Maddison Leigh Parker

Your Career: I work as an assistant manager at Deloitte in Cardiff.  Our work involves advising and assisting with a range of transactions that involve companies either looking to buy a new business or sell their current one. It is our job to provide a trusted and objective view of the business being sold to assist buyers in their decision making.

Your Swansea University experience: It was an incredibly rewarding experience! I left with new life skills, a degree that helped me step into my career and friends for life!

What are your top 3 favourite things about Swansea: Of course the beach is a top selling point! There’s nowhere better to spend time with friends, especially when we get nice weather. The people at the university are always friendly and approachable. This includes students/lecturers/support staff etc, you never feel alone at Swansea.  My third favourite thing about the city is El Pescador, an incredible restaurant in the marina! They never disappoint and it has served as the celebration spot for many of my birthdays, my graduation and my boyfriend and I are even returning this year for our 5 year anniversary! 

Why did you choose to study your degree at Swansea? English was my favourite subject at both GCSE’s and A-Levels. I was keen to be able to continue studying both language and literature so that was a key selling point for me choosing to study at Swansea. The open day really set my decision as I explored the campus I could really see myself living there!  I had also spoken to past Swansea students, and they had nothing but praise for the university and the city! 

Would you recommend Swansea University to someone thinking of going to University? I couldn’t recommend Swansea University enough! It really was the most incredible 3 years. I can assure you that every effort will be made to make you feel settled and comfortable and you will never look back!

How did your degree prepare you for your career? Although my degree is in a very different field to my current role, the main transferable skill I got from studying English was solid communication. I am frequently handling client emails, writing reports and analysis, and emailing internal colleagues. All of these things require clear and appropriate communication skills and my time at Swansea really helped me to develop them.

What advice would you give to students who want to pursue your career? Working for a big corporation like Deloitte can be difficult at times, a lot is expected of you and the pressure of studying for an accountancy qualification alongside work can be stressful. My main advice would be to get your applications in early, research what is out there and make sure you give yourself the best chance to be prepared for an interview. In addition to this, lean from the people around you. This could be friends, family or colleagues but always remember your support system is there to help when it gets tough!