Careers and alumni

Why did you decide to come to Oxford?

To gain the best possible grounding in Economics, and in particular within Econometrics and Development Economics. I also chose Oxford because its collegiate system (especially the Middle Common Room) gave me the opportunity to learn from and engage with the wider community of students in other disciplines.

What have you done since leaving Oxford?

I interned with the Boston Consulting Group during the summer of my first year, and then joined them full-time upon graduation. I spent three years in their London office as a Junior Consultant and Consultant working on a range of projects and clients within financial services and retail and consumer goods. Last year, I took the decision to study for an MBA at the London Business School. I am currently a full time first year student at the school, and I'm focusing on Entrepreneurship and venture capital.

How has a graduate degree from Oxford helped you in your career progression?

The Oxford degree provided a fantastic foundation for my career as a Consultant. The Oxford network has also been a valuable resource at BCG and at LBS, in opening doors and helping find new opportunities in a city that I would not otherwise have had good access to.

How did your experience at Oxford help prepare you for your career?

The Master’s course provided a great analytical grounding that was extremely useful in quantitative analysis and modelling. My time at Oxford also helped ease my transition to the UK working culture and helped prepare me for a role in which I was constantly interacting with colleagues and clients who came from very different backgrounds.

Looking back on your time at Oxford, what would you tell prospective applicants from India about applying to and attending Oxford? 

I would recommend taking the time to research the course and if possible speak to students who have studied the course before, to gain a more complete understanding of the academic demands of the course and also the career opportunities it presents. I would also recommend taking advantage of the numerous clubs and societies to interact with students from other courses and countries.

Do you feel that attending Oxford was the right decision for you?

Absolutely, I enjoyed my two years and have benefited immensely from my time at Oxford.

Why did you decide to come to Oxford?

Oxford has an impeccable reputation for law, and some of the best professors in the subjects I was interested in. I also liked the idea of studying in a university town, and there is perhaps none to equal Oxford. The very atmosphere feels academic! Equally, the Rhodes Scholarship is only available for study at Oxford, which was also an important deciding factor.

What have you done since leaving Oxford?

I have completed my training contract at Clifford Chance, and am currently employed as an associate in the Derivatives and Regulatory Department at that law firm.

How has a graduate degree from Oxford helped you in your career progression?

While at Oxford, I studied a wide variety of subjects, with no apparent connection to each other, or even to my career path since then, simply because I was interested in them. I will admit, on the face of it, it does not seem like a graduate degree at Oxford (or even the particular subjects I chose while there) have any relevance to my career as a lawyer in a magic circle law firm like Clifford Chance. On the other hand, the university is so well-respected, I have found simply having passed out from Oxford carries some weight, which might differentiate you from other candidates who have applied for the same position. You are, quite simply, taken more seriously, and you have more options as recruiters recognise the "Oxford" brand. 

How did your experience at Oxford help prepare you for your career?

My personal choice of subjects during the Bachelor of Civil Law – Jurisprudence, Comparative Human Rights, International Law and Armed Conflict and Corporate Finance – taught me four different ways of thinking about problems, which I have found remarkably useful on a day to day basis. Of course, there are more tailored courses available, if you know before you come to Oxford what path you want to take when you leave it. But even if you don't, like me, you will be learning at least one new way of thinking, which will prove useful no matter what path you choose. Also, while at Oxford, you meet a wide variety of people from different countries and backgrounds. I have found my time at Oxford has made me more sensitive to cultural differences, which is very important in a culturally diverse firm like Clifford Chance.  

Looking back on your time at Oxford, what would you tell prospective applicants from India about applying to and attending Oxford?

Oxford is a university town steeped in academic ethos. For subjects like law, especially the more traditional subjects, Oxford has some of the best professors teaching there, people whose books we studied from as students in various undergraduate colleges. It has one of the best collections of law books in Europe. You also have the opportunity to widen your social networks, to meet some of the best young minds from around the world. Perhaps one reason I would choose Oxford over a university in the US is the tutorial system, where you get face to face time with a professor in your college, even for taught degrees.

Do you feel that attending Oxford was the right decision for you?

Without doubt.

Why did you decide to come to Oxford?

Oxford offered the perfect mix of courses that I wanted to pursue in both Computer Science and Financial Economics. The flexibility, industry affiliations and strong student environment offered the perfect environment for me to focus on my interests, both inside and outside the classroom.

What have you done since leaving Oxford?

After graduating from Oxford in 2010, I worked with Deutsche Bank for 6 months, in their Global Markets (Sales and Trading) division, based out of London. I was then offered to join Avendus Capital, India’s top ranked Investment Bank, for a position based out of Mumbai, focusing on Mergers and Acquisitions. In addition to my professional life, I was able to sign up as a mentor with Akanksha, an NGO that supports low income families through education and mentoring, and as a Non-Executive Director with the Yuvak Pratishthan, a Mumbai-based NGO that focuses on the rehabilitation of migrant workers in Mumbai and raising awareness amongst communities. Apart from these endeavours, I continue to pursue swimming as both an active participant in competitions and as a coach to upcoming swimmers.

How has a graduate degree from Oxford helped you in your career progression?

