Dominic Thackray (BSc Computing, 2017)

I joined The University of Buckingham to study Applied Computing, following A-Levels. The draw to Buckingham was the small class sizes, a course covering a broad range of topics and the ability to study over the course of two years, with my aim to get into industry as soon as possible.

The way that the course was structured was fantastic; I liked the fact that the ‘non-technical’ sides of industry were also covered, encompassing the importance of project management and understanding customers’ needs.

Part of the course that I really enjoyed was the projects. These tended to involve creating a piece of software or system to achieve a task. The problem solving element of this, logically looking at a situation and producing a solution independently is certainly a desirable skill that employers look for.

Following the completion of my Bachelors Degree, I went to work for a Financial Advice company, who dealt predominantly with the management of private wealth and financial planning. Part of my initial role involved streamlining some of their processes, though I quickly transitioned to being fully involved with assisting with a clients financial planning on a daily basis, having found that I had a natural aptitude for conversing with clients, as well as the analysis side of establishing a client’s financial situation.

I recently achieved my Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning from the CII, and have since moved to a larger company, Cave & Sons Ltd, to begin training as a practicing Financial Adviser, initially involving structured reporting and product analysis for clients in a Paraplanning role.

Though private wealth management is very different to some of the typical roles a graduate of computing will experience, the transferable skills of logical thinking, working to understand clients’ needs and the analytical skills that have been developed throughout the course at Buckingham help me to this day.