Pulse - Issue 16 by Liverpool Hope University

PULSE News and opinion from Liverpool Hope Business School November 2022 | Issue 16

TAKE YOUR PLACE Embracing opportunity Students network at ODNE

Accreditation success ICAEW recognise Accounting & Finance

Forging a solid foundation Foundation Year to career

SPOTLIGHT News and opinion from Liverpool Hope Business School November 2022 | Issue 16

WELCOME TO PULSE As a student of the Business School you are exposed to more than just academic learning, as here at Hope we also recognise the importance of on-the-job experience. Throughout this issue, you’ll hear first-hand from some of our students who have taken advantage of unique and highly coveted opportunities to work alongside businesses. Two of our Insight to Business Award winners and one of our summer internship recipients share their experiences on page four. Continuing the theme of success, Pulse caught up with alumna Rachel Hall (page nine) to find out how her degree helped her to launch her dream career. We also chatted with one of our first cohort of Foundation Year students who graduated this summer, to find out how she’d found the experience (page eight). For two of our students, the chance to network with industry experts at the European Organisational Development Network conference proved a great way to gain insights. Find out more on page seven. Elsewhere, I’m thrilled to report that our Accounting & Finance degree has achieved accreditation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (page three). This is a great achievement for the School and brings great benefits for our students. Lastly, we were pleased to once again host our annual conference, and welcome distinguished guests, including MP Bill Esterton to discuss how we move forward in a time of crisis (page 10).

Ian McKenna Associate Dean of the Business School

IN THIS ISSUE 3

ICAEW accreditation success

Forging a solid foundation

Take your place

Career in focus

Embracing opportunity

Crises in focus now and then

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NEWS IN BRIEF Eurovision shows Liverpool is the place to be

The Professional and Business Services (PBS) Industry continues to grow across the Liverpool City Region. At our recent meeting of the PBS Board we discussed the strong image Liverpool has internationally, and how this could be further capitalised on. As many of our Hope graduates choose to stay in the City region, it’s important those graduate vacancies are available locally, and we continue to work together to make the most of these opportunities. Speaking of international reputations, we are delighted to be hosting the world’s largest pop party - the Eurovision song competition - in May 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.

I hope you enjoy this issue.

ICAEW accreditation success

The City, which began preparing its bid in June, received praise for its world-class facilities, the innovation behind its cultural programme, the plans to celebrate Ukrainian people and community, and the ‘walkability’ of the city. Wide support for Liverpool’s bid also proved to be a hit with the judges, and the ‘Team Liverpool’ approach was noted as residents, visitors, organisations and community groups across the city got behind the bid.

Our Accounting & Finance degree has been recognised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. We are pleased to confirm that the Accounting & Finance programme has achieved accreditation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). This is a world-leading brand and the accreditation helps to support the increased profile of the Accounting & Finance programme and of the Business School. The ICAEW has 160,000 members worldwide, of which about 125,000 are based in the UK. They work in private practice and across all sectors of the economy, including the public sector. Accreditation means that students on the programme both single and combined honours - can gain exemptions from some of their professional exams, if, after Graduation, they decide to train to become Chartered Accountants and ultimately become members of the ICAEW.

This is a real benefit, in terms of time saved and cost of training, and further underlines our support for our students. The accreditation is also attractive to prospective employers, since in many cases it helps to streamline their training options. Students seeking accreditation will need to achieve a minimum grade mark in their relevant university exams. However, this simply underlines the fact that if students are focused through their studies on to their future employment, then they achieve greater levels of performance. Linked to our ICAEW accreditation, we have now gained Partners in Learning status. This enables us to have access to online learning resources for the benefit of our students. The accreditation also provides us with direct support for our students looking to move into employment within the profession.

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FEATURE

Take your place

It really helped and the feedback is personalised to you. Additionally, speak to your tutors, they are there to help, and they really are supportive and helpful. Third year is a busy time for all students, however, having members of staff chasing you up to assess the progress of CV preparation, job searching and dissertations is motivating.