The degrees at Oxford provided me with a strong fundamental understanding in the fields of computer science & financial economics. Having access to a world class faculty, and getting to work alongside some of the leading experts in the financial services industry was an experience that I do not think would be possible anywhere else. My degrees from Oxford have helped me develop professionally in the field of investment banking, and have also given me access to a worldwide network of peers and professors, with whom I have consistently kept in touch.

How did your experience at Oxford help prepare you for your career?

Oxford offered a gruelling academic environment, where the course work was not only intellectually challenging, but also rigorous. The Oxford study environment allows students to be more independent and self motivated – unlike institutions in which I have studied in the past. Oxford has a very autonomous teaching methodology - it allows students to take ownership over their education and forces them to make their own decisions about what to learn. I was able to bring all these lessons with me into the corporate world. The resources available at Oxford such as the Career Services and the student run societies (emerging markets society, consulting and finance clubs, etc.) played an important role in preparing me for my career by allowing me to learn from industry and academic experts on the nuances of the corporate environment in an ever-evolving financial climate.

Looking back on your time at Oxford, what would you tell prospective applicants from India about applying to and attending Oxford?

Oxford gave me the opportunity to attend talks by scholars and people, whom I would normally hear about in the news or read about in various journals. The intellectual environment that Oxford offered, along with long-kept traditions provided the perfect experience any student could ask for. As an Indian student, I would highly recommend the Oxford atmosphere and the programs they offer to any student, who may be thinking of applying. Courses such as the MSc in Integrated Immunology, Financial Economics, Development Studies and the Master’s in Contemporary Indian Studies have some of the best professors and academic curriculum (when benchmarked with US peer universities/courses).

Oxford, conveniently located just outside of London allows students to experience a traditional academic environment, while not being secluded from the big city. In addition, the international and diverse environment that Oxford offers is practically unmatched anywhere else.

Do you feel that attending Oxford was the right decision for you?

I feel that attending Oxford was the right decision for me on many fronts. The flexibility of choosing my own courses and working on a project that I conceptualised was something that reaffirmed my decision of coming to Oxford. As an international student, the atmosphere at Oxford was very diverse and energetic. I was able to make some of my best friends, and continue to keep in touch with my class mates from all over the world.  Only in Oxford can someone row for their college, wear a sub-fusc (Harry Potter-like robes) to exams or college dinners and attend a talk by prime ministers and authors from all over the world. I would highly recommend anyone thinking of applying to Oxford to go ahead for the experience of a lifetime.

Why did you decide to come to Oxford?

Oxford remains one of the best centres of academic excellence in the field of Social Sciences. The faculty at Oxford is not only among the best across the world, the diversity of their research offers an opportunity for students to explore their own academic curiosity beyond their imaginations. Oxford's promise to instil academic rigour among its students will continue to remain an attraction.

What have you done since leaving Oxford?

Soon after leaving Oxford I joined The Indian Express, an English daily, at Delhi to report on social sector issues along with covering national politics and governance issues. I have reported extensively on India's formal evolution into a welfare state along the lines of many European nations by launching a clutch of rights-based welfare entitlements to citizens. On the political front, I have covered state and national elections, Parliament and also federal governance issues. This year, I am covering the crucial state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

How has a graduate degree from Oxford helped you in your career progression?

 A graduate degree helped me get a breakthrough in journalism without even having the formal training in the field.

How did your experience at Oxford help prepare you for your career?

Apart from teachings, the students at Oxford helped me to better push the envelope for myself. The ambience helped me think beyond convention and prods you to take risks with much confidence.

Looking back on your time at Oxford, what would you tell prospective applicants from India about applying to and attending Oxford?

Attending Oxford is a window to academic freedom, for one to explore and pursue anything and everything under the sun. Secondly, it is a sea of diversity, with students from across the globe. The diversity is not only a treat in itself but also an enrichment opportunity, to have different perspectives to explore. Attending Oxford also means interacting with the world's best academics and learning from them to develop academic rigour.

Do you feel that attending Oxford was the right decision for you?

Absolutely. It brought about a sea change in my world view from professional, academic and personal aspects.

Why did you decide to come to Oxford?

The profile of the Law Faculty in general and the Bachelor of Civil Law program in particular made the decision something of a no-brainer. The opportunity to interact with professors whose work I studied as an undergraduate law student was simply too good to pass up. The support of the Rhodes Trust made the decision all the more easy.

What have you done since leaving Oxford?

I've practiced law in New Delhi, primarily at the Supreme Court of India.

How did your experience at Oxford help prepare you for your career?

The rigours of a research degree and one-on-one supervision by world-class academics has made a palpable difference in the way I research and think about the law. The fact that it is, in popular perception, a stamp of excellence, doesn't hurt either.

Looking back on your time at Oxford, what would you tell prospective applicants from India about applying to and attending Oxford?

I would tell prospective applicants to view the experience not simply as one that adds value to a curriculum vitae (it undoubtedly does), but one that gives you a unique opportunity to widen your horizons, meet incredibly interesting people and routinely have conversations and experiences that you cannot have anywhere else in the world!

Do you feel that attending Oxford was the right decision for you?

Oxford gave me two of the more interesting years of my life and memories that I will always carry with me. Personally and professionally, it was a terrific decision.