Armen Vardanyan MSc

The course

Why did you choose to study at the University of Edinburgh Business School (UEBS)?

The University of Edinburgh’s programme stood out for me because it had everything I was looking for when deciding on my further education. It has a strong reputation and offered a selection of mandatory and elective courses that were a perfect fit for my background and career goals. In addition, Edinburgh is a vibrant and diverse city which gave me the opportunity to learn about new cultures and new activities.

What was it about the degree programme that particularly attracted you?

My background was in auditing and accounting and my goal at the time was to switch to finance. I had also discovered that I really enjoyed financial investments. This programme was therefore the link I needed to smoothly transition into the finance sphere. The programme structure included courses that would reinforce my insights in accounting and build my knowledge in finance.

Your career

Can you tell us about your career path before and after graduating?

Before my Master’s degree I worked as an internal auditor in a software development company and then in a wine factory in Armenia. The job as an auditor was quite rewarding. However, when auditing financial investments for those companies I realised I wanted to continue my career in finance.

My studies at UEBS enabled me to achieve my goal and fully move into finance after graduation. I was able to get a job as an Investments Reconciliation Analyst in Edinburgh. Later, I moved to Glasgow to work for Morgan Stanley as Operations Associate, and now I am facilitating trade booking and settlement in different markets across the globe.

My Master’s changed my life, enabling me to change my career path and work in my desired field.

How did your degree prepare you for your career?

My degree provided knowledge in the fundamental concepts of finance which was then built up further via my dissertation. The combination of theoretical courses with practical assignments greatly contributed to the understanding of the material and settled it in my mind.

The technical and quantitative courses also helped me to expand my abilities in data analysis and modelling and I use these skills a lot in my role.

Masters of Change

What notable changes has your degree enabled you to make in your professional or personal life?

It has changed my life by enabling me to change my career path and work in my desired field.

It made me a knowledgeable professional in finance. It also taught me critical thinking which is essential in every role and means I can question current processes and aim to enhance them.

Thanks to the degree I was able to optimise and automate work in my role, enabling me to save time in reporting, project work and other core operational tasks.

Throughout the degree, I met many people: professors, students and staff from different backgrounds and I’ve been able to learn from their experiences.

What are the changes you have been able to make in your chosen field, of which you are most proud?

I would say the most important changes I am making are those related to critically evaluating existing workflows and implementing new solutions to optimise these processes.

How did your studies at the Business School help you to make those changes?

I gained the skill of critical thinking which is important for continuous development, to not settle with what is given but to try to appreciate the benefits of the work done, see the limitations, and focus on enhancing the advantages and mitigating the risks. The degree taught me to be flexible in applying the concepts from one workflow to another to create a custom procedure that would serve the needs of the various tasks I have in my role.

What key things that you learnt at the Business School do you still rely on today?

In addition to the valuable finance knowledge I gained at UEBS, I rely on the soft skills taught. I use these skills in my everyday life which enable me to better communicate the issues on each task. I can also now source solutions by getting involved in different events and speaking to people with different experiences.

Course highlights and advice

What one piece of advice would you give to current students and recent graduates?

I would encourage students to attend as many events, meetings and discussions as possible while studying as these are important ways to expand your learning.