Hargreaves Lansdown, one of the UK’s leading financial services companies, and Bristol University’s Economics Network are running the “Communicating Economics competition”.
The winner will hold the position of Economic Investment Commentator, gaining experience in producing economic/investment-focused press-releases, working with renowned media outlets, and providing expert insight for financial services journalists across the UK. There is also a cash prize of £250 and if the successful entrant makes a strong impression within the company, there are likely to be permanent employment opportunities available.
Ian Gorham, CEO of Hargreaves Lansdown: “We hire people with degrees in many different subjects and we found economics graduates do particularly well in the company. We have board members in their thirties who started in junior positions here so there is huge potential for progression for bright and enthusiastic people.
“We think this is a great opportunity to get involved with one of the best investment teams in the country. Economic stories now regularly lead the news bulletins and fill the front pages so people who can communicate concepts clearly to the public are essential.”
Part one of the competition will test students’ ability to communicate and explain economic concepts and events to the public via a 1,500 word report on one of the following topics:
1. The current crisis in the euro zone and possible ways forward.
2. The causes of Britain’s return to recession and the options open to the government to stimulate recovery and long-term economic growth.
3. Short-term impact and long-term implications of quantitative easing in the UK.
4. Economic opportunities for UK companies in developing countries.
The report should contain strong economic content and clear analysis that effectively explains the concepts/events and the author’s arguments in a way that is clear to non-economists and should not take the form of a university essay. It should have a journalistic style and take the form of an extended article suitable for inclusion in a client magazine.
Authors of the top five reports will be invited to a test day at Hargreaves Lansdown’s offices in Bristol where they will present their report to a panel of judges and be questioned on the content and their views. Entrants will be allowed to show a maximum of five images or graphs to support their presentation, which should last no longer than ten minutes. They will also undergo an interview with Hargreaves Lansdown to further test their suitability for the role.
Eligibility & Entry
The competition is open to 3rd year undergraduate and postgraduate students currently studying economics at a UK university. Entrants must be available to start working at Hargreaves Lansdown in Bristol in September 2013.
The closing deadline for submissions is Friday 30 November. For more details and to enter, please visit: http://www.hl.co.uk/about-us/careers/communicating-economics-competition