We were invited to a formal dinner with University staff, including the Vice-Chancellor and various board members, the High Sheriff of Liverpool, and people from the companies awarding the placements.

All our students are encouraged to seize opportunities for placements and internships, as gaining hands-on experience with an organisation can help to give an insight into the reality of specific career paths. As well as offering internship opportunities alongside study, the Business School hosts the annual Insight to Business Awards, which sees companies sponsor the event and offer professional placements to second and third year students.

10 students selected in the Business School, to travel to Lille, France, for the International Business Games. Here, we teamed up with students from Lille Catholic University and Ghent University to undertake a variety of marketing and finance-based tasks.

Pulse sat down with three students whose drive and skills impressed organisations into giving them a unique opportunity to put their learning into practice.

I developed a liking for the world of accounting and with the consistent support of the staff in the Business School, I was given the opportunity (and homework) to readjust my degree and keep on track with my studies within the Accounting & Finance cohort for my second year at university.

Lauren Richardson, placement with MHA Moore and Smalley During my three years at Liverpool Hope University, I embarked on many different career paths. From a combined degree in Sports & Physical Education and Dance, to Accounting & Finance and Business Management. Towards the end of my first year, I was one of 4 | PULSE Magazine

In my final year at Hope, I was fortunate enough to be nominated for two Insight to Business Awards by my tutors - a marketing placement and an accounting placement. Both opportunities sounded very interesting and I was excited to build up a portfolio of office experience in preparation for my future career. The nominees were invited to attend multiple sessions with the University’s careers team to develop interview skills and create a strong CV. A piece of advice that I would offer to prospective students, is to attend these sessions and/or use the support that is offered to enhance your chances of success when applying for jobs.

Here, it was announced that I’d won the accounting placement at MHA Moore and Smalley, a UK top 50 accounting firm within a top 10 UK partnership - MHA - and part of the 10th largest international firm, Baker Tilly International. The interview process provided me with a plethora of information about what the placement would entail and how it would suit my preferences within my chosen career path. Do your research and always go into an interview with questions to ask.

Joshua Williams, internship with Liverpool Chamber of Commerce Through a nomination from the Business School for an Insight to Business Award, I was selected for an interview with Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, which led to me being chosen for the role. I used Hope’s Career Centre to cross reference my CV, and interview skills, which helped me to land my internship. I was coached for my application and interview with access and support from Lyndsey Burkert and the Central Careers Team. I was also one of the first cohort of first year students to have access to the new Skills Passport delivered in the Business School. This gave me an early understanding of how beneficial work experience opportunities can be and how I could develop my softer transferable skills into the world of work. After successfully winning the Insight to Business Award with the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, I was delighted to have a two-week internship extended into a full-time summer internship.

I believe this is a good way to connect with the company in question and provides a comfortable back and forth during the interview, which couldn’t be closer to the welcome that MHA Moore and Smalley gave me. I embarked on a two-week placement, where I undertook various accounting and tax work, gaining a feel for work and office life. For me, being in an office environment gave me a better understanding of the finance industry and allowed me to create comparisons between the university syllabus and real-life situations. At MHA Moore and Smalley, I felt part of the team and was given graduate-level work. At the end of it all, the hard work throughout university and the placement paid off, as I was offered a graduate job as a Trainee Accountant. I’ll be working towards my ACA qualification with the support and guidance of the team from MHA Moore and Smalley.

In my role as a Business Policy Intern, my duties included attending networking events, where I would interact with other people and their businesses; helping read data from surveys filled out by local businesses, and comparing this to national data, as well as data from the last economic quarter. I’d also send out emails from mailing lists, and any other spare jobs that needed doing. I was integral to the regular Chamber social events for members, and organising and welcoming attendees to each of these. My new role at the Chamber was working in Administration, in which I’d assist most of the officers’

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FEATURE

HIGHLIGHTS

team, in order to help everything run smoothly and on time. I chose to continue working part-time while studying for my Business Management degree, so I could earn money, and further develop my knowledge and skills. Working in a few different departments meant I got to do a variety of jobs, so it’s definitely improved my adaptability to roles, and will hopefully stand me in good stead for the future. I would definitely encourage others to undertake an Insight Award placement or summer internship if possible – it’s worth gaining experience while studying. It’s also easier to get a graduate job, even if it’s not the one you did your internship at. It’s good to take all the opportunities you can, even if you’re not sure you can always try and stop if you don’t enjoy it.

