In 2021, when Senan was just 16 years old, he won his award for achieving the highest results in Ireland in our level 3 Introduction to Investment: The Foundation Qualification. He now has two other qualifications under his belt: level 2 Fundamentals of Financial Services and level 3 Capital Markets Programme: Certificate in Securities.
Why the CISI?
He initially engaged with finance in his first year at CBC Cork and wondered why the topic was not taught in more detail to young students in Ireland. Intrigued, he started a finance society to promote financial literacy in school. Students met during lunch every Friday, researching potential companies to invest in and presenting their choices to the others in the group. The initiative helped to highlight the importance of investing and financial education in Senan’s school community.
This led to him entering and coming second in the Young Investors Society (a provider of financial literacy education to students) Global Stock Pitch Competition. He pursued our exams to launch himself into the world of investment and chose our qualifications because of “our excellent reputation” and the convenience and accessibility of fitting the study around his school commitments.
Senan successfully juggled his schoolwork with his revision, even studying during school summer breaks. ‘‘I was able to choose my own schedule as the CISI allows for independent study with its comprehensive textbooks.’’
Investing in his personal advancement cultivated “a passion for learning and tangible interest and knowledge in the field of finance”. He found that it helped to go through the material at a pace that was comfortable for him, so he could “really enjoy” learning.
Senan has made extensive use of CISI learning materials
Tips and tricks for effective revision
A typical day for him consisted of setting aside some time to work through the textbooks, going online to make use of our study tool, Revision Express (accessible to members), and revising the sections that he answered incorrectly.
He stresses an essential need to understand the material and test this by explaining the concept to someone else. No need to stick within the boundaries of your textbook, he says. Explore other mediums, including videos, like those available on CISI TV, podcasts, and wider literature. He is currently reading The essays of Warren Buffett as a catalyst to apply what he learned. Ultimately, catapulting into the financial sector was his key to building confidence in his comprehension. Senan exudes a sharp sense of awareness, having expanded his learning in this way.
Other resources which Senan has made extensive use of for his continuing professional development includes the CISI app and our Professional Refresher modules. ‘‘The module tests at the end are an easy way to make sure that I am properly absorbing the information,’’ he said.
Next steps
After completing his Leaving Certificate exams (Irish A Level equivalent), he intends to take our level 4 Certificate in Investment Management to sharpen his valuation skills and understand portfolio management, and the level 3 Islamic Finance Qualification which is sparked by his interest in culture and history.
Senan is a fantastic example of how to make the most out of the Institute’s resources, not just to pass his exams but to practically apply this to everyday activities and excel while doing so. No doubt we will hear of further achievements in his future endeavours.