My name is Judith and I am German.  I am currently in my 3rd year at LSE studying BSc Economics.

I am from Germany, and as such my first job was of course in tax! This was a three-year part-time placement at a small tax consultancy in Berlin, which I then followed up by Deloitte’s gap year Scholars Scheme in London, where I have also completed my subsequent placements in Consulting (three months in total so far).

I chose LSE because I believe that it is the best place to study Economics in Europe and also for its international flair (at one time, our student body represented more nationalities than the United Nations), which is just perfect for practising my languages with my friends.

My ideal job would be that of a consultant to the public sector, as I believe that despite its image, the field does play a vital role in people’s lives, but that at the end of the day its monopoly status means that it is inefficient and hence that there is a lot of room for improvement. My Consulting work to date has mainly been for the public sector, and one project in particular dealt with the problem that standard motivational practices from the private sector, such as stellar salaries, are a) infeasible, b) considered unfair by the wider public and c) actually inefficient in motivating public servants. Thus I spent several weeks with my colleagues on writing a report to remedy that situation, which has inspired me to pursue a career in the area.

Further to my belief in the public sector, I also find the idea of “giving back” highly important. Not only due to having financed a mayor part of my secondary and now tertiary education via external funding, I do appreciate the importance that scholarships have for education and the shaping of future leaders. However, it is not only through money – as important as that may be – that we can make a difference, and I am glad to see so many philanthropic programmes exist. As part of the effort, I am currently on the LSE Mentoring and Ambassador Schemes (to make young, underprivileged people aware of the opportunities for study out there), and hope to fund some scholarships at both the LSE as well as at my old school for the International Baccalaureate myself as soon as I am financially able to, as I wish others to benefit from what has brought me so much further in life. In the meantime, I enjoy any opportunity to contribute to other efforts, and hope to participate in the “Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs” scheme as a mentor.

I would like to ask Stelios just how big is your telephone bill really?  I would like Stelios to ask me how many languages are you up to now?