Victoria Wills
2016 Economics BSc graduate Victoria is Vice President, Private Wealth Management Capital Markets and Chief of Staff & Product Development at Goldman Sachs in London, UK.
Interview
Since graduating, what have you gone on to do?
Since graduating I started a full-time job at Goldman Sachs on their graduate scheme. This job offer was a result of completing a year-long placement at Goldman Sachs. I joined the Operations division in 2016 where I was in a middle office team responsible for equity derivatives support for the trading and sales desk. I did this role for a year and a half and then I moved into a Sales team within the Private Bank at Goldman Sachs. I am now working on a cross-asset sales desk with a client base from across EMEA who are mainly family offices and high net worth individuals.
Is the above what you planned to do before starting university?
No, I really was not sure what I wanted to do and I did not know much about the financial sector and investment banking. Throughout my study of economics I gained an interest in financial markets and businesses, which encouraged me to start looking at internships in the sector.
What was your favourite thing about your course?
The course was very broad in terms of the modules we could choose. I really liked this, especially during my final year as I could focus on subject areas that I found the most interesting.
Did you do a placement year/study abroad/summer internship during you time at Newcastle?
Yes I did a year-long work placement at Goldman Sachs, in-between my second and third year. This was based at the London office. I was working in a trading middle office supporting six different equity derivatives trading and sales desks. We were responsible for trade reconciliation and risk management. I returned in a similar team but focused more upon corporate action risk support.
What extra-curricular activities were you involved with during your time here?
I was involved in a variety of societies, including netball, Fresher's week rep, the Entrepreneurial Society, and the Economic Society.
How do you see future technologies and new ways of working (future of work) affecting your sector?
Technology is having a huge impact on the financial sector. Clients want straight through processing – from trade orders all the way to settlement. It’s absolutely essential to improve technology to stay competitive in this industry.
Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
I hope to be still having a successful career at Goldman Sachs – I’d like to think I’d be managing a team and helping to grow the business.
Networking is key – at university you will meet so many interesting people who will go on to work for the top companies in the world. Try to keep up with these connections as you never know if they will open up opportunities for you in the future.