How to be a Successful Economist

Exploring the wealth of career opportunities open to those with an interest in economics, Pryce, Ross, Birdi, and Harwood reflect on how students can become successful economists. An ideal complement to skills and employability modules on economics courses, or as pre-course reading, the authors explain the attributes that employers want and guide students to assemble the essential toolkit that all good economists need.

The content uniquely brings together chapters which demystify the roles and industries that typically recruit economists; explore the importance of strong communication, quantitative, and broader soft skills and how to develop these; and coaches readers through the application and interview process for graduate positions. Readers will benefit from candid reflections on the advantages and drawbacks of particular career paths as well as the insights contributed by the authors, recent graduates, and experienced industry professionals.

Professionals with experience working in industries such as financial services, government and policy, journalism, and consultancy participated in conversations with the authors about their careers. The valuable insights and advice they shared are included throughout the book and full video interviews can be found either in the e-book version of this title, or with the accompanying online resources.

Digital formats and resources
This book is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and is supported by online resources.

The e-book offers a mobile experience and convenient access along with video content capturing conversations between the authors and practitioners and links that offer extra learning support: www.oxfordtextbooks.co.uk/ebooks

Vicky Pryce FAcSS is Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service, and Partner and Chief Economist at KPMG, after senior economic posts in banking and the oil sector. She is Visiting Professor at BCU and KCL, Fellow and Council member of the Academy for Social Sciences, Fellow of the Society of Professional Economists and Companion of the British Academy of Management. She sits on the Advisory Board of the central banking think-tank OMFIF and on the advisory group of Better Statistics CIC. Her books include: 'It's the Economy, Stupid'; 'Economics for Voters'; with Ross and Urwin, 'Greekonomics: The Euro crisis' and Why Politicians Don't Get It'; 'Prisonomics'; 'Redesigning Manufacturing', with Nielsen and Beverland; and 'Women vs Capitalism'. She is co-founder of GoodCorporation, formed to advise on business ethics.

(Visiting) Professor Andy Ross FAcSS is an academic and practitioner economist best known for his time as a Deputy Director and Head of Professional Development in the Government Economic Service (GES). For many years Andy was Chief Adviser to the GES for their recruitment assessment centre and regularly trained their recruitment assessors. He was an employer representative on the QAA subject benchmarks for economics and one of two employer representatives for the most recent Teaching Excellence Framework pilot for Social Science.
He is a Visiting Professor and part-time lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London and at Loughborough University. He is also Economist Advisor to High Oak Enterprises and a patron of the Economics Network. His previous posts include Visiting Professor at the University of Reading, Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Leeds and Trustee and Director of the Academy of Social Sciences, where he serves as Chair of the Practitioner Fellows Nominations Committee.

Professor Alvin Birdi is a leading authority on how and what economics is taught in UK universities.
He is a Professor of Economics Education in the School of Economics and Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor (Undergraduate) for Education Innovation and Enhancement at the University of Bristol. He is also Director of the Economics Network, a national body that provides professional development for economics lecturers and promotes high quality and innovative teaching practice in the discipline within the higher education sector. Alvin was a member of the QAA subject benchmarks panel for economics and a lead panelist for economics in the Teaching Excellence Framework pilots. He is also the Director of the Bristol Institute for Learning and Teaching (BILT) and a regular commentator and author on the teaching of economics.


Ian Harwood FAcSS is a leading and award-winning practitioner in the City, specialising in global economic and financial analysis. In recent years he has undertaken a wide range of economics, investment advisory, non-executive, and educational roles. He is currently Economic Adviser at Redburn, a stockbroking firm providing research advice to institutional investors, and is also Investment Adviser to a number of pension schemes and insurance companies. He is a Fellow of the Society of Professional Economists, having served on the Society's Council from 2008 to 2017 where he advocated substantive changes in the way economics is taught in British universities. He also led the creation of the Society of Professional Economists' Continuing Professional Development programme and is the Society's Book Reviews Editor. He has also been a Visiting Professor at Greenwich University and is currently a member of the Management Board of the South-Western Universities' Doctoral Training Partnership.