Oxford Odyssey

Author: cowleycorporateclimbers

  • Why you should never accept exposure/experience as payment

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    Have you ever been offered a job or project where the main reward was “exposure” or “experience”? Itโ€™s a common tactic, especially among smaller companies or in creative industries. The promise sounds tempting: take on a variety of tasks, develop new skills, and boost your CV. There are those companies that encourage employees to seek…

  • Can I leave the office before my boss?

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    When you donโ€™t get paid for overtime, but companies are still insistent that you spend time in the office when you have nothing to do, how is this fair? First, it is clear that most work is based on business needs, which ebb and flow as the year progresses. The lack of forecastability means that…

  • Entrepreneurship – an option and not an all-in

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    Entrepreneurship is seen as an inherently risky proposition. The Europe start-up ecosystem in particular has been criticised for being risk-averse in comparison to their American counterparts. The risks of entrepreneurship Wasserman (2013) found that the self-employed tended to have 35% lower earnings compared to if they had been in a paid job. Given that there…

  • The value of the side hustle

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    The Why Entrepreneurship Takes Time While the allure of starting your own business is strong, it’s essential to recognize that entrepreneurial ambitions often take a long time to come to fruition, if they succeed at all. Building a successful business requires time, effort, and resilience. By maintaining a job while working on your side hustle,…

  • Fear the MLM

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    I was 15 years old when I was approached by someone on Facebook asking me to be a partner in their distribution business. I was very interested – wow, some business is actually interested in teenager me! I was an immensely stupid kid, but fortunately, they backed off when I said that I was still…

  • What drives long hours in a job?

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    Investment banking is famous for long hours – going up to 120 hours a week at times. Meanwhile, consulting works around 60-80 hours, far fewer than investment banking but also takes up twelve hours a day at the minimum. While it’s easy to dismiss the hours as something analysts deserve for the pay they get,…

  • Applications for job and internships

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    This article is meant for the UK context, for undergraduates who are already seeking that sweet career path after university. These will mostly apply to jobs with a structured graduate scheme, such as in investment banking, consulting, and technology. Always seek out a full time job as soon as possible. You can convert from Springs…

  • What makes a good marketer?

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    Too often, marketing is framed as the art of getting people to buy stuff they don’t need – promoting consumerism and materialism. They do this with a mix of slick charm and lies about the efficacy of their products. At its best, marketing is about understanding customers deeply and creating meaningful exchanges of value. While…

  • What drives compensation in a job?

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    In 2022, CEOs were paid 290 times more than the typical worker, a stark increase from 1965 when the ratio stood at 21:1 (Economic Policy Institute, 2023). This disparity raises critical questions about compensation dynamics and systemic inequities. Why are some essential professions โ€“ cleaners, nurses and teachers โ€“ often perceived to be underpaid, despite…

  • The efficient labour market hypothesis – on passion

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    “Love your job and never work a day in your life.“ Itโ€™s a great platitude to work for a passion. Unfortunately, unless you have a niche interest, following your passion is unlikely to result in financial upside. The depressed pay of “socially-helpful” jobs A large number of individuals are drawn to do good, or pursue…