Preparing for a Future in Finance - An Interview with the Essex Business School Student Recruitment Team

When choosing A levels and planning your next steps, it’s easy to feel like you’re navigating in the dark. This interview blog aims to shed light on what aspiring finance students can do now to strengthen their university applications and future career prospects. We sat down with the Student Recruitment Team at Essex Business School (EBS) to discuss preparing to study finance and/or banking at university.

Many students worry about whether they’re choosing college in terms of courses and subjects. What would you say to them?

It’s fantastic when students start thinking ahead early. If you’re already considering a future in finance, your college choices can absolutely give you a strong foundation—but what really sets applicants apart is how they build on that foundation. For example, if you're doing a general business course, share why the finance elements stood out to you; if you’re studying economics, discuss the transferable skills and knowledge.

We always encourage students to explore extracurricular activities. These aren’t just CV boosters; they deepen your understanding of the subject and help you feel more confident when you eventually step into a finance degree. An example of this would be an extended project diploma or any work experience or real-world experience you may have had as part of your college course.

What kinds of extracurricular activities can students look into now?

There’s a lot you can do, and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Short online courses, like introductory finance or financial markets modules on platforms such as LinkedIn, UniFrog, edX or FutureLearn, are a great starting point.

Also, something as simple as regularly reading The Financial Times or The Economist can give you a real sense of how markets behave and how businesses make decisions. These activities show curiosity, initiative and a willingness to engage with the real world of finance and banking.

How does Essex Business School help students turn that early interest into real career readiness?

At Essex Business School, we’re all about bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world practice. Finance isn’t just something you learn from a textbook and a traditional lecture; it’s something you need to get hands-on with. That’s why our undergraduate finance and banking degrees combine rigorous academic teaching with hands-on skills development. An example of this would be regular seminars on our Bloomberg Trading Floor, where you can become familiar and proficient in one of the top financial trading systems.

We also offer placement years and internships, giving students the chance to gain real workplace experience before they graduate. Some examples of recent student placements would be Deloitte, IBM, JP Morgan and many more.

What would you say to a student who’s just starting to explore finance as a potential path?

Keep going. Your curiosity is already taking you in the right direction. The more you explore now, the more confident you’ll feel when you step into university life.

And of course, we’d love to support you on that journey, whether that’s through our programmes, our community, or the opportunities we offer to help you grow into a future leader in banking, investment, consulting and beyond.

If you’d like help navigating your next steps or want to learn more about studying finance at Essex Business School, the team is always happy to chat. We also have several open events coming up where you can come and experience finance and banking with us firsthand.