Two of our current LLM students have secured positions with the Royal Bank of Scotland, in their money laundering division. Nabeelah Begum and Robi Rai are both studying on our International Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation degree. We caught up with them both, to find out more about their new roles and how the LLM has helped them to prepare.

What is your new role and what will you be doing?

Nabeelah: Working to ensure compliance with the anti-money laundering, combatting terrorist financing and tax evasion regulations. I will be working on the accounts of businesses, dissecting their business structures, assessing their risk and making suggestions as to how to mitigate the risk. This is a role with a lot of independence, I will be given the power to sign off on decisions but I will also be working closely with senior managers.

Robi: It is a specialist role that is multi-faceted. It entails ensuring compliance with AML/CTF regulations. To do this clients will need to be assessed deciding whether they pose a risk and if they do, how then to mitigate that risk. This is a very important role and is instrumental in protecting the bank from problems as it also involves dealing with complex company structures.

How did you hear about the job?

Both: On the RBS official website, but it was also visible on other platforms.

Did the LLM help you prepare for the role/secure the position?

Robi: Most definitely, it was the knowledge I gained on the LLM which allowed me to excel in a challenging interview. Being taught by experts in the field who have worked with the Bank of England and the IMF, truly gave me an advantage. On top of that, Warwick is more than just learning, with so many different opportunities always available. I have learnt to manage my time efficiently and strengthen my ability to work under pressure; this helped me tremendously as my interview was a day after one exam and a day before another exam but from the skills gained in the LLM, I was able to enter the interview with confidence.

Nabeelah: Yes, I genuinely believe that the LLM was instrumental in helping me secure the role. The modules I have completed gave me a solid and unparalleled grounding into the area in which the job is concerned. I also think the level of teaching was key to me obtaining the role. I was able to mention in my interview that I was taught by experts in the field and this made me stand out from the rest of the candidates applying.

How do you feel about getting the job?

Nabeelah: Very happy. This is my first role and I have no doubt that it will launch me into a very successful career. I am also very anxious to begin but have high hopes that it will go very well.

Robi: Extremely happy and excited because at the start of the year I aspired to gain a role in AML/CTF and now that I have, I can showcase the skills and knowledge I have gained at Warwick.

What have you loved about being at Warwick?

Robi: The endless amount of help and support offered plus the many opportunities that you can take advantage of.

Nabeelah: I have truly loved the culture, the atmosphere and more importantly the people both lecturers and fellow students; I could not see myself studying anywhere else. I would like to thank all my lecturers for their great teaching and also their support throughout both my degrees. I am always grateful.

You both studied your LLB and LLM with us. In your opinion, what were the benefits of staying on for a further year with us?

Nabeelah: After graduating my Law degree in 2017, I was unsure as to which direction I wanted to go in, I had a lot of legal work experience but wasn’t 100% sure I wanted to become a solicitor, being able to study further gave me the chance to work out what I truly wanted to do which was Risk & Compliance. Staying at Warwick was the obvious choice for me, here I am offered great support and amazing teaching.

Robi: After having completed a mini pupillage during my LLB, I was uncertain where I wanted to go career wise. I decided that an LLM would be extremely beneficial in helping me to decide which field I would love to work in. There are a myriad of benefits of staying with Warwick. The most beneficial to me is the lecturing, which is truly remarkable and allows one to really engage with the materials, but also the most complicated issues are broken down into building blocks which allow students to then strengthen their comprehension of the knowledge in a systematic way. Finally not only is the practical side of the law tackled but Warwick allow students to divulge into the contextual and theoretical elements which truly opens ones understanding to such matters as the polices behind the law. Therefore the knowledge and skills I have gained through the LLM has unquestionably enhanced my job opportunities as I have gained a deeper and dense understanding of the module.

Congratulations to Robi and Nabeelah, we wish them the best of luck in their new roles even though we know they won’t need it. We are extremely proud of you both.

Are you a current student at Warwick but are not sure what direction your career should take? Why don’t you see if one of our LLM programmes would be of interest?