Thousands of DMU students graduated in July after years of hard work. We reported some of their stories in our Class of 2015 series...
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) student Viren Thakrar, who will be graduating with a 2:1 in International Business and Globalisation BA (Hons), has already been in his new banking job for nearly two months.
Viren had been accepted on to a master’s course in management but decided instead to enter the world of work when Barclays offered him a role: “I’ve been working at a local branch to get a good foundation in the company, but I plan to move on to graduate role. I hope that within six to eight months I will be going to head office to learn about business banking and customer relations. I might still do a master’s in the future.”
He said his studies at DMU had given him many of the skills he needed in his new job: “I loved my course and the fact it covered so many aspects – marketing, business, finance, politics and accounting. If I were to open my own business I’ve got all the knowledge I need, which also means I can offer a lot of support to our customers.”
Viren also has five years of retail know-how he can draw on, after working part-time at B&M Homestores and Sainsbury’s while he was a student. He said he found his real-life experience had helped him with his studies, but also that what he learned on his course had helped him to succeed in the workplace: “At Sainsbury’s I became a team leader and was helping to manage a Local store. They saw the potential in me – I was young, wanted a challenge and was prepared to work my way up.”
Viren, who lives in Leicester, chose DMU in part because of friends’ recommendations and said he was grateful for all the support he received while he was here: “I got a lot of help from the Student Gateway – the university’s one-stop shop for all student enquiries – when I went to assessment centres for interviews. The placement unit at the Faculty of Business and Law also helped me when I was applying for jobs. I’ve had a great time here and I’m going to miss all my friends. It’s a big step going into the world of work, so you need to enjoy your studies – make the most of it and learn as much as you can!”
DMU is a truly global university – with students from more than 130 countries and 155 quality international partnerships providing placement opportunities around the world – and Viren said he’d enjoyed this diversity: “It’s a very cultural university and you get to meet so many people from so many different backgrounds.”
Posted on Tuesday 14 July 2015