In my Representative Role, I was given the opportunity to work on compliance with EU and US customs, expected to utilise electronic data interchange to maintain company databases and identify customer patterns, and issue invoices in a timely and accurate manner to support the organisation’s credit control. I also flagged potential mistakes and hazards to drive down costs, while managing multiple mailboxes and liaising with customer services, intermodal, accounts, and other functions to resolve queries, solve problems and improve decision making.

I’m delighted to have been the first Liverpool Hope Business School student to be given a summer internship in ICL, and this has helped develop my confidence and graduate skills for the future. Throughout my time at ICL I was in regular contact with Lyndsey and the School and felt very supported.

Students gained industry insights and were exposed to key networking opportunities at the ODNE conference. Two Business School students were given the opportunity to attend the European Organisational Development Network (ODNE) event, which was hosted by one of our industry partners - AI Change Management. AI specialises in building capability to design, develop and lead organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors at a national and international level.

The experience has helped to develop my communication skills, and experience in data handling, and knowledge of shipping and transatlantic container policy and requirements. Dealing with customers directly has certainly helped me develop my customer service skills in an international environment. My summer internship was so successful, I’ve now been offered an additional part-time role at ICL while I complete my final year of study. It’s a great experience and I’d highly recommend it to other students.

If your business would like to find out more about taking part in our Insight to Business Awards in May 2023, please get in touch with Business Engagement & Employability Manager Lyndsey Burkert: burkerl@hope.ac.uk or 0151 291 3905

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opportunity

Completing a Business Management and Economics degree while undertaking a summer internship is a great thing to do, and works as long as you are organised and ensure you still prepare before you return to University for your next level of study.

Joshua Edwards, internship with Independent Container Limited (ICL) Business Engagement & Employability Manager Lyndsey Burkert developed a contact with ICL and they were looking for some early talent to support the business over the summer. She helped me to create an effective CV, which got me shortlisted for a faceto-face interview at the Liverpool Branch.

Embracing

Hyatt Murshid, a Level H Business Management Student, said: “ODNE was a brilliant opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of organisational development, and to network with a range of organisations and professionals. “As well as finding inspiration for my dissertation topic, I made connections with OD practitioners from all across the UK and Europe. The conference provided further insight into topics I studied in my degree, such as Organisational Behaviour, Project Management, Human Resources Management, and the Future of Work. “I plan to utilise what I’ve learned during the conference in my dissertation, and moving forward, I intend to explore the possibility of OD as a career path, particularly in the area of equality and diversity, and conflict resolution. I’m currently maintaining contact with OD organisations in Liverpool, and hope to be able to attend another ODNE conference in the future, to showcase my journey and develop my skills further as a graduate.” Fellow attendee Rebecca Jeyaraj, who is on the IMBA path, added: “It was an incredible opportunity and a true privilege to attend. As I’m a Marketing Management student, and only had a taste of Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources, I was concerned that I wouldn’t

be able to fully engage with the conference content. I was so wrong! “Almost immediately, I noticed that the conference discussions overlapped with topics I considered for my dissertation. One of the presenters even referred to OD practitioners as intellectual nomads who are able to draw solutions from their diverse backgrounds and varied professions. “Indeed, among the attendees and presenters I met were world-renowned experts in OD as well as administrators, marketers, organisational culture experts, business consultants and psychologists, lecturers, project managers, HR specialists, systems engineers, business owners, and representatives from SMEs and massive organisations. “One of the things I found most valuable was that the conference coordinators invited organisations to present ongoing challenges and successes as case studies. It was grounding to witness the practical application of the theoretical and research-based knowledge I was developing at Hope. “I know that wherever my career takes me next, I’ll be referring back to the lessons I learned at the conference. And I hope to attend the ODNE conference again in the future, to showcase my growth as a result of the event.” Peter Lawrence OD Director, AI Change Management, said: “It was a pleasure to have Hyatt and Rebecca as our guests at the ODNE Conference. We now wish to create the legacy from the conference, an OD Community in Liverpool.”

