New perspectives on security from a student project

Master’s student of Management Sciences and Finance , James Schwaiger undertook the three month placement as part of his studies. He used data from around 12,000 branch offices to detect and devise more secure ways of working.

“I really enjoyed my project and found everyone at the Post Office to be very kind and supportive,” says James. “I am sure the skills I developed and used during the placement will be extremely valuable during my career.” James went on to the master’s programme after taking a BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Southampton.

Shirley Hailstones, Enterprise Risk and Assurance Advisor at the Post Office says: “It’s been an absolute pleasure having James working on the project. He’s a role model to any young graduate undertaking interim work.

“As a very approachable and likeable individual, James found it easy to settle in and work as part of a team; he’s been very proactive in approaching the necessary individuals to obtain the information he needed to carry out the project work and has built great working relationships with our team.”

After completing his analysis, James presented his findings to senior managers: “Feedback from the stakeholders was exceptionally complimentary: they were all very impressed with James’s outputs from the project and the very professional manner in which he conducted himself,” adds Shirley.

Postgraduate students on MSc in Business Analytics and Management Science and MSc in Management Science and Finance programmes at the University of Southampton all undertake a three month summer placement project as part of their degree. Many major companies and organisations, including Boeing, Virgin Media and the NHS, offer placements each year.