A welcome from the Presidents:

We are excited to be able to welcome you to the website of the Oxford Guild Business Society. The Oxford Guild was both Oxford University’s and the UK’s largest and oldest student business society for decades and is now being re-launched. Originally it was associated with a range of commercial organisations from investment banks to industrial firms; we are keen to rebuild the Society on these foundations.

This Trinity term 2011 and over the summer we have been working hard to promote and relaunch the Society. There has been a spectacular level of interest in the Society and we are well set for a bright future. The whole committee has been hard at work and our relaunch would not have been possible without their tireless dedication. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them sincerely for the time and effort they dedicate to the Society.

Our aim is to ‘equip our members with the knowledge, transferrable skills, and networking opportunities needed to develop successful careers in their chosen area of the business world’. Our values stress that we work for our members and we will strive to achieve this aim. We are pleased to be a society which gives undergraduates and postgraduates of all disciplines a forum for financial discussion and a link to the financial world outside of Oxford.

We are proud to offer you a wide variety of services, ranging from talks and lectures from high profile speakers, workshops and trading games to internship FAQs, walkthrough sessions and mock assessment centres. Our members will also have the opportunity to be involved in an investment team managing a virtual fund of £150,000. We will be publishing weekly business newsletters summarising current issues in the commercial world. We will host popular social networking events such as champagne and cocktails evenings as well as more intimate networking events such as dinners. Several unique and quirkier events are planned which will attract a large crowd including debates and discussion sessions of certain topical business issues ranging from regulatory reform and ethics to the role of insurers in natural disasters. This allows students to develop crucial skills at university that will be prized by potential employers.

Oxford students are a talented and fortunate group and our society provides sponsors with a great way of reaching out to them. As a student-run organisation, the Oxford Guild depends heavily upon the generous support of sponsors. We sincerely hope that you might be willing to support the activities outlined above and help us realise our vision. These activities will be hugely beneficial for both students seeking employment in an area of the business world and the employers looking for right talents to bring prosperity to their companies. We provide high returns on investment, with no other Oxford University business society able to rival us in terms of overall exposure. Sponsoring the Oxford Guild is a great way of raising your profile and reaching out to students at Oxford University interested in careers in different sectors of commerce. As a sponsor, you would be able to hold events through the society with your representatives; moreover, interacting with Oxford’s most prestigious and renowned student business society would give you prime access to a relevant and motivated body of people. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor please email president@theoxfordguild.com and we would be happy to send you our sponsorship pack. We would be delighted to hear from firms and organisations regarding sponsorship of the Oxford Guild Business Society during the academic year from 2011-2012, and our representatives would be pleased to meet you in person to discuss future relationships.

If you are interested in any aspect of the business world and are interested the services we offer please become a member by joining our mailing list. We would be delighted to meet you at one of our exciting events in the future.

Best Regards,

Abbas Kazmi and Adam Chekroud
Presidents of the Oxford Guild
New College

On Monday 5th March in Lecture Room 4 in New College at 6.30, we have a very useful (and for many of you timely!) mock assesment centre run by ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountancy in England and Wales) who partner with some of the biggest graduate employers such as Deloitte, PwC, Ernst and Young and KPMG, so they know all about what to expect at assesment centres. Practice your team working, delegation, communication, presentation and problem solving abilities whilst examining financial, industrial and company information under pressure!This is a great opportunity to learn what employers are looking for, and some tricks to show them how good you really are! With FREE FOOD, PIZZA AND DRINKS and taking just an hour and a half over dinner time, this is an opportunity not to be missed! In today’s competitive graduate market, employers are using sophisticated methods to assess the suitability of graduates with an ever increasing emphasis on testing for specific skills.If you are thinking of joining a graduate scheme after university you will find this session useful in learning how to crack graduate interviews and assessment centres. Learn how to match your skills with company competencies as well as what to expect on the day, how to prepare and how to sell yourself. This is an invaluable opportunity to pick recruiters brains in anything that concerns you.