Chao Du completed her BSc in Business Administration in 2014 and is now a Senior Consultant for Ernst & Young in Beijing.
Before starting her course at Bath, Chao completed the International Foundation Year (IFY) at Bath, which prepares international students for an undergraduate degree.
Transferring from school to university
The International Foundation Year is a good transfer between high school and university given the different education systems between China and the UK. For instance, I did not learn anything about business in China before studying in the UK, although I chose BSc Business Administration as my target major. During the IFY, I filled the gap by studying the subject of Business as well as improving my English.
The UK is still a quite different country culturally and domestically to China and the IFY gave me the opportunity to adapt to a country far away from home.
Preparing for work
The support I received from the Placements team was fantastic and really helped with my CV writing and interview techniques. This support, coupled with my two 6-month placements, gave me the edge while looking for jobs after graduation.
Bath has really strong connections to provide placement opportunities globally. For myself, one of my placements was in China, another was in the UK. This gave me full exposure to the different working environments in both countries.
Building my career
After graduating from University, I joined Deloitte in the UK and worked there for two years. Then I did my master’s degree in London, went back to China in 2017 and started working at Ernst & Young in March 2018.
My current role mainly involves providing regulatory advisory services to clients in various industries, such as financial institutions, security firms, internet companies, and insurance companies.
What I got from studying at Bath
At Bath, it is highly encouraged to work in a team, especially with classmates who are from very different backgrounds. I have benefited a lot from these experiences as interaction with colleagues and clients from various backgrounds is part of my daily work.
My favourite memory from university has to be my final year project. Although it was a difficult project, I felt so proud of the team and myself for completing this 'Mission Impossible'.
I also had a pretty tight schedule while at Bath, which consisted of studying, group meetings and extracurricular activities. This helped me to develop my organisation, time management and multi-tasking skills, which are extremely helpful in a fast-paced consulting firm.
My time at Bath has had a positive impact on my career. Lecturers and tutors taught us to think about our future careers from the first day of university. I was given four years to think, experience and adjust my career plan. The University provided a lot of career support ranging from CV clinics and mock interviews to email alerts on placement opportunities. When I graduated, I had built a full picture of who I was, what I wanted to do and how I could achieve my career goals.
If you want to have a truly English study experience, choose Bath, you will not regret it.