An international master's graduate who had given up hope of landing a job in the UK has secured a role with one of the Big Four accountancy firms.
Ning Zhu, known as Jenny, credits knowledge gained on her International Business and Management MSc at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) and previous work experience with helping her land the role.
She is just awaiting confirmation of her Tier 2 visa - a much sought-after UK work permit - before joining PwC's risk technologies and data analytics team in September.
"At first I thought I'd go back to China and now I think a miracle has happened every day I have secured Tier 2 visa sponsorship," said Jenny.
"I am a little proud of myself.
"I thought I'd be very excited to land the role but I have taken part in a lot of interviews and failed, so I just felt very peaceful."
Jenny went through a four-stage process - application, online test, video interview and assessment centre - to land the job and has chosen to be based in Reading.
"I enjoyed the experience because I had received training on the course," she said. "A combination of my previous work experience and the course helped me land it.
"I'm very willing to receive the challenge and doing preparation work now. I'm very pleased to be staying in the UK."
Jenny believes her UK work experience will help her find a better job when she decides to return to her home country. Boosting her employability was the main reason Jenny chose to study in the UK.
Born and brought up in Jiangsu, China, Jenny did an undergraduate degree in human resource and secured a role in marketing research, strategy and data analysis with a Hong Kong company based in Shenzhen. She then furthered her experience working for a global supply chain.
"After working for three years I had learnt a lot and wanted to expand my horizons," she said.
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Attracted to the university by its placement options and careers advice, offered through the #DMUworks programme, Jenny chose the MSc offered by DMU's Leicester Castle Business School because of the modules.
"Practical elements were important to me, as I didn't want the course to be just about academic knowledge," she said.
"I really enjoyed my studies and communicating with the different students."
Working part-time for DMU's International Office, Jenny was able to help and advise potential students.
The 25-year-old graduated last month and found the ceremony interesting and emotional.
"I almost cried at the faculty showcase video because of the memories it brought back," added Jenny, who visited Amsterdam and Berlin to support refugees in a project organised between #DMUglobal, the university's international experience programme, and #DMUlocal, an award-winning project that brings about change in communities.
Posted on Tuesday 6 August 2019