First published on QMUL Jobs Board
Nishita Choudhury, English graduate (2018)
I studied English at Queen Mary and graduated in the summer of 2018. It inspired me to seek opportunities whereby I could utilise communication skills (both verbal and written) to do ‘good’ in the world. Upon graduating, I was self-employed but continuously sought for opportunities which were impactful; however, I wasn’t sure which careers focused on simply doing ‘good’…and then came along the ELBA Eagles CSR programme.
At first, I didn’t even know what the abbreviation stood for but the programme soon had me well prepped. After a gruelling but educational journey of being shortlisted and called in for interviews, I was chosen for a placement at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) which kick-started a very informative and enjoyable three weeks of training at ELBA.
Myself and 8 other Eagles became family during these three weeks as we embarked on a series of challenges, such as debating ‘What is Law?’; building confidence through personal impact training with the National Theatre; gaining Business English skills with Pitman and Microsoft skills with Happy Training Ltd; volunteering at Shoreditch Adventure Playground and, of course staying overnight at the very memorable and incredible Ashridge Business School where we gained project management skills and corporate dining etiquette.
Currently on my placement, I’m working on research projects across multiple topics; from Modern Slavery all the way to Climate Change in order to understand competitor perspectives, trends and customer behaviour. I understand now that Corporate Social Responsibility is an umbrella term to which finds me in the Sustainable Banking team here at RBS. CSR may be niche but it’s becoming increasingly popular as businesses realise the benefit of doing ‘good’ for their customers, communities, colleagues and supply chains.
Why ELBA Eagles CSR Programme? Because this opportunity enables you to soar to great heights in your life so… become more than you believe you are capable of.
Are you a final year undergraduate or Masters student or recent graduate who has grown up in an inner London borough? Then you can apply for the ELBA Eagles Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.
Eagles is a social mobility programme with a difference, targeting graduates interested in a career in CSR. We are looking for people who are interested in helping major companies in the City make a meaningful impact on the local community through their CSR programmes.
For some of the programmes, applicants must have grown up in an inner London borough. Not sure which borough you live in? Find out here.
Recent company placements included: Allen & Overy, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Herbert Smith Freehills, Deutsche Bank, EY, BUPA, Bank of Tokyo, Freshfields, Clyde & Co, Charles Russell Speechlys, Credit Suisse, Heart of the City, ING, RBS and RSA.
