‘I couldn’t be more grateful for my experience at Kent’

Chibunga Mupwaya completed the MSc Finance and Management with a Year in Industry, graduating in 2022. She tells us how this has set her on the right path to achieving her dream job.

What was your dream job as a child, and what is your dream job now?

As a child, my dream job was to be a writer. I have a natural affinity for books and literature and I thought that passion would translate well into a career. I have maintained my love for reading and writing as a hobby, but my dream job now is to be a Corporate and Investment Banker and that is fuelled by my love of finance.

Why did you choose the Kent Business School?

I chose Kent Business School because it is a world-class, triple-accredited business school with a stellar global reputation. I was particularly drawn to the school’s highly relevant and award-winning research publications, as well as the opportunity to be instructed by the leading experts behind these publications. Finally, it was the only choice among my prospective programmes that provided the opportunity to get UK work experience through a placement year, which was quite appealing.

What are some of your favourite memories, achievements and experiences?

One of my most memorable experiences is being awarded the 2022 Kent Business School Director of Studies Award for my programme – and I owe that achievement to the impeccable support and expertise I received from my lecturers. I’m grateful for the friendships I made during my programme, even though we are all spread across the globe now, these are friendships that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

What have you been up to since graduating?

After graduating, my first priority was to recuperate and catch up with family and friends which I thoroughly enjoyed. Following that, I worked for six weeks as a Trainee Investment Analyst at a Lusaka-based investment management firm. After that I started working at Absa Bank Zambia as a Graduate Trainee in the Corporate and Investment Banking Division, which is my current role.

What does your role involve? What do you like about it the most, and what are the most challenging aspects?

I currently sit under the Transactional Banking segment of Corporate and Investment Banking and our core objective is to meet our client’s transactional needs through our cash management solutions. My duties include client engagement, system assistance, financial reconciliation and proposal preparation.

What I like best is that no two days are the same. We deal with a huge assortment of corporate clients, which makes it exciting and keeps you continuously on your toes. Perhaps the most difficult aspect is our vast product offering. There is a lot of material and systems to learn, but I am confident that, with time, my product knowledge will deepen.

How do you apply the knowledge and skills you gained during your studies in your job, and what career advice would you give students and fellow alumni?

I couldn’t be more grateful for my experience at Kent because it equipped me with such a solid foundation of financial understanding. I was able to apply a lot of the skills I gained during my course in my work, like the financial analysis skills I learned in finance and Excel, and the investment banking knowledge I gained in corporate finance, which allowed me to assimilate into my roles more quickly. Another benefit that aided me in obtaining both positions so quickly was the preparation seminars I attended as part of the Kent Global Skills Award Programme, as well as the one-on-one sessions provided by the Careers Centre.

What are your future plans / aspirations?

My graduate programme is an 18-month rotational programme, so my goal is to successfully finish my programme and progress onto a permanent role ideally in Corporate and Investment Banking. In order to improve my investment expertise, I am also pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

What advice would you give to current students doing your course?

I would advise current KBS students to take advantage of all the support at their disposal and fully immerse themselves in the student experience. Be it reaching out to lecturers during their consulting hours, utilising Templeman Library’s vast resources for wider reading or even using the dedicated postgraduate study areas to study. There is so much support available.

Outside of the classroom, there are several possibilities to broaden your experience, such as the Global Skills Award, Kent Union Student Groups, the Employability Points Scheme, and so much more, all of which contributed greatly to my overall growth at Kent.

Chibunga studied MSc Finance and Management at Kent Business School. Find out more about the course, here.