Your guide to your time at Birmingham Business School Advice from our alumni

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1 BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS SCHOOL Your guide to your time at Birmingham Business School Advice from our alumni WIN A 50 VOUCHER DETAILS INSIDE

2 Welcome to Birmingham Business School

3 You ve only just arrived but you are already part of a huge community of students and over 30,000 alumni (graduates of the School) worldwide. We ve asked some of our recent alumni to give their tips on making the most of your time here to give you some ideas and inspiration about where you might be heading in just a few years time. There will be opportunities to hear from alumni throughout your time here. Look out for guest lectures, roundtable sessions, mentoring opportunities and more activities where alumni will be sharing their expertise and insights. Enjoy everything Birmingham has to offer. We look forward to seeing where your time here takes you.

4 Settling in Coming to Birmingham from another country Safina is one of the School s many international alumni. She moved to Birmingham from Nigeria. The best part of living and studying in Birmingham is being able to experience a whole new culture and getting the full experience of being away. Meeting and getting to know people from all around the world, with different religions, customs, traditions and outlook on life was refreshing and exhilarating. Safina Mohammed Haruna, MSc International Business, Intern at The OPEC Fund for International Development

5 Advice for international students

6 Making the most of Birmingham As well as being part of the University community, you re now a citizen of the UK s second city. Sikand took advantage of the many opportunities that Birmingham has to offer. The best part about Birmingham for me was its vibrant student life. The city has a diverse population where you are bound to connect with people from different cultures, which is exciting. Moreover, the city has a good social vibe and offers tons of shopping and eating options. Sikand Khetan, MSc Investments, 2013

7 As a great city to live in, Daniel has chosen to work in Birmingham after graduation. I think the striking difference for Birmingham has been the investment in the city, with new buildings creating a vibrant environment and a new tram. In addition, the new Grand Central provides a good first impression to any visitor to our city. Daniel Thomson-Smith, BSc Accounting and Finance, 2013 Tax Executive at Grant Thornton UK LLP

8 Gaining experience Year in Industry Some of our programmes offer the opportunity to do a year in industry as part of the course. Joe spent a year working for Fujitsu. During my third year, I completed a Year in Industry with Fujitsu, supporting the delivery of key services to the Home Office in Central London, which presented the opportunity to return to the company post-graduation. Building upon the skills I had developed through the Year in Industry and University modules, I continued to pursue the role of Service Delivery Manager. Joe Cane, BSc Business Management (with Year in Industry), 2015, Service Delivery Manager, Fujitsu

9 Year in Industry programme

10 Careers Network internship information

11 Work experience Different types of work experience are offered through the University s Careers Network (available to all students) and Careers in Business (a service specifically tailored for Business School postgraduate students). Jordan completed the J.P. Morgan Summer Internship programme between his second and third years. Following my placement, I was offered a permanent role at J.P. Morgan as an analyst on the Corporate & Investment Bank Graduate Scheme. I worked in the Treasury Services department which specialises in providing cash management solutions for the world s biggest companies and was on a six-month placement in New York. Currently, I am working for J.P. Morgan as an Associate within Treasury Services on the Implementations Business Management team in New York. Jordan O Donoghue, BSc Economics, 2014, Associate, J.P. Morgan

12 Details of industry challenges and other activities will be advertised throughout the School during the year.

13 Industry challenges We have fantastic links with organisations and employers, so look out for opportunities to take part in industry-set challenges and competitions to gain real-life business experience. Jay took part in the annual Community Challenge set for Business students by consulting firm Capgemini. I took part in a fantastic week-long Community Challenge with Capgemini. It was truly refreshing to observe just how much my peers had learnt in such a short space of time and by the end of it, all 25 students were offered a fast-track application route into the business. Two years on, I m now an Associate Consultant at Capgemini Consulting and I m absolutely loving what I do! Jay Ugra, BSc in Economics, 2016, Associate Consultant, Capgemini Consulting

14 University Mentoring Scheme Alumni Leadership Mentoring Programme

15 Learning from experts Mentoring The University runs a range of different mentoring schemes, helping you develop professionally and learn from those in different sectors and industries. Mitali took part in the Alumni Leadership Mentoring Programme. Having a mentor has allowed me to look into the future and gain valuable advice, demystify the questions around how to have a successful career as well as gain so much enjoyment from being introduced to the professional world. Mitali Gohel, BSc Business Management (with Year in Industry), 2014, Commercial Project Manager, BT

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17 Guest lectures and roundtable sessions Throughout the year there are opportunities to hear from industry experts and quiz them on their views great if you are interested in a specific industry or company. Vy took part in a roundtable session with retail expert Andrew Higginson, Chairman of Poundland and former Executive Director of Tesco. The roundtable session gave me the chance to listen to real stories from a real leader in the UK. It has inspired me to continue the journey that I have chosen and taught me that giving up is not an option for successful leaders. Vy Tran, MSc Marketing Communications, 2014, Senior External Communications Officer, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust

18 Entrepreneurship Have a brilliant business idea and looking for a way to get it off the ground? There are resources available to help you develop your commercial ideas while you are here and once you graduate. Laura is the Co-Founder of New Street Records Ltd and worked with the University s B-Enterprising team. The University encourages its students to engage in enterprise alongside their studies, with support and guidance from its academics, staff and peers alike. The Business School has been integral in helping us to realise our venture by providing access to numerous resources, networks and opportunities. Laura Hand, BSc Business Management, 2015, Co-Founder of New Street Records Ltd. (Est. 2015) Junior Marketing Manager at Parlophone, Warner Music Group

19 B-Enterprising

20 Social life Societies Joining a society can help you find new networks of friends and give you the chance to gain valuable skills outside of your course. James was a member of BUBSOC during his time at Birmingham. The social side of Birmingham really prepares you for the working world. There were always so many opportunities to get involved with different societies, and for me, a variety of different sports clubs. I was a member of the Board for the Business School Society (BUBSOC), helping to arrange anything from nights out to textbook sales. James Fitton, BSc Accounting and Finance, 2012, MSc International Accounting and Finance, 2013, NHS Graduate Management Scheme Finance, NHS Birmingham CrossCity CCG

21 Guild of Students society pages

22 Information on how to become a Student Representative will be circulated by your programme team early in the first semester.

23 Volunteering Look out for volunteering opportunities within the Business School, for example, acting as a voice for students on your course in the role of Student Representative, like Peter. Volunteering as a student rep was a really rewarding way to help my fellow students in getting the most out of their time at Birmingham. It s also a great way to demonstrate your skills to employers and is something that sets you apart from other candidates. Peter Haggett, MSc International Marketing, 2014, Digital Strategy and Innovation Lead, Public Health England

24 Want to find out more? Birmingham Business School Alumni Group WIN A 50 VOUCHER Join the Birmingham Business School alumni LinkedIn page before 28 October and your name will go into a draw to win a 50 Amazon voucher. Get to know our alumni, start building your network and be in with a chance of winning a prize. Designed and printed by University of Birmingham 2017.