Economics and Finance Society: Vice President of Finance

It starts in one of the dark corners of the internet, where only the few, the brave, the insane tread. A forum called r/wallstreetbets where the call of the day is "tendies or death". It starts with a "YOLO"; the subreddit's signature move. A "YOLO" also aptly describes my candidacy for this role. 

I am no committee member. No first-year representative, no former Goldman Sachs or fancy banks' intern, nor any sort of intern. I am but one of the many. The rejected, the failed. I am the lost, he who found his calling too late in life. The insane, selfish, and greedy, who wants to claw his way back into a better future. Most of you don't know me, and nor I you. 

So why vote for this nameless nobody? I am selfish, I seek to leverage what few things I have left to succeed in breaking in, and that includes working as VP of Finance at UCL's, nay, one of the world's largest Economics and Finance societies. To this end, you can be assured that it is in my best interests to work for your best interests. I promise you this, I will do anything short of shedding real blood to ensure that I fulfil my duties to the utmost degree, even if I have to put all your money on risky call options. 

Who knows, maybe I'll even be competent. 

I'm running for the post of VP of Finance. I am now a freshman at UCL, where I serve as the Academic-Representative. I like to think of myself as a trustworthy, diligent person who would go to any length to finish a task effectively and on time. For example, in high school, I was the founder of a designer clothing online start-up, where I oversaw a wide range of responsibilities, from overseeing the website's operations to developing contacts with cloth designer producers, which required persistence. I'm making the switch to a VP role because I'm searching for a tougher challenge. This role would require me to put in a lot of effort in order to be successful, and I am certain that I am capable of doing so. Because of my present involvement in various campus activities, I am aware of this. As a former Project Leader for the UCL 180-degrees Consulting society, I worked directly with a client firm to solve their problem, which honed my attention to detail and leadership skills, which I am continuing to hone as the First-Year Academic Rep at UCL School of Management and as an FYR at UCL Consulting Society. If elected, I intend to put these traits of leadership to the best possible use. Fortunately for me, I have an easy year ahead of me, which will let me prepare for this position in terms of time. If I get elected as VP of Finance, having this extra time will enable me to put more effort into the role and work harder on the many duties that will occur.

Hi everyone, I’m Andrew, and I am hoping to continue my term as the Vice-President of Finance. Having laid the foundational work for the division and planned out major events for the rest of academic year, I look forward to organising events that will help us springboard us into our professional careers. 

I am to achieve this by:

1. Fostering a supportive UCL alumni network. Giving access to valuable networking opportunities is the primary focus of my term, and I am keen to continue hosting quality networking events to help us find mentors with whom we are able to establish long-lasting relationships with. 
2. Organising events for all corners of finance by increasing exposure to other ventures outside of Investment Banking, such as Financial Consulting and Alternative Investments. I believe gaining a holistic perspective of the finance industry would be extremely advantageous to choosing our future career path. 
3. Hosting diversity events targeting members from ethnic minority groups and disadvantaged backgrounds. It is my belief that all members compete at a level playing field and enjoy equality of opportunity to pursue their desired careers. 

I will constantly seek out your feedback on the events organised so that I can create a highly tailored experience for all of us. I look forward to continue to serve as your Vice-President of Finance, and seeing you at our events soon!

The Economics and Finance Society is one of the most prestigious in the UK. My desire to be a part of it stems from my passion and curiosity for Finance and desire to develop the necessary skills required to make a positive difference. Through my experience working at a Private Equity Asset manager, I got an insight into Merger & Acquisition deal dynamics and was able to build a strong rapport and make valuable contributions during deals. Staying humble, working with integrity and having the confidence to ask questions really steepened my learning curve. I firmly believe I can  thrive in collaborative environments while building strong relationships.. The opportunity to be the Vice President for Finance is one I would be extremely grateful for. I intend to continue current workshops, fairs and events for those interested in building their financial skills as well as create networking opportunities with leaders in the Financial industry. Getting access to this knowledge would allow us as a society to progress and reach new heights. Vote for me for VP of Finance!!