Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations, with a minor in Spanish, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and International Business
Keen on an internationally focused career in business finance, James decided on double degree studies around international business relations and the Spanish language.
"After a trip to South America in 2015, I decided to focus my studies on international business and was eager to learn to speak Spanish," he says.
When the opportunity came to complete an MGMT 390 Intern Consulting Project with UC, James took it on to further develop his degree knowledge and learn the "ins and outs of banking services".
"I was able to see how my university theory was put into practice in the real world," he says. "The internship project helped me to develop confidence and experience in working in a corporate environment, and bridged the gap between what life is like at university versus life in the workplace."
James was placed with ANZ Bank, with a project gathering and analysing feedback from key clients on their processes.
"While at ANZ I worked on a client consultation project that explored several of ANZ's agricultural clients' experiences concerning their recent settlements. The process involved creating a questionnaire and interviewing ANZ's clients from different regions of the South Island, while simultaneously learning about the banking industry."
At the end of the project, James compiled a report and made a presentation of his findings, with an outline of the critical factors in client interactions, and suggestions for areas of service improvements.
"Completion of the project was a surreal experience, considering I had almost no idea what I was getting into beforehand and then looking at all that I had learned afterwards," he says.
"The intern project helped to prepare me for employment through first-hand experience of working within an organisation. Prior to the project I was nervous and unsure of what working in a corporate environment would be like. However, the internship cleared up any doubts that I had and will definitely serve as an advantage in my coming job search.
"Throughout the course of the project I learned how to communicate in a professional capacity both written and orally, how to conduct effective interviews and client consultation, how to manage my own project and meet deadlines, and expertise in banking and finance."
He was also able to gain contacts in the banking industry, and looks forward to where his overall degree experiences will take him now that he has graduated.
"I would definitely recommend an Intern Consulting Project to any other students that are interested. My advice would be to make the most of the connections and networks that you can make within your organisation.
"UC is a great place for students to learn, develop friendships, and offers many invaluable opportunities for students to be a part of."
