Thinking global

It was a bit scary at first, being out of your comfort zone and not knowing anyone. But it was a brilliant experience! I wanted to push myself and learn how to network, so it was a formative experience for me.

I was open minded about where the placements could be. I wanted to develop soft skills more than technical skills and develop an international network that would help me become an entrepreneur post-graduation.

The flexibility of being supported to do three international placements was fantastic and quite unique I think. I wanted to maximise the opportunity, and I was really drawn to experience Asian culture, so seeing how they do things in Singapore was a big draw.

I secured each of the placements through my own networking, but the staff in the School of Business and Economics’ Placements Office were really supportive all the way through. My advice about securing a placement is to not panic, explore all options and keep being open minded.

It was an amazing learning curve. I was entrusted to have my own set of clients which was scary and exciting all at once. Whilst the hours were long, there was a great working culture, and I was really welcomed into the team inside and outside of work. I also got to see lots of the tourist sites too.

I helped with gaining insights into the status-driven buying habits of Generation Z in Dubai. It was also fascinating to see how business is done there and the importance of aligning with the government’s values.

Working as a Marketing Intern for Global Shirt Box, the role was full of surprises.

Whilst normally the firm supplies shirt designs and production for brands like Topman, ASOS and New Look, the pandemic saw the firm diversify into both fashion branding and supply of PPE and hygiene products. The experience taught me a lot.

My experiences helped me choose my optional modules in my final year, ask better questions and apply examples from my placements to the subjects we were learning about. I really enjoyed studying International Marketing and Business Planning for New Ventures.

The biggest thing for me was to learn, unlearn and relearn. You have to be flexible and open minded to change and have faith in yourself. I’ve always been an extravert but this experience and having other people believe in me has really made me much more confident, especially networking with other people.

After graduating, Simran is committed to exploring several business ideas in Dubai using the global business development and strategic skills she has acquired during her course.