Careers
First-hand views
To help your understanding about what it is like to work at CEPA, we asked some of those who joined the firm in recent years to comment about their experience. The team was happy to share their feedback.
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What has been your favourite project so far (and why)?
"My favourite project so far is assessing real options for transport appraisal the Department for Transport. Working with leading university professors in the field, we are creating a creating framework for how to think about pricing choice under uncertainty. It's been fascinating research, and I've discovered all sorts of fun facts along the way - did you know there's an empty "ghost" train station under Heathrow terminal 5? It's effectively a physical call option to build new train tracks there in the future." 
"My favourite project so far has been working with Singapore’s energy regulator (EMA) on a competition study of the electricity market. It’s been fascinating to learn how another international regulator operates and to compare their approaches with GB. I’ve particularly enjoyed analysing competition metrics and exploring different market measures and their application." 
"My favourite project so far is PR6, the price control for electricity in Ireland. I’ve enjoyed it because it shows how networks are evolving to accommodate net zero while balancing the impact on customers’ bills to find an efficient outcome." 
"My favourite project has been PR6, working on the bill impact workstream. I was surrounded by some of the smartest people that guided me through the steep learning curve. Also having your work be in the headlines is a great feeling!" 
"I am currently working on a project for the Department for Transport that investigates the impact of investments in railway stations on the wider local economy. The project uses advanced econometric techniques such as propensity score matching and dynamic difference-in-differences to come up with robust estimates of economic impact. The project has allowed me to apply the skills I learnt in university in a real-world meaningful way, which I greatly appreciate about working at CEPA." 
"My second project at CEPA was in the area of Global Health. It was a grant evaluation (we look at how well the money was spent, what the benefits were, and if there are lessons for the client for next time) for a project improving access to point-of-care HIV testing equipment in sub-Saharan Africa. I was made to feel like a valued member of a small team, and was on the project from inception to close. The main thing I liked about the project was the variety of skills I was able to apply and how I improved by learning from team members." 
"I have enjoyed being part of the CEPA team that delivered numerous reports for The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) in Ireland as part of their consultation on Price Control 5 for regulation of the gas network. I worked on the project for approximately 6 months and was empowered to lead on several workstreams within the project, which provided me with the opportunity to develop new knowledge and skills." 
"Working in 2019 on an evaluation of investments in epidemic preparedness and response. The project was fascinating to work on and ended up being even more interesting given the Covid-19 outbreak that followed." 
"I have really enjoyed being part of the CEPA team that is estimating British Telecom’s asset beta (a measure of its exposure to systematic risk) for Ofcom. I’ve taken responsibility for a core piece of the analysis, which is a great opportunity to learn about economics and finance, but also to develop core consulting skills like presenting your results and making recommendations to the client." -
What is it like working at CEPA?
"CEPA is a great place to work. Because the team is small, you get to know everyone fast, even if you don’t work with them day to day. That means lots of interaction and chances to learn from people senior to you Senior Consultants up to the Partners." "Working at CEPA is great as the office is fairly small, which means we all know each other well. This makes working together on different projects easier as we are all familiar with each other's working styles." "Working at CEPA is delightful! It is enriching to work in an environment where people care about the work and each other." "Working at CEPA is challenging but rewarding. As economic consultants we are required to stretch ourselves to solve complex problems, but getting to the solution is greatly satisfying, especially as our work is often for the public sector and therefore to the benefit of consumers." 
"You get to answer challenging questions in a variety of interesting areas, with the help of colleagues who have years of industry experience and care about making sure you learn and develop your expertise." "When I interviewed at CEPA, I went into the office, and was excited about being located in central London, right next to Lincoln's Inn Fields. However, I joined during a pandemic and it took me over six months to get into the office. Joining virtually, I felt extremely welcome. Colleagues are friendly and helpful throughout projects, as well as genuinely interested in your every day life too." -
How does the role compare to your expectations?
"The economist role is exactly what I expected: working across multiple sectors and doing primary research, both qualitative and quantitative, which deepens my understanding of CEPA’s areas of focus." 
"The interview process provided a good insight into what working at CEPA would be like. How soon I was working on multiple projects of very different topics, and the responsibility I was given, has positively surprised me. Very soon after starting it felt like people have trust in you and the quality of your work." "The role is exactly what I wanted it to be, and offers me many opportunities to apply the skills I have learnt in university in a meaningful way." "From day one at CEPA you are assigned to a project or proposal, whether you join as an economist or higher up the company. The hands-on “real” work starts straight away, and you immediately feel like part of a team, much as I had hoped. The first year at CEPA has been engaging and rewarding, the workload is a good level of challenge, and throughout a year as an economist, you start to have a large amount of responsibility within a team.…" 
"I have found my time at CEPA very engaging and motivating, which I had hoped it would be going into the role. I knew that CEPA worked across a number of sectors for a range of clients, but the variation in the types and topics of projects that are undertaken surprised me." "As my past experience came from a larger company, I was surprised by the exposure you get to the running of the company, e.g. actively participating in procurement. In terms of what I expected, the technical requirements and intellectual content of projects is definitely as I had hoped." 
"The role has met my expectations in terms of contributing to highly impactful global health initiatives. In addition, the diversity of work—ranging from quantitative health investment models to qualitative evaluations—has been a great plus, allowing me to continuously learn and engage with different aspects of health economics." -
What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?
