MADE IN WARMINSTER
“You never fully appreciate what a gem Warminster School is until you leave”
Mention the surname Haines to any member of our staff and senior pupils and 'sport' immediately springs to mind. Many of our community will of course be familiar with Josh Haines, our Head Boy 2016/17 who cut a well-known figure on the sports field during his time at Warminster. Josh comes from a strong line of impressive sports men in his family, having been passed the baton from his older twin brothers, George and Alex (OV11). As Mrs Parrack fondly remembers, “They were my KEN Prefects and absolutely brilliant!”
Thankfully, catching up with 'the Haines twins' recently (as they were affectionately known) to find out what they were up to post-university, did not involve anything sporty on behalf of our Alumni Department (although, Stella Aldridge is particularly fond of a spin class or two). The twins are now to be found in the heart of London city life, both enjoying the challenge of roles within Goldman Sachs – why wouldn't they work for the same corporation after all! Here is their journey so far, all the way from Year 1 through to Sixth Form and on into the competitive world of corporate life.
On an academic front, what did you study and where?
Perhaps unsurprisingly we both studied very similar subjects at A Level. Following on from strong GCSE results, I (Alex) opted for Business, PE and Biology and George read Maths, Business and Biology. In fact our academic and co-curricular choices at school were so similar that we suspect UCAS supposed one student had applied for 2 places! We didn’t study at the same University in the end although it was a close run thing! I studied a BSc in Business Management at the University of Surrey and George gained a BSc in Business Economics & Econometrics from the University of Reading. However, we were soon re-united when we gained places on the graduate training scheme at Goldman Sachs.
How do you feel Warminster and Sixth Form prepared you for the next step?
Education aside, Warminster installed valuable inter-personal values which I believe set us aside from others in what was an intense and highly competitive interview process at Goldman Sachs. This primarily included soft-skills such as unassuming confidence to pursue our goals, an ability to clearly communicate and articulate our ideas as well as presenting as well-rounded individuals who already had acquired multiple team building experience.
Leadership was instilled early in our school career, mainly on the sport fields. Alex captaining the U18 Rugby 1st for example, was an invaluable opportunity to acquire these skills and has provided a great platform for the differing leadership dynamics within the workplace. We were both School prefects and gained so much from the wide variety of tasks assigned to us. Learning how to lead, not only those younger than us, but our peer group and therefore our friends, has proved to be invaluable.
What inspirational tips can you pass on to our current pupils?
Work experience (no matter how small) is incredibly valuable to differentiating yourself in what is an extremely competitive graduate market. Once you are at University apply for summer internships and join relevant career networks.
Ultimately, take time to appreciate Warminster and the all-encompassing opportunities available. Make the most of the widespread activities as it’s essential to be able to demonstrate a well-rounded set of experience as well as academic results. You never fully appreciate what a gem Warminster is until you leave.
George Haines, Analyst in Real Estate – Goldman Sachs
Alex Haines, Associate in Capital Markets, Otc and Repo Collateral – Goldman Sachs
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