Just like that, one third of my graduate experience here at Manchester is complete. Semester one is behind us and only eight teaching weeks remain. I really can’t believe how fast time is flying by.
In semester two we are able to select three modules of our choosing. I ended up attending each one before picking classes on Marketing, Responsible Business, and Entrepreneurship. I don’t know if it’s just because I had some freedom in registering for which classes I wanted, but I’ve really enjoyed the first two weeks and am looking forward to the remainder of the semester.
Now that we have a lot of the international business theory under our belts, we are learning things that are more specific and applying the theory more regularly to practical issues that multinational firms face. It’s much more fun to have a business in mind as we work through real issues happening around the world every day.
This past week I had the chance to meet up with someone from the careers service. The university has a career centre for all students, but they also have an additional one in AMBS that is dedicated to postgraduate careers from the business school. It’s incredibly helpful to have a team that is knowledgeable in our specific potential careers.
I scheduled a one-to-one (121) meeting with one of the advisers named Sara. She helped me comb over my resume and LinkedIn profile to customise them to the type of work I’m interested in. She then gave me advice for structuring my resume further and tips for finding that dream job. I can’t say enough about the people working in AMBS Postgraduate Careers Service.
Speaking of careers, as I was updating my LinkedIn profile, I reached out to a few UoM graduates who are working at companies I’m interested in. After messaging back and forth a bit, one of them offered to get on a call with me and talk about his experience working so far. We chatted for about 40 minutes and he gave me some excellent insight and advice. UoM alumni are the best.
Networking can have a bit of a negative connotation to it sometimes, and it’s not my favourite word. However, reaching out to people, being curious, and making friends is all networking really has to be. My advice is simply to be genuine and grateful when you start to network. People are usually interested in helping you out if you ask a few questions. And don’t forget to return the favour when you have the opportunity!
Now is the part where I talk about things that validate the pictures in the blog. It’s nice to be back in Manchester after the break and I continue to explore the city. I’m still finding new places to study in the Northern Quarter where they have amazing cafes like Foundation Coffee House.
I highly encourage you to find new places to eat around the city when you get to Manchester. Ask around and look for blogs on good food. It seems like some of the best places to eat are hidden right under your nose. With all the beautiful brick buildings sometimes it’s hard to tell if you’re walking into a restaurant or a factory. Don’t be afraid to walk in, you just might find yourself dancing the night away with an entire Greek kitchen staff at Bouzouki or eating ten pieces of Korean chicken at Chimaek (though I don’t recommend doing both in one night).
