The shift from university to full-time professional employment is a tough one in many respects, and similar to many other students I always felt as lacking the tailored education or the network to achieve my career goals to the fullest. As I started dipping my toes into the finance industry, I got excited about the opportunities in front of me and the prospects of getting many others involved in my journey. Leading the York Finance Conference was the manifestation of such aims, by offering several educational opportunities, networking and employment alternations for our applicants through the conference. I couldn’t feel more fulfilled, in running a conference tailored towards boosting professional employability and education and building long-lasting networks.
As I took a flight from rural Ohrid, Macedonia to London, I had almost forgotten how gracefully the London skyline sits amongst the city. This all became clear again as I entered the award ceremony room, as the London skyline decored the outer side of the building, making for a magnificent view. You could feel the city’s spirit just as much by looking inside the room, surrounded by very inspiring young individuals as well as well established professionals from across the broad range of fields sponsoring the awards. As I sat next to Simon Lyle (Head of Business Development as London Business Schools) and James Wffindell (Bright Network Founder) just to his right, we engaged in discussions about leadership and went deep into some difficulties that come with it.
That evening, I took lessons that I will take with me for a long time, starting from the innovative and bold approach that Andrea (President of Oxford Venture Capital Network) took in founding the Venture Capital Network society, to Emily's (President of KCL Lawyers Without Borders) without humanitarian efforts in engaging lawyer professionals globally towards pro bono legal work, especially within an industry massively perceived as profit-oriented. In the end, what made the ceremony so enjoyable, was the people-centred approach that was followed throughout the event by the organisers and the attendees involved.