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STUDENT SUCCESS

Forging a solid foundation

Career in focus Accounting & Finance and Business Management graduate Rachel Hall told Pulse how her degree helped her kick-start her dream career with Deloitte. The pathways and job opportunities outlined by my degree and the University, motivated me to fully commit to the course and achieve the highest level of knowledge and success possible from the very beginning.

Graduation 2022 saw the University’s first group of Foundation Degree students collect their degrees. There was an extra reason to celebrate at graduation this summer, as our first cohort of Foundation Degree students crossed the stage. We were not only proud to see so many of our Business School Foundation Year students collect their degrees – but also to achieve so many outstanding results. One of our new alumni, Tegan Grugel, is a great example of the impact that a Foundation Degree can have. Tegan was a committed student throughout her four years with us and that dedication paid off, as she achieved a 2:1 honours BA in Business Management. A few months on, Tegan is excelling in her new role: “My foundation year was my first introduction to university life in 2018. The year was the catalyst for what was to become the best four years of my educational life. The foundation as my father – who is a builder – says, is the most important part of any building. “I truly believe this year enabled me to find new skills that I could utilise in my degree. In my first year of my three-year degree, I felt that the students who came straight from doing their A levels appeared to be at a disadvantage, as I felt I was one jump ahead. However, this was negated by the second and third year. 8 | PULSE Magazine

“I believe this was because by the time the students had started the second year, they had adjusted to university life. In the first year of my chosen degree, Covid struck, and to write about that would take a lifetime! However, with the assistance of Hope and the amazing lecturers, we ploughed on through, and I will be indebted to my tutor Paula Raper for the rest of my life.

While studying Accounting & Finance and Business Management at undergraduate level, the various career paths that the knowledge and academic achievement from the course could contribute to were clearly indicated. The variety of content, assessment formats, and lesson styles, as well as the comprehensive yet indepth understanding of the business world, particularly accounting and finance, enabled a strong development of knowledge alongside practical application. This undoubtedly contributed to increased confidence and initial performance when entering the workplace.

“I am now actively employed working with solicitors and estate agents, and using my degree to its fullest potential. Namely interview skills, business management skills, and sales and marketing.

Online resources, interactive workshops, and, most importantly, tutor guidance and feedback all helped me get my CV to the level required to initially engage and impress potential employers.

“Although I’ve only been employed a few weeks, my employer is very impressed with my skills and I’ve even been offered my own team to manage. I’ve been told my skill set is something she wants to nurture and that I have grasped the requirements of the job quicker than expected.

Following that, similar assistance tailored to interview preparation provided that extra support when reaching the final stages of the onboarding process, and resulting in me being hired as an IT Specialist in Audit at Deloitte.

“I put this down to the hard work that was put into my degree by myself and my tutors. For anyone thinking about doing a Foundation Degree, I highly recommend it.” In line with the University’s commitment to widening participation, Foundation Degrees are available across a range of disciplines, and allow us to make degree-level study accessible to students who may not otherwise have been able to access higher education provision.

The fact that Deloitte offers the ACA certificate, which will enable me to become a Chartered Accountant in three years and enter any internal or external accounting field - and is the leading financial services firm in the UK - made it clear that this would be my preferred place to work and qualify.

As technological breakthroughs alter and create a need for adaptation, businesses’ reliance on information technology to manage business operations is growing considerably. I was first drawn to this industry because it’s heavily relied upon and will offer me a huge number of job chances during my career. Since accounting and finance have always been my two favourite fields of study, I thought pursuing an IT specialisation in Audit would be a job that would be tailored to my interests.

