Martin
Matienga

Martin Matienga photographed with brother Tino Matienga.

What route did you take into postgraduate study at NTU?
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business and Management Marketing from Brunel University in the UK and then moved back to Zimbabwe for work. Back home, I was a university recruitment consultant, working in an agency advising students on university options around the world.

What were the key factors that influenced your decision to study at NTU?
The main factor for me was the degree on offer form NTU. I found NTU was the only university that offered an MSc in Branding and Advertising. Another key factor was that my younger brother was already in his second year at NTU and he strongly recommended the university to me.

Furthermore, the degree I chose had a work experience module called the In-Company Project (ICP). This was an internship with a local company in Nottingham and could be done as an individual, or as part of a group. No other university offered any work experience as part of their courses.

Tell us about why you chose MSc Branding and Advertising
What were the key features that attracted you to your chosen degree and is there anything that stood out?
Besides being the only university that offered MSc Branding and Advertising, all the modules of the degree were modern and relevant in today’s business environment.

For example, I found modules such as Brand Corporate Reputation Management to be not only interesting but relevant to current business affairs. As part of the module, we used VW’s emission scandal in 2015 as a case study for our assignment. Using real world, relevant and current examples was a constant theme in seminars.

What really stood out was the ICP module and the opportunity to be taught by world class lecturers who have good experience working in multinational companies. I enjoyed the ICP module because I had the opportunity to work in NTU’s International Development Office which is involved in marketing and recruiting international students to study at NTU.
Having previously worked for a university recruiting agency this was great work experience for me as I was able to build and develop my knowledge of this industry.

Tell us why you chose Nottingham Business School specifically

Why did Nottingham Business School stand out from other Business Schools you applied for?
I found that Nottingham Business School is always looking to improve their current degree programmes and introduce new degrees which are relevant and modern. They have also added work experience opportunities into these degrees which other UK universities aren’t doing.

Something innovative that NBS do is that they invite different managers from local companies to work in workshops with students or for guest lectures. For example, we had the manager from the Boots No. 7 brand come speak to us about her job and give us case studies to work on that were based on issues that they were actually dealing with at the time.
You don’t get opportunities or exposure like that at other universities.

Do you feel that your course has prepared you for the world of work?
Yes, I do believe it has prepared me for the work environment because of the practical work experience I had with the International Development Office. In addition, the standard of teaching I received from lecturers was beneficial. I believe that also working in groups with other students on assignments was a good representation of what to expect when working in a company with other people once you graduate.

Did the School’s links with industry abroad and in the UK appeal to you and have you benefited from it? If yes, explain how?
Yes, NTU’s links with local and foreign industries was a key factor in my decision to come to NTU. I have benefited greatly from the guest lectures we had as it gave me an insight into how different companies recruit graduates and the philosophy of these companies in terms of how they operate. These lectures were also relevant to our assignments at the time and I believe helped me in achieving the grades I did in my modules.

Tell us about your time at NTU

How do you feel that you grew personally as well as academically at NTU?
I gained a lot of maturity being in a new city and new environment where I had to adapt and meet new people. I gained more confidence as an individual through the different networking events I attended and through the presentations I did.
Academically, I expanded my knowledge of marketing and could focus on branding which is a subject I thoroughly enjoy. I believe I became more confident in speaking and networking with employers, and anyone that I spoke to about career opportunities etc.

What clubs, societies or other activities were you involved in at Nottingham Trent University?
I took part in the Thinkubator challenge which I enjoyed and again gave me an insight into how businesses operate and the challenges they face to be successful. It gave me an opportunity to meet other students from different disciplines and network with employers all under NBS’ roof.

I also worked as a student ambassador in the International Development Office where I was required to call international students with an offer from NTU. These students were from my home country and other Southern African countries. My primary role was to give them a student’s perspective of studying at NTU and answer any questions they had.

How did you find moving to and living in Nottingham?
I enjoyed living and studying in Nottingham very much. I was exposed to multiple cultures and people at the university which I enjoyed. I was surprised by the friendless of all the people I met, especially in Nottingham.

I had previously studied and lived in London and I found that Nottingham was more student friendly in terms of accommodation options and cost of living. Everything in Nottingham is more accessible, such as the shopping centres, restaurants and cinemas. I also found that the accommodation was of better quality in Nottingham and better value for money than elsewhere.

Was the city a safe place to live and on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the best) how would you rate and recommend the city to prospective students?
Yes, it was very safe and I found that other students felt the same way. I would rate it an 8/10 and describe it as one of the perfect student cities to be in the UK, if not the best.

Tell us about your life now

What are your short, medium and long term career plans?
To return to the UK and secure a job within the next 3 months. By the end of the year (2017) I hope to have also completed a CIM Level 4 qualification.

How long after graduating did it take for you to find your first job?
2 weeks.

Any interesting work experience to mention?
In February 2017 I was asked to work as a consultant on a small temporary project in Lusaka, Zambia for NTU’s International Development Office. This project involved travelling to Lusaka to visit secondary schools and market NTU to current students using my own experience and time at NTU.

I carried out research into which private secondary schools to contact in Lusaka and arranged all the logistics. I also arranged to meet with current NTU offer holders from Zambia, who were mainly prospective postgraduate students who wanted to know more about NTU from a student’s perspective and about living in the UK. At the end of my trip I provided an analysis of the current student market in Lusaka and recommendations of how NTU can promote itself effectively in Zambia.

This was personally an amazing experience which I believe I would not have had, had I chosen to pursue my master’s degree at another university. It is a valuable piece of work experience that makes me more attractive to employers and is a good example of the relationship students can have with NTU even after they graduate.

What advice would you give to students thinking about studying at NTU?
I would advise students to make sure they do research on the degrees they are considering, and have a clear idea of what career they can pursue afterwards. Students should join all the social media pages of NTU so they can keep up to date with upcoming activities and learn more about the city.