My experience with AmplifyME: Building real-world skills alongside the classroom
Risha, an MSc in Behavioural Finance student at Queen Mary University of London, recently took part in the AmplifyME Pathways programme, completing simulations in three specific areas of Finance; Markets, Banking and Quant.
Discovering AmplifyME at Queen Mary
Like many students at Queen Mary University of London, I’m always searching for new ways to develop my employability skills alongside my academic studies. AmplifyME Pathways is an amazing platform that has allowed me to directly apply the theoretical knowledge from my lectures to a practical setting while helping me build essential skills that are useful for my future career in finance.
AmplifyME is an interactive platform that simulates financial markets and allows students to experience different roles within Finance through live sessions. Queen Mary students can access three different pathways through the university: Banking, Markets and Quant. Each pathway focuses on different areas of finance and allows students to develop specialised skills relevant to those fields. Each pathway consists of three levels which helps us gradually build knowledge and confidence through increasing complexity of the simulations.
Breakdown of AmplifyME sessions:
Learning and conceptualising
Each AmplifyME session runs for approximately 2 hours and is divided into two main parts. The first part involves learning the core content for selected session which includes going through key financial concepts and market strategies within the industry. As these are live sessions, there are plenty of opportunities to interact and amplify the learning experience. The session leads encourage students to ask questions and are eager to share their knowledge. Mentimeter is often used to make the experience more engaging and allow active participation.
Experiencing the simulation
After completing the concepts and learning section, the second part of the session focuses on the actual simulations. This allows students to take initiative and explore the simulated financial environments independently. The simulations do vary across the different pathways. For example, the Banking pathway focuses on financial statements and gives the students an opportunity to practice and develop their Excel skills. Quant pathway has elements such as coding and Market pathway provides simulations which includes analysing stock market activity and making trading decisions based on changing market conditions. The simulation environment replicates the pressure and pace of real financial markets; therefore, the decisions have to be made quickly as outcomes directly affect final performance. During the simulations, I often found myself analysing new information and adjusting strategy in real time which made the experience feel very similar to a real working environment. This makes the experience challenging and engaging as it requires concentration, analytical thinking and ability to work in fast paced environment.
A flexible learning experience
The live sessions take place online which makes it very accessible and there are many different slots that can be booked at different times throughout the academic year. As it is an international platform, it can sometimes be tricky to have sessions that align with our schedule. However, they do add new sessions and a range of time slots over the course of the year. At Queen Mary, occasionally there are in person simulations which is also great for anyone who wants a chance to network in real life.
Competing on a global scale
Another feature that makes AmplifyME particularly motivating is the leaderboard provided at the end of each session. There are students from universities all around the world participating in these sessions. These sessions allow Queen Mary students to interact with students worldwide which gives us a glimpse of their knowledge and skillset.
Performing well in these simulations can make students stand out amongst a pool of students internationally, which gives them a competitive advantage when it comes to employability. Discussing experiences like this in professional settings has made me feel more confident about my skills and interest in finance.
Why AmplifyME enhances my employability
AmplifyME has been a valuable addition to my experience at Queen Mary. It compliments my academic studies by providing hands-on opportunity to apply financial knowledge in realistic scenarios. It has also provided me with confidence while approaching the job market as it’s helping me develop skills that are highly relevant for future employment.
I would highly recommend AmplifyME to students who are interested in careers in finance, banking or quant roles. It offers a fun and interactive way to gain practical exposure while being at university. Furthermore, for those who are considering potential career paths, it is a great platform to learn about different roles and access valuable insights into the world of financial markets.