As an IT Specialist in Audit, I work with the larger Audit team on a variety of client engagements ranging in size, industry, and complexity, to verify the accuracy of financial statements presented by the organisation. I also examine IT systems that can store firm data particularly financial data. I also research and evaluate the controls in place to ensure the security, correctness, and dependability of such systems in order to avoid errors or fraud. We conduct the audit for the client by interacting with them on a regular basis about their system procedures and supporting documentation. The more experience and achievement you gain from each engagement allows you to continuously progress to greater responsibility on the client engagements and management of other people. I aim to progressively climb this career ladder and my career dream would be to become a Deloitte partner.

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EVENTS

THE BUSINESS SCHOOL

Crises in focus - now and then

ABOUT US: LIVERPOOL HOPE BUSINESS SCHOOL The Business School curriculum is cutting-edge with all teaching research-informed and delivered by staff with both professional and practical backgrounds. A high number of staff have PhDs, while several members of the School have run successful businesses. This means the School is highly qualified at an academic, professional and experiential level, to engage in research that connects with the business sector.

School staff, students and guests came together for a day of scholarly thought and intellectual discussions. Member of Parliament (MP) for Sefton Central and Shadow Minister for Business and Industry Mr Bill Esterson was keynote speaker at the return of the Business School’s annual conference. The event brought together School staff, students and visitors, who explored academic research and engaged in scholarly thought and intellectual discussions. Attendees were able to learn new information and make professional connections. Mr Esterson presented a path forward for how businesses and government should handle crises such as climate change, energy prices, and the cost of living. His address clearly fed into the theme of the conference which was ‘Back to the Future: Interpreting Crises 50 years on’. The theme was addressed, not only in the keynote talk, but also in the work of many scholars in the School. Mr Esterson has previously served on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Education; Housing, Communities and Local Government; and Treasury committees, as well as acting as Vice-Chair of the All Party Group on Carbon Capture. In his opening address, Revd Dr Tony Bradley made comparisons between the current slate of crises facing the country (pandemic, climate change, inflation, political leadership) and those of past eras, most notably the ‘stagflation’ and oil crisis of the 1970s. 10 | PULSE Magazine

Research papers at the conference ranged from methodological valuations of social and environmental engagement, to the examination of consumer reactions to greenwashing, and from the impact of HighPerformance Work Systems to the re-evaluation of the impact of past and current Eurozone crises and monetary policy.

The School works closely with accreditation bodies and is a member of various professional networks. These include the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Professional Liverpool.

With strong links to a range of leading local and national companies, professional bodies and organisations, and a range of innovative ethical and social enterprises, the School has a reputation for developing students with sound theoretical principles and a thorough understanding of contemporary business practices. Guest lecturers and practitioner input allows students the opportunity to visit companies, study abroad and work via Young Enterprise to develop and run their own business.

WHO WE WORK WITH:

The day ended with presentations by several students who did work with School staff on various research projects. The students explained their projects and the valuable experience they gained. Projects presented included an examination of the benefits of utilising brewers spent grain, a comparative investigation in the sustainable practices of the fashion industries of three different countries, an examination of the role digital media plays in religion, and an investigation into microfinance during the Coronavirus epidemic. The conference was organised by Dr Asad Ghalib, Principal Lecturer in Management Studies, and Revd Dr Tony Bradley, Director of the SEARCH Centre. If you would like to know more about research in the Business School, please contact Chair of the Business School’s Research Committee Dr Curtis Ziniel on zinielc@hope.ac.uk or 0151 291 3164.

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To find out more please visit: www.hope.ac.uk/businessschool

Pulse is published by Liverpool Hope Business School, Hope Park, L16 9JD.

T: 0151 291 3087 E: businessschool@hope.ac.uk

The views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of Liverpool Hope University.

LiverpoolHopeUniversity @LiverpoolHopeUK