Shashank
Maurya

Why did you choose NTU and your course?

"NTU has a Gold TEF Ranking and awards like University of the year 2019 by Guardian University Awards & Queen's Anniversary Prize caught my attention in the first place. It also had my desired course and I found its structure to be quite comprehensive, especially the placement year aspect of it. In addition to that, being able to gain an additional qualification, the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership meant I’ll have an opportunity to develop broader knowledge of effective management skills while focusing on specific management areas appropriate to us and our workplace. In addition to that, the scholarship program at NTU is like the cherry on top. Clear steps have been established which makes it easy to apply for one. Lastly, I felt NTU’s International Support Team is highly engaging and helping the students as well as their parents at every possible step through a series of events."

What do you think sets Nottingham Business School apart?

"The extensive range of courses available at NTU enables the students to specialize in a field of their choice. The lectures are well structured and custom-tailored, which are then followed by detailed practical application though the interactive seminars and real-life events. The tutors are extremely qualified and focuses on all the students individually, ensuring they participate in the discussions and understand the concepts. The administrative and technical staff are dedicated professionals who are always there for support in case of any problem with a minimum response time. Dedicated mentors are allocated to each student and constructive feedback is recorded about their experience at NTU which are later reflected upon. Outside academics, there is Personal Development Plan that every student must create and focus on the competencies required for their overall development under the supervision of their mentors."

How would you promote NTU to potential students in 10 words or fewer?

"A place to learn, experience diverse cultures & excel."

How would you rate the support services at NTU? Did you access any of the services, such as the Employability Team? How did they help you?

"24/7 access to the library makes NTU a great experience for the students. The different types of smart classrooms, including the lecture theatres provides an ideal environment to study. Facilities like laptop loans, global lounge, NTSU, clubs and social events ensures the development of a student across all dimensions and not just academia. The Employability Team is one of the vital elements when it comes to securing a placement or understanding the corporate world. Like every other body at NTU, the employability team has dedicated professionals, who have helped me from scratch – right from preparing my CV, developing placement tracker, taking mock assessments to practice for interviews, real-time interview sessions and constructive feedback to focus on areas of improvements. Furthermore, the team keeps in touch throughout my placement year to ensure I have no difficulties and I make the most of it. They extend its support for students to attain graduate roles after their placement year."

Did you get involved with any opportunities at Nottingham Business School. How did these opportunities improve your experience?

"I am the current course representative for my course, and it has been a challenging task so far because you need to be meticulous, outspoken, and proactive. It is my responsibility to bridge the gap by providing constructive feedback to the administration from student level and vice-versa. Any voices or concerns of students needs to be highlighted and solved at the earliest. Realising the importance of this role, I made sure I have 100% attendance by attending all the lectures to be aware about the surroundings. I have also been involved in few societies, participated in cultural exchange programs at the Global Lounge and experiencing different cuisines was truly amazing!"

What job are you currently doing and what does it involve?

"I am working as Marine Marketing and Project Management Intern at Cummins Inc. as a part of my Placement year. I find the role interesting because it gives me exposure to the work environment in an MNC. The role is broadly categorised into two fields: Marketing and Project Management.

"The Marketing related tasks include leading the Forecasting of European Middle East & African (EMEA) sales within the corporate web-based environments and tools, keeping a close relationship with the factories by communicating updates on forecast and demand, accelerating development of Marketing Tools and Materials, working on case studies supporting Cummins Marine Marketing Global Communications Exhibitions for EME Accounts teams and contributing to EEMV via SMARP platform that helps to drive Cummins Marketing far and wide. For Project Management, I support smooth execution of live projects by using Project Management Tools and Processes, coordinate with COM/SOM activities ensuring timely delivery to the customer.

"As a part of my Individual Development Plan, I am actively involved as a team member in three on-going Six-Sigma projects for improving the business processes, understanding our social responsibilities through participation in Community Involvement Teams as a part of EEEC initiative, and absorbing the core values of caring and diversity & inclusion by acting as a core-committee team member for the Local Diversity Council, Kent site. Other tasks include scheduling team-meetings, keeping a track of all the monthly, quarterly, annual highlights and contributing to ‘Higher Apprenticeship Programme Implementation’ Placement Project in a team.

"I have applied the theoretical knowledge in practice that I learned from subjects like Principles of Management & Marketing, Research methodologies and strategy for expansion into new geographical markets during my duration of classroom study. The exposure to diverse cultures and engagement with students from different ethnic origin helped me to adapt to my work environment smoothly. Most importantly, the Transformational Leadership Development has been a game-changer for my Self-Personal Introspection. It boosted my confidence and prepared me for my journey into the global corporate world by giving me a wider perspective.

"This has helped me to perform well during the first half of my placement year. I have already been offered a Graduate role at Cummins that starts right after my placement."

What would your advice be to those who have recently graduated and are looking for roles?

"I strongly recommend everyone to expand their professional network and nurture them from time to time. Be proactive, ready to go the extra mile anytime. It is important when you apply for a graduate role, pay due attention at the expectations from the candidate and modify your CV accordingly before applying if you are really interested in it. Take full advantage of the resources available, research in-depth about the role and if possible, talk to people who have already done it before you. This will improve your understanding about the role, and you’ll be better prepared for the interview. If needed, you can always reach out to the NTU Employability Team for additional help."

Do you offer any placements/graduate schemes to NTU students? Could you tell us about your experience with NTU students in terms of their knowledge, skills and attitude?

"Cummins is a big company. It has various openings from time to time and I feel proud to say that we have a history of NTU students into the placement and graduate roles. The company rewards one’s hard-work and is willing to take any professional who shows interest and has performed well in all aspects.

"Being an NTU student, I have felt there are some similarities between Cummins and NTU. The approach to the development of an individual is very comprehensive in both the organisations. These similarities have helped me to be a ‘quick learner’ in understanding the expectations from the employer for any given task. Like NTU, Cummins has a platform to capture the SMART Goals, Competencies Management, Feedback evaluation through peers and managers, development of specific skill sets, and enlists further career growth opportunities for the individual. I believe by leveraging all the exceptional facilities given by NTU, a student can develop the right knowledge, skill and attitude to excel in the desired field."