The London Trip '23: Part 1

In this short interview, four of the participants in the London trip share their experiences. Teodor Nedev, Georgina Ivanova, Ivaylo Ivanov, and Radoslav Roussinov, are all AUBG students, who had the chance to visit prominent UK academic institutions such as LSE, and LBS, and leading companies such as McKinsey & Co, Capital Group, and Fitch Group.

"How did the trip impact your academic and career plans?"

Teodor: Up until the flight to London, I had formed some tentative plans for my professional future. The trip made me reconsider a lot of things due to the many educational and career options that it presented me with. After all the company visits I could see myself working in the respective sectors and I am definitely thinking about applying to some of the universities shown to us sometime in the future. The trip posed a sort of creative destruction to my ideas for the years ahead and I am glad about it.

Georgina: I was unsure if I’d like to pursue a career in this field, and in London, so for me, the trip was mostly affirmative - like a green light that I should try and go for it.

Radoslav: The trip was more than useful for me because it helped with my plans for future academic and professional development. I received some tips and ideas which I will definitely use in the future.

Ivaylo: Based on our conversation with Iliya (AUBG alum, and our host at Capital Group) I am now considering starting CFA, as I will be doing definitely a gap year or two after finishing my bachelor's. Moreover, I have been having a terrible experience with corporations in Bulgaria so far. The trip made me see a different perspective, a much more optimistic one. Lastly, I have been thinking about doing a Master's program but a bit later in my career probably 5 years from graduation. After this trip, I think of cutting them to 2 years instead.

"What was your favorite part of the trip?"

Teodor: I found almost all visits during the trip to be 10/10 experiences, but I will limit myself to two particular moments. The first was the visit to Capital Group. Iliya Tsekov was incredibly welcoming and the conversation with him was rather engaging and easy-going. It was very intriguing to learn some insights about his work, especially regarding a specific profitable trade he has made recently. The second one was the foundation dinner - not only because of the food but also because I remember being very nervous in the beginning, yet inspired and uplifted by the end. Alek and Ralitsa were wonderful hosts with lots of helpful and fascinating stories to share. The dinner also allowed me to learn more about my colleagues, all of whom were amazing to share the trip with.

Georgina: Every place that we visited was stunning in its own way, however, I think visiting McKinsey left the biggest impression on me.

Radoslav: My favorite moment was the visit to McKinsey & Company. I enjoyed all organizations that we visited, but the time spent at this particular company was inspiring.

Ivaylo: McKinsey was the most impressive visitation for me. Also the dinner with Aleksander. Maybe it's because of Aleksander himself, he has been inspirational.