Edmund Cornforth

Current Employer/Organisation Name

National Institute of Economic and Social Research

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

I have been working at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) since leaving Exeter. I work in our macroeconomic modelling department, which mainly involves forecasting, scenario analysis, and model development.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I was extremely interested in the economy and wanted to figure out how it worked, and what policymakers could do to try and improve people’s everyday lives. I enjoy the flexibility to engage on a range of issues, exploring and analysing the direct and indirect effects of policies and shocks on the economy; modelling helps me to explore the different levers and channels through which economic impacts propagate.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

Latin and Ballroom, Muay Thai and Salsa Society.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

Knowing how to manage projects, contracts, and tenders will be extremely useful in most careers. You can never go wrong with a Gantt chart and well-defined areas of responsibility.

On a more specific level, I use the economic theory, statistics, and maths that I learnt in my degree virtually every day.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

Knowing how to manage projects, contracts, and tenders will be extremely useful in most careers. You can never go wrong with a Gantt chart and well-defined areas of responsibility.

On a more specific level, I use the economic theory, statistics, and maths that I learnt in my degree virtually every day.