Thawatchai Srihathai

Name: Thawatchai Srihathai
Club 21 Employer: Clydesdale Bank Plc
Degree Subject: Economics/ Business and Management
Year of Graduation: 2008

I am very pleased with the opportunities that Club 21 has been providing for students at the University of Glasgow. With ever-increasing competition for jobs in the graduate workplace, it is imperative that you have relevant and first-class work experience before you graduate from university. In the summer of 2006, Club 21 delivered that, and with my interest in Marketing and Finance, I was able to join Clydesdale Bank Plc on a three-month internship.

I worked in Clydesdale Bank's Integrated Financial Solutions (IFS) centre in their flagship Glasgow office, mainly involved in project management. The work environment at IFS was very friendly and the decentralised office layout meant that you felt part of the on-going development and success at Clydesdale. This factor was hugely important to my integration within the Bank and settling down quickly with ease. The open office clusters enabled me to communicate in an open, friendly atmosphere with business, private and specialist partners, hence really understanding what their roles involved and seeking their valuable advice on various subjects.

As my internship was mainly project based, I really enjoyed being at the heart of a challenge and being given the resources and the necessary freedom to complete the work to a high standard. My colleagues played an important role in providing their input and experience to make sure that I was on the right track, and were more than happy to assist me if I wasn't.

After three months in the internship, I really felt part of the Bank. I was satisfied that my academic knowledge from university really is relevant in the fast-moving, modern day workplace, and not just entirely theoretical! Furthermore, I'm confident the practical experience and business contacts obtained from the Club 21 internship will play a valuable part in my pursuit of a first class honours.