Wealth Management Executive & Investment Analyst

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi :) I’m Navleen, I graduated with my Bachelor's in Economics in 2021.

Why did you choose to study Economics at Royal Holloway and what did you enjoy most about your course?

Economics provides us with a lens through which we can identify the cause of many of our societal issues. It is through uncovering the input variables that we are able to provide solutions which can nudge our world towards optimal outcomes. I wanted to study Economics in order to better understand the underlying mechanisms, so I can be thrown into the world with the tools to offer solutions which can make a difference. Royal Holloway is in the top quartile of UK universities of which research is considered ‘internationally excellent’. I wanted to study at a university which proactively research hypothesises in order to develop a valid understanding of truths. I wanted to be at the forefront of this uncovering. I enjoyed the flexibility in my course to delve into topics which I found most intriguing. Once building the foundational knowledge in my first and second years, we were given the opportunity to choose a wider variety of courses in our final year to self-select our breadth of knowledge. I particularly enjoyed studying the Philosophy of Economics and the Economics of Warfare. These subjects moved my understanding far beyond the usual deliverance of foundational micro and macroeconomics. Compiling my dissertation stretched my skills far beyond any other task in my academic career. With the kind and consistent support of my supervisor, I developed a research paper on the Assimilation of Children within the South Asian Community. This allowed me to apply all of the tools I had been provided with to a topic I found deeply interesting and became my own personal project. The topic has continued to be of interest after graduating and I still find myself considering applications.

Tell us about your career journey since graduating and what you do now. What do you enjoy most / find most rewarding about your current role?

Since graduating, I have been working as a Wealth Management Executive & Investment Analyst. I love applying my background in Economics to financial markets and enjoy speculating movement to optimise returns for our clients. By studying Economics, I now have the knowledge to create strategies which can align our clients with their financial goals and objectives. In addition to this, I have been granted a sabbatical to travel for half a year. During this time, I will be working with an NGO in Thailand to aid a Microfinance with Financial Risk and Investment Strategies. I am excited to apply more of my knowledge to the real world in order to minimise inequality within developing nations.

What are your top tips for students thinking about a career in your line of work/study?

I would suggest networking and reaching out to people within your degree or career of interest. This will allow you to gain true insight into their experience to see if the roles and responsibilities interest you. Try to visualise yourself in their shoes and see if this would be something which would bring you joy or suppress your drive. It is always useful to develop a strong sense of commercial awareness. Not only will this allow you to deepen your understanding of topics you will learn throughout your course, it is also a skill employers love to see demonstrated during interviews. Getting into the habit of building this into your daily routine will reap rewards in the future.