involved. Opportunities rarely come from saying no or not doing anything!