Zeyin Zhao, Bocom

Precious Commodity Trader, Bocom

Zeyin enjoyed the practical elements of the FAFM programme and applies the skills he learned and his financial knowledge on a day to day basis.

“I chose to study for a Masters after graduating with my bachelor’s degree from ACCA to further my financial knowledge. I applied to the MSc Financial Analysis and Fund Management programme due to its challenging curriculum, the integration with the CFA and because it covers all the fundamental knowledge and techniques of finance. The course was also very practical and combined our studies with the application of databases including Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters, something I found very valuable when attending interviews and it has giving me an advantage in my role as a trader.

The experiences I gained at Exeter have helped in all aspects of my career. After graduating I started a role as a trader with Bocom at their head office. The trading desk for commodity at Bocom is divided into two functions: proprietary and agency. The former focuses on arbitrage, quotation and marking to market, whereas the latter, where my role sits, is more about commodity finance licensing, spot/forward trading, and hedging.

The nature of my job requires intensive and sound financial knowledge as well as regularly communicating with counterparties. I therefore have to remain up to date with financial trends and show a high level of professionalism at all times, I developed these skills during my programme as not only was it theoretical but the practical elements helped me build my interpersonal skills. FAFM also inspired me to explore further areas of finance beyond my studies.

My advice to anyone considering a Masters would be to make full use of the materials and opportunities open to you to facilitate your career development. For instance, I spent as much time as I could on the Bloomberg terminals in the finance labs to develop my financial modelling experience which has been a great advantage for me in my current role. Engage with the careers service within the Business School as soon as possible, they can help you with career development, preparing cover letters and perfecting your resume. I would also recommend that you establish a social network on LinkedIn and build strong connections who can support you throughout your career.

I can highly recommend a Masters at The University of Exeter Business School, all my professors, tutors and my personal mentor were diligent and professional. There are also extensive networking opportunities and I have built connections with people from all over the world. I am very proud to be an Exeter Alumni. ”