Darren Smith

What attracted you to Kent and to this particular programme?

The University of Kent had a great reputation for its business school, and a friend of mine recommended the finance and banking programme to me.

How were your studies? Which areas did you find particularly inspiring or interesting?

My studies were great, I particularly enjoyed researching why banks fail, as well as learning about the several different causes of the financial crises. I also enjoyed furthering my understanding of things such as the derivative markets and different financial models, etc.

Was the course flexible enough to allow you to pursue your own interests? If so, what were they?

The course was very demanding, therefore I had to give 100% focus to it. My social life was non-existent as I was working alongside full-time study.

How would you describe your fellow students?

There were six of us on the programme, which was great as we all worked very well together.

How do you think your course has changed you?

My course gave me more confidence and developed my ability to talk about the industry in detail. It gave me a great understanding of how the financial industry works, particularly banking. I feel I have been trained to see signs of bank failure as well as understand periods of turmoil.

In what way has your degree helped you find work?

My postgraduate degree certainly helped me get into the industry, as I was able to talk with confidence about the financial world.

What do you enjoy about your current work or studies?

Kent Business School set me up for my future career in the financial industry. I learned about a lot of things that are relevant for my day-to-day objectives in my current role.

Please could you describe your current work. Do you have a typical day?

I currently work for Intercontinental Exchange (ICE Data Services) – owners of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). I love my job, it's great! A typical day usually involves qualifying inbound leads and companies that are interested in purchasing our financial data. I also enjoy the prospecting aspect of it, looking for companies that may find our data of use.

What are your hopes and plans for the future?

I aim to be here for the long run as there are plenty of opportunities within this company. I may move around after a few years so I can obtain experience in several different departments.

What would you recommend about studying at Kent?

Make use of the lecturers as much as possible – they are there to help you! Make use of their drop-in hours even if you think you have a silly question, that’s what they are there for. Make sure you use them; they are incredibly useful. Also, connect with your classmates as you’re all in the same boat and if you can work well together, you can potentially make the boat stream faster!

Is there any advice you’d like to pass on to prospective Kent students?

Do as much research as you can into the modules. Don’t be afraid to change course before the deadline. I did, and I am super glad I did it! Research, ask questions and reach out to people who may have already done your course. That’s exactly what I did! Make the most of LinkedIn.