Alumnus Tim Blaxall (History, 1983)

Working in business and finance with a Humanities degree

Alumnus Tim Blaxall (History, 1983) recently talked with Humanities students about working in Business and Finance with a Humanities degree. 

Tim took time to get to know the individual students and their ideas for the future and their careers, offering tailored suggestions for next steps, and he provided valuable tips on reading material and further sources of information.

A central message of Tim’s talk was the real value that Humanities students provide to the Business and Finance sector, and he encouraged students to promote their value and not be daunted by the industry. His enthusiasm for this industry, and for the real value that humanities students bring it certainly inspired many who attended.

Within his talk Tim discussed his career in the Business and Finance sector and demystified some aspects of working in the industry, as well as promoting the value of Humanities students and their skills. Tim spoke about how important making connections and networking was for opportunities and highlighted the strengths that would suit students working in this area such as building relationships, adapting to change and attention to detail. He further talked about working for Zurich, the benefits and challenges of working in the industry, and covered some tips for applications and recruitment.

Tim said: “It was a delight to be invited to spend an afternoon talking with current Exeter students sharing my experience of working in the finance industry. Apart from visiting old haunts and reviving happy memories, it was rewarding to spend time discussing my career and explaining the type of opportunities for humanities students, and how the knowledge and skills they are developing is highly relevant to financial companies. I would be happy to do this again, and would encourage other alumni to do the same – it’s a great experience.”

Date: 22 January 2019