Betty Xiaobei Chen studied the Project Management, Finance and Risk MSc at City University of London and graduated in 2021.
What are you doing now?
I’m working as an Audit Assistant at RMS UK, a London-based company that offers audit, tax and consulting services.
What were you doing before pursuing postgraduate study?
I studied Civil Engineering at undergraduate level because I had studied Maths and Further Maths at A-level, and I felt there weren’t many options for me at degree level. I thought I would really enjoy engineering because I like maths, but I eventually realised it’s very different and required a lot of passion, which I didn’t have for this subject.
Even though it was a tough journey, it gave me a really good foundation of maths and physics which are transferrable.
Why did you decide to study a master’s degree?
When I realised I didn’t want to take up a career in engineering, I knew I wanted to reskill and change career path. I wanted to go into finance, but it’s quite hard to make that transition without any experience or qualifications.
While I was studying Engineering, I really enjoyed the risk management aspect of the course, so I started to look at jobs in this field. All the roles I had found required experience as a financial risk analyst, which I didn’t have so I decided to undertake postgraduate study and applied for the Project Management, Finance and Risk MSc.
Doing a master’s degree meant that I had more time to gain experience and achieve my career goals.
How did you find the transition from engineering to finance?
Although the industries are different, the transition wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. My undergraduate degree in Engineering provided me with a strong foundation to be able to pivot into a range of fields.
Why did you choose to study at City?
The Project Management, Finance and Risk MSc stood out to me when researching universities because it combined my engineering background with finance. I also felt that the University’s location in London offered a great place to study because there are a range of businesses and job opportunities locally.
What is the highlight of your time at City?
On my course, I met people from all over the world, including places like the US and Europe. In my free time I was able to hang out with all the people I had met and learn about their different backgrounds.
How did City prepare you for your chosen career path?
My master’s at City has helped me get my current role in risk assurance as the course gave me plenty of background knowledge in risk and financial analysis.
The University also has a great Careers Service team who helped me write my CV and prepare for interviews, and with their support, I successfully landed a job straight after completing my studies. I feel that my postgraduate degree has, and will, open many new opportunities and different paths in industry.