Fellowship Futures 2024

Our Fellows recently gathered at The Rank Foundation’s London offices for a fantastic evening at our annual Fellowship Futures event. Bringing together young Fellows starting their careers with seasoned professionals, Fellowship Futures offered more than just networking—it was a wealth of shared experiences and future plans!

One Fellow shared, “I enjoyed this event more than any other as there was plenty of time after the talks to network and chat with the panellists and other Fellows.” This perfectly captures the spirit of the evening—a place where real conversations flourished, and meaningful connections were made.

Felix Haynes (Class of 2017), now a Senior Crypto Policy Advisor at the Financial Conduct Authority, kicked off with his relatable job-hunting story and shared insights on setting career expectations, interview skills, and navigating online recruitment. Here are his top tips for early career success:

• Balance your job search efforts and be prepared for both dream job realities and potential disappointments.
• Leverage experiences from university clubs, part-time jobs, and volunteering to showcase your skills.
• Conduct thorough research into job descriptions, organisational values, and annual reports.
• For online applications, use keywords from the job description and write clearly for AI systems.
• Prepare for competency-based interviews by using the STAR method to structure responses.

Felix’s talk was followed by insights from our panel of experts, including Felix himself; Zara Tso (Class of 2010), Assistant Commissioner at the BBC (Radio 1 and 1Xtra); Damon Falck (Class of 2016), a Quant Researcher at DRW; Simon Turner (Class of 1992), an ex-solicitor and non-executive chairman at Camellia plc; Stuart Wilson (Class of 1984), Founder/Lead Client Partner at RP International (global executive search firm); and Peter Ferguson (Class of 1998), Director at Ferguson Consulting.

Reflecting on the discussions, one Fellow mentioned, “I found the topics very engaging, particularly our exploration of generational expectations.”

After the talks, Fellows participated in small group sessions with the panel members, delving deeper into their respective fields of expertise. “I wish there had been engaging and informative sessions like this when I was struggling to find my very first job,” remarked another Fellow.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and shared their stories, making it an unforgettable evening filled with insights, connections, and inspiration!