My name is Syed Abbas Hasan, but I go by Abbas, and I've just graduated as a BSc Accounting and Finance student with a placement year.
I come from Pakistan. I live in Karachi. Accounting is a very popular subject for A-levels back in Pakistan. So that was my first time
studying Accounting. That's where I developed an interest in it. It's something that I enjoyed doing.
So that is the career I looked into - towards the field of Accounting.
Finance has always intrigued me. So you get the best of both worlds with a double majors degree. I think that there was no other choice for me. That was specifically the degree I was looking for. It was either Accounting and Finance, or it was no other option.
I'll be going into the world of Accounting. I'll be starting my career as an Auditor in one of the biggest Accounting firms in the world, so I'm looking forward to that.
Although my university is now over, the studies continue. I'll be studying towards an Accounting qualification alongside my work as an Audit Trainee. So it's another three years of study.
One of the reasons I came to the UK, not just Lancaster, was that bigger platform, the opportunities. Being an ambitious person, working for those big names, learning from the best, that was something that I've always looked up to. I feel that, in itself, acts as the motivation for me.
One thing that I made really good use of was to get in touch with the Careers Team. I had regular meetings with different Career Coaches, the Finance Career Coach. That really helped me get two internships within my first year. My placement was with Unilever. Again, it's the biggest FMCG in the UK. And it's actually the biggest company in Pakistan, so it's a dream job in Pakistan, working for Unilever. It was a very exciting opportunity for me. I worked as a Business Analyst in Unilever, within their Supply Chain Team. And, I was the lead for their Global Cost Savings Initiative for their Elida Beauty portfolio, which was over €1 billion, so it was a big responsibility.
And I've seen quite a bit of the UK as well. I've been to Wales, been to Scotland, so it's good. I enjoy travelling and being in Lancaster. I think Lancaster, in itself, is a very beautiful place. It's tough to beat those scenic views of Lancaster, but I had the opportunity to travel quite a bit, make friends in university during my placement, who I hope I'll stay in touch with for the rest of my life.