Kelsey
Francis

What made you decide to do a Masters degree?
Upon completing my degree in Business Management and Economics at NTU, I worked as a Delegate Relations Manager for Informa (FTSE 100). Despite making a decent amount of money in a sales role, I realised I wanted to start a career in the financial sector and needed a Masters to do so.

When picking a Business School to study a Masters what do you consider it important to have?
The accreditations recently gained by the Business School were a major factor as employers recognise this. I was also lucky enough to be awarded two scholarships: one from Nottingham Business School (NBS) and one from NTU sports.

Why did you choose Nottingham Business School (NBS)?
I completed my undergraduate degree at NBS and was in contact with my previous tutors. The high quality of teaching and close relationships I had formed over my four years, alongside the scholarships, made the choice obvious. Additionally, having many close friends at Nottingham and being given the chance to play for the futsal team for another year was too good to turn down.

What other universities were you considering?
None. Not once did I consider doing a Masters until I was called by the futsal manager at NTU. If it wasn’t for the opportunity to study at the business school again I probably wouldn’t have done a Masters but rather pursue other employment.

What do you feel is the best aspect about studying at Nottingham Business School?
The diversity in not only the course but the students and teachers. There are a wide range of cultures and nationalities that sit beside you in seminars as well as teach you. These cultures are also incorporated into our work to make things enjoyable for everyone no matter where they are from and more relatable to the real world.

Can you explain a little about your course? Is it what you expected?
The course was structured as three economics modules, three investment banking modules and a major project. This provided diversity and ensured we were always doing something different whilst covering the fundamentals of each topic. The main issue I had was the timescale where we were given a small amount of time to complete the assignments as each module lasted roughly a month.

What key skills have you developed during your studies?
The main skill for me was time management. This was a weakness prior to starting this Masters, however you have no choice but to have good organisational and time management skills as your deadlines come thick and fast. On top of this, I was able to develop existing skills, such as analytics, teamwork, leadership and communication and much more.

In Semester Three, what option did you pick to do for your ‘Major Project’ and why?
I chose the Consultancy Project. I am overjoyed as I am working with a group of intelligent peers in a real life business case that is going to be used and potentially implemented by a large multinational organisation.

The client for my consultancy project was East Midlands Airport (EMA) and my group was asked to identify the impact of autonomous vehicles on their car parking revenue. We had to produce a presentation and a report for EMA which we successfully did and received exceptional feedback.

We kept in touch with EMA regularly where we interviewed staff and used their resources for our analysis. They offered guidance in what they would like addressed and what was out of scope. We met or at least spoke to the client and our tutor, Will Rossiter, every week and they provided a great amount of support in making sure we had everything we needed to write the best report possible.

I was apprehensive about completing a consultancy project at first. But now I would encourage everybody to choose this option for the skills learned, connections made and the fun you have throughout the two months!

Do you get involved with any other activities in Nottingham Business School?
I took part in the Thinkubator Challenge for the first time and was amazed at how much fun it was. We worked with students and tutors we had never met before and provided real solutions to a company that faced a real-world problem. I still keep in contact with the client and my team now.

How does Nottingham Business School provide you with support, advice and guidance?
There are many services available for study and career support. Both are extremely useful to use and are easy to access. Additionally, tutors are keen to help students that reach out to them and I have utilised this flexibility many times this year.

What do you think about Nottingham as a city for students?
Nottingham is very much a student city. Everything is close by, the bars and clubs are amazing, there are multitudes of food locations to try and it’s very safe in the city centre no matter what time you are out. Uber is available as well as local taxi firms, and it’s easy to have food delivered to wherever you live.

How has the Masters degree differed from your undergraduate experience?
My degree included economics but the level of difficulty was much greater than I expected. That was a good thing! I was expecting a challenge as I wanted to expand my knowledge. I feel that I have accomplished that during the past year.

In terms of the quality of work expected, the difficulty and the timescale of the modules and the assessments, this Masters has been much more difficult yet much more exciting than my degree.

How has the course influenced your future plans or career aspirations?
I now know econometrics is not a strong point and to avoid jobs that use it! But it has solidified my view that I want to pursue investment banking in the future and refuse to settle for anything other than a career building job upon graduation.

What advice would you give to students considering studying at Nottingham Business School?
Make the most of it! Don’t be intimidated by the difficulty of the topic or the time between assessments. There is help from NBS, your tutors and even your classmates. I’d suggest getting involved in societies as well, whether it’s a sports or social society.

Make new friends and take part in social activities. They will relax your mind when studies gets stressful which will ultimately lead to getting good grades.

Most importantly, work hard, play hard and have fun!