Getting an 'Edge' in Your Career

Thinking about your next career steps? Want to learn how you can use your General Course and Study Abroad experiences to get ahead?

General Course Edge is designed to connect current General Course students with alumni of the programme. You will get to hear from alumni in different career sectors, as well as learn about Graduate Study at LSE and participate in a session led by LSE careers on how to navigate a career in the UK. This year we are holding these events in a conference style over the course of a half a day.

There will also be an opportunity to speak one-on-one with the alumni over drinks and nibbles towards the end of the event. So, come along to find out how you can use your General Course and Study Abroad experience to get an 'Edge' in competitive job markets.

Register here.

Please note that when registering, you will have to select "teacher/counsellor at a school" and then please select the country where your host institution is based when asked "Where are you from?". For example, USA for the Babson College, or, France for Sciences Po.

Schedule:  

Meet the Speakers:

Bianca Garvin (LinkedIn) joined the General Course in 2021 from Sciences Po, where she graduated with a BA in Social Sciences, majoring in Economics, and minoring in International Relations. After completing her undergraduate degree, she stayed in London to pursue the MSc Climate Change, Management and Finance at Imperial College. As part of her MSc degree, she interned at EY’s climate change and sustainability consulting section, and she is now working at the Global Maritime Forum as a Decarbonisation Project Coordinator. She works on projects to drive global action for the shipping industry to decarbonise and has just returned to London after spending the last six months in Singapore. Outside work, she is involved in several international climate action initiatives.

Jawad Koradia (LinkedIn) attended the General Course at the London School of Economics in 2002-2003 before graduating from Northwestern University. He began his career at Citi, building a foundation in trading and financial markets, and later returned to LSE to complete a part-time Master’s in Finance in 2011. After transitioning to the buy side and co-founding a London-based investment management firm, he rejoined Citi, where he rose to Managing Director and Global Head of LM STIRT. In this role, he built a business focused on emerging market currencies, technology-driven trading, and advanced risk management practices. Currently, he is dedicated to developing applied AI solutions for trading and risk management within financial services.

Zoë Brammer (LinkedIn) attended the General Course programme in 2019-2020. After graduating from Clark University with degrees in Economics and International Relations, Zoë worked at the Institute for Security and Technology, a think tank, where she researched and developed cybersecurity and AI security policy. She joined Google DeepMind's public policy team in May 2024.

Martina Garabedian (LinkedIn) is an analyst at Citi Treasury & Trade Solutions (TTS). Her focus features liquidity and market management. Currently, Martina is supporting the definition and execution of a client-centric ESG strategy across TTS. Martina has graduated from Babson College ‘22, USA, with summa cum laude achieving a full scholarship for the duration of her studies. She is an LSE General Course ‘21 alumna, who studied Accounting and Finance. In her free time, Martina enjoys painting with watercolors, skiing, and making videos.

Anusha Agarwal (LinkedIn) graduated from Georgetown University in 2021 with a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics, having spent a year on the General Course in 2019-20. She returned to London for a graduate role at BNP Paribas in Global Markets, and now works in Debt Capital Markets at BNP Paribas where she focuses on Capital Products structuring (Hybrids) and FIG DCM ESG. 

Laure Boissat (LinkedIn). Laure attended the General Course in 2016-17, focusing her courses on environmental policy and law. After completing her Master's in Biodiversity Conservation and Management at the University of Oxford, she worked for multiple animal welfare and conservation NGOs, such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and World Animal Protection, where she managed the Animal Protection Index - a tool comparing 50 countries’ animal welfare legislations and policies. She then was a sustainability consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for four years, where she supported public and private sector clients on issues ranging from ESG materiality assessments to developing net zero strategies. At present, Laure works for the FAIRR Initiative, a network of over 400 investors using their influence to help global livestock, fish and dairy companies build a more sustainable food system. 

Sofie Wiedemeyer (LinkedIn) was a General Course student in the 2022-2023 academic year, where she discovered a passion for programming and data-driven analytics while taking courses in the Economics Department and the Data Science Institute. After graduating from the University of Augsburg, she gained practical experience in policy advisory and management consulting during a gap year. Building on these interests, she returned to LSE to pursue an MPA in Data Science for Public Policy, focusing on the role of data in shaping effective public policy solutions.

Nayeli Pena (LinkedIn) attended the General Course in 2020-2021 and returned in 2022-2023 for a Master's in Environmental Policy and Regulation. Currently she works at the Capital Group as a CAP Associate after interning there the summer before.

Darcy Gleeson (LinkedIn) attended the General Course in 2018-2019. She graduated from the University of Southern California  with a B.A. International Relations and Global Business in 2019 before returning to London as a graduate at IBM’s digital experience design agency IBM iX. After 4+ years as a Managing Consultant supporting clients across healthcare and retail sectors with digital transformation and product management, Darcy is now an in-house Senior Product Manager at Holland & Barrett implementing a longevity-focused consumer digital wellness app called H&B&Me. Alongside H&B&Me, Darcy is also the co-founder and COO of Outbound Buddy, an B2B sales agency specialising in building automated go-to-market workflows for B2B SaaS and services to help grow their businesses. Outside of work, Darcy volunteers with Harlesden Primary School and mentors students and early professionals. She was shortlisted for the WeAreTheCity Digital Rising Star of the Year 2023 and named a Tech100Women Winner 2024.

More speakers to be announced soon.