Lucas Edwards

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Goldman Sachs

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

Not anything too exciting since we’ve all been in lockdown! I took some time off after finishing my studies before starting an internship with Goldman Sachs in the Summer. This was a fully virtual scheme and they made it as engaging as they possibly could have for it being virtual. After that, I managed to get away for some time with my family before moving into a flat in London with my partner and starting my job in January.

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

Having studied PPE, I was drawn to the Economics side of the degree and naturally, with others applying for internships and grad schemes, I was doing the same. Having looked at finance myself and specifically in Sales & Trading, I enjoyed being involved in markets, having decisions you take make material impacts and working alongside some of the smartest people I’ve ever met! As my career progresses, I’ll begin talking to clients which is something I’m very much looking forward to – understanding how to fix their problems and discussing what we both have an interest in at work.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

Some really outstanding modules in 2nd & 3rd year. Gary Abrahams’ ‘The Economics of Financial Crises’ was a brilliant way to learn about the issues the world faced in 2007-08 and the scars it has left on governments and firms to this day. Gary was very engaging having had first hand experience of the crisis. Ben Zissimos also taught a great module in ‘Policy Issues in the Global Economy’ for 2nd year students and he was a great help in moulding my dissertation. I also very much enjoyed Julian Neira’s ‘Futures & Options’ module.

What did you enjoy most about studying here?

The quality of teaching was brilliant – so many knowledgeable individuals about so many different topics. Feel like I never even scratched the surface of their knowledge (regrettably). The campus is great, staff are always helpful and the city was a great place to enjoy university life.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

I knew it had a brilliant reputation, was not too far (but far enough) away from home and the course seemed like a good mixture of topics compared to other universities offering PPE.

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

Pretty much any mistake I’ve made in applying for jobs or at university has been useful. All about making mistakes, getting rejected from roles, not impressing people and then working on that before trying again. Otherwise, an element of being self motivated is always useful. Make sure you find out for yourself what’s useful, that’ll make you unique and standout, there’s more than one way to be successful.

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

Try to talk to as many people as you possibly can related to the firms you wish to apply to. Any opportunity may lead to your ‘break’. UpReach have been the best possible resource for this and I could not recommend a better charity to associate yourself with – they have been essential to my career. Hence, I didn’t join my current firm through ‘conventional’ means but instead through other programmes that UpReach connected me with.

What are your plans for the future?

Career wise, to continue working at the firm I am currently am at! It’s a little early to know but I’m certainly happy in what I’m doing. Would really like to make the most of living in London with my partner.