Tinotenda
Mark Matienga

Tino photographed with brother Martin Matienga, fellow NTU alumni

Tell us a bit about yourself?

Well I am originally from Zimbabwe, a small country located in Southern Africa. I recently graduated from Nottingham Trent University in the UK, where I was enrolled in the Business Management and Marketing (SW) course.

Tell us why you specifically chose to study the Business Management and Marketing program?

The reason I chose this program is twofold. Firstly, I loved the fact that the business management side of things covered various aspects of business such as Accounting and HR which are critical aspects for any enterprise to be successful.

Secondly, the course was then more focused on Marketing, which is where I am looking to specialize in post university. This course provided modules such as Contemporary Issues in Strategic Marketing, which looked at various companies are strategically marketing themselves in today’s current business environment. Overall these reasons I felt would provide me with an opportunity of understanding various aspects of business while simultaneously maintaining focus on the marketing side of things.

What were the key factors that influenced your decision to study at NTU?

I did a lot of research around Nottingham as a city and I admired the fact that it is quite a small city, and everything is conveniently located, which would make my life a lot easier as a student. I also admired the fact that although it is a relatively small city, it is quite a vibrant city with, loads of restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and so much more.

With regards to Nottingham Trent University I liked the fact that it has a fairly large number of students with approximately 28,000 students enrolled. As a person keen on a marketing career I felt that this would be good for me as I would get to meet people from various backgrounds and develop an appreciation of different cultures.

Lastly the NTU business school was ranked fairly well and it actively looks to upgrade and improve their current degree programs making them more relevant and up to date with today’s current business climate.  NTU also had a dedicated hands-on employability team which offer assistance with CV’s, provide mock interviews and so much more, which I found to be extremely useful when conducting job applications.

Tell us about your time at NTU. How do you feel that you grew personally and academically at NTU?

Personally, I feel my time at NTU helped me learn about different cultures as it is such a diverse place, you will meet people from all over the world and understand their way of living, which I believe is critical today as the world is becoming increasingly globalised. On another personal level I feel I was able undertake various roles such as the CERT Student Mentor role at NBS and Student Ambassador for the Telephone campaign. These roles enabled me to develop essential skills such as good written and verbal communication that critical for a marketing graduate.

Academically, NTU took me out of my comfort zone, with various group assignments and presentations that we were required to do. These experiences have enabled me to grow and continuously challenge myself.

What clubs, societies and other activities were you involved in during your time at NTU, and how do you feel this has benefited you?

During my time at NTU I took part in the intermural football league during my second year. This was another opportunity at NTU that enabled me to meet new people while having fun playing football. Aside from that I had voluntary roles as a Peer Learning Coach and Class Assistant at Nottingham Trent International College where I would help new students settle in and acclimatise to life in Nottingham, as well as assisting them with assignments. I feel these experiences were beneficial to me as I was able to develop critical skills that would make me more employable in the eyes of potential recruiters. I would definitely encourage people to get stuck in with the various clubs and societies at NTU as I feel it’s a great way to network, challenge yourself and make yourself more employable.