"Getting to use what I've learned in school! As an economist at CEPA, I've had the luxury to directly apply what I've learned, from looking at the local economic development impacts of train station redevelopments to using queuing theory to assess health care disparities across England. It's been incredibly rewarding to translate those long hours in the library to making a meaningful impact on policy, and to directly nerd out about my work." "What I enjoy most about the role is collaborating with smart, capable colleagues while working on a wide array of interesting projects." "I enjoy the variety of work as an economist - from conducting a cost benchmarking exercise for an electricity distributor in the UK to designing the regulatory framework for Irish electricity to doing a CBA for a wastewater treatment plant to conducting a security efficiency analysis for Dublin airport, the range of sector knowledge and skills you develop is amazing." "I enjoy the quantitative analysis the most as it builds on prior experience." 
"The variety! I love that I can work on several different projects across different sectors all in one week, and that my mix of work can change completely within a couple of months. It means I can gain experience across lots of different areas and disciplines, and there’s always something new and different to keep it interesting." "I really enjoy the opportunity that is afforded at CEPA to work in small teams directly alongside established industry experts. Being part of a small team allows new joiners to take ownership over project outputs which is a great way to quickly develop your technical skillset and experience." "The autonomy the role provides, allowing you to organise your own workload and take ownership of sections of the analysis/deliverable." -
What has been your favourite CEPA social event so far?
"My favourite social event thus far has been playing bowling at Rowans." "We’ve had lots of fun socials and, as a member of the social committee, I’ve enjoyed having a say in planning them. My favorite was ou est le poulet and the away day boating treasure hunt, it was really fun to figure out the different clues and racing to the various points." "I really enjoyed our Away Day in Rotterdam this year where we spent 2 days touring a city, and taking part in so many activities planned by our social committee. The experience offered us all some time off work and also gave us a chance to celebrate the previous year of work done." "The away day to Rotterdam is a fav! The journey there on the train was reminiscent of a school trip with good food and joviality, a treasure hunt on a boat!, dinner with a beautiful view, and dancing was all great fun." "My favourite events might be the first ones that took place after I joined, such as the new joiner event - we went to play minigolf. Social events have been a great way to get to know others, and now I take part in organising future events!" "Playing 5-aside football – a group of us entered a team in a weekly local league, which was a lot of fun!" -
What has been your most rewarding experience at CEPA?
"I worked on a project which looked at easing barriers to entry for biomethane producers in Ireland. The project involved analysing changes to regulatory policy, that enables more developers to inject biomethane into the grid. The project felt very rewarding to me as I got to be a part of the team facilitating Ireland's adoption of biomethane." "I really enjoyed being part of the team which estimated the prevalence of water poverty at a granular level across England and Wales and seeing how our work will feed into future policies to address water affordability. It was also the first project where I took real ownership over a part of the analysis, being responsible for compiling all the bill distribution data submitted to us by water companies. It was very satisfying to see the team’s work come together at the end of the project, even if there were a couple of late nights working to meet deadlines!" "For me, I think my work in global health has been the most rewarding. I got to provide some meaningful analysis on a project evaluating HIV prevention funding. Getting to appreciate the issues, as well as the progress made, in fighting such a devastating disease has been something I really appreciated." 
"Probably a project for the UK energy department on a policy to support investment in long-duration energy storage. I was involved in writing the proposal for this project from my very first day at CEPA. When the actual work started, I helped deliver several different workstreams, carrying out very interesting analysis, engaging with the client, and directly contributing to shape a crucial policy to achieve the UK’s net zero plans." -
What is the skill you've developed the most since joining CEPA?
"I have become so much more adaptable. Our varied work involves projects from all sectors and it requires some quick learning in different areas. This has allowed me to be more versatile and quickly switch between different areas of CEPA's work."
"The skill I have developed the most is my excel and analytical skills. When I joined CEPA I had a very basic understanding of excel but since starting I have been able to develop and practice my excel skills and now I am able to build my own models for to a client ready standard.""Adaptability, being pushed into a sector with very little prior knowledge and absorbing as much as possible through report, informal chats, and being part of client calls. The mind is a muscle!" "I might not be able to single out one skill. Instead, the variety of projects and working across sectors has enabled me to develop both qualitative and quantitative skills, as well as skills related to the client-facing part of the business." "I have developed many skills since joining CEPA, with the ability to explain complex techniques and analysis to non-economists being a skill I have developed significantly. High levels of client exposure have provided me with the opportunity to do this." "Definitely communication skills, and across multiple formats. You’re given lots of opportunities to present your thoughts and findings internally and to clients, and many CEPA projects conclude with a written report. So learning to speak well off of slides and write clearly and concisely about technical analysis is very much part of the job." -
What was the training process like?
"I found the training well-designed: concise, practical, and directly tied to CEPA’s work. It lasted just a few weeks and was integrated with live projects, allowing us to put the theory into practice straight away."
"The training process is very thorough and is designed to give you a high-level understanding of the different sectors we work in and the skills required.""The training process is very well-organised with sector trainings and other important skills. However, the best learning happens when you are working on a project/proposal." "It was very well organised and allowed all of us to transition from university life to working life really well. The core competency skill sessions made sure that everyone familiarised themselves with the analytical tools CEPA uses. There are also small 'training projects' baked into the training that allow you to practice your skills before being put on an actual project. All in all, it gives new joiners a well-rounded transition into CEPA." "After the initial training in the first few weeks, you get to learn by doing as you're assigned to projects or proposals. Training sessions, which provide an introduction to a specific skill or a topic, are organised regularly. Most importantly, everyone is happy to take out some time from their work to help with any questions you might have."
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