Programme: MSc Strategic Marketing
Institute and subject studied for Undergraduate degree: American University of Beirut, Business Administration
Work experience/internship(s): I have two years of work experience as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Lebanon, and two years of work experience as a Market Research Analyst at Industrial Development Company (INDEVCO), Lebanon.
Greatest academic, professional or personal awards/achievements: I graduated from the American University of Beirut in 2011 with a Bachelor in Business Administration, emphasis in finance. After working for two years at PwC, I changed my career path and pursued a career in marketing.
Programme
Why did you decide to study an MSc in Strategic Marketing and why specifically at Imperial College Business School?
The innovative, recent and challenging programme is what attracted me to Imperial College Business School. It is one of the few universities that offers an MSc in Strategic Marketing, and knowing the reputation Imperial College has, it was my first choice during the application process.
What makes the MSc Strategic Marketing at Imperial College Business School unique?
What made Imperial College stand out the most is how it has helped me see theory being put into practice. It is a challenge to try and keep up with the dynamic changes the world is constantly going through, so real life case studies and guest speakers will help me gain knowledge in ways I may not encounter through traditional learning methods.
What aspects of the programme do you most enjoy?
I have gained a multi-cultural learning experience by interacting with people of all backgrounds and sharing insights inside and outside of the classroom.
People
How would you sum up the Business School faculty?
All the professors come from very interesting and strong educational backgrounds. Their research is even integrated into course material so you can understand how their work impacts organisations.
Imperial places a large emphasis on group work, what inspires you the most about working in this type of environment?
You get to work with people of different cultural and educational backgrounds and you learn so much about them and their experiences.
How would you describe your cohort at Imperial?
Very dynamic and interesting group of people. There are so many students in the cohort that I still don’t know everyone!
What clubs, societies or other activities have you been involved in at Imperial?
I am a Student Ambassador and blogger for the MSc Strategic Marketing programme.
Opportunities
What has been the greatest opportunity you have had at Imperial that you wouldn’t get anywhere else?
Living in London was a great opportunity for my personal and professional growth. There are so many interesting people to meet in and outside of Imperial.
How have you benefited from the services provided by the Career and Professional Development Service?
I used their services to update my CV and fix my cover letters for job applications. They are very useful and are always ready to help.
Career
What are your future career goals and how have they been realised since being at Imperial?
My career goals today have changed a lot from when I first came to Imperial. Meeting so many interesting people and learning about their experiences, and seeing the vast career opportunities there are, has changed what I want to do when the programme ends.
Location
Whereabouts do you live in London and why did you choose to live there?
I live in High Street Kensington, a short 15 to 20 minute walk to campus. I wanted easy access to campus so I could enjoy the university life more and not spend so much time commuting.
What can a weekend in London look like for an MSc student?
I use my weekends to explore London’s touristic places, meeting up with friends or catching up on my course work.
In your opinion, tell us about the most exciting, undiscovered place in London.
I believe you can never get enough of London and there is always something to explore! I still don’t even know my neighbourhood very well!
If you had to move to London for the programme, what have been the benefits and challenges of moving to London? What advice would you give to someone in a similar position?
Setting yourself up (bank account, finding a place to live) can be challenging and overwhelming at first because there are so many things to do before you start university. I had also been working for four years and found it difficult to get back to studying.
Tips
Looking back to when you were applying for the programme, did you attend any online or on campus information sessions? Did you find these a useful part of the recruitment process? Would you recommend that prospective students attend these events?
Once you have received and accepted the offer from the Business School, you are added to a Facebook page. This is a great place to meet other students from your MSc and talk to the Student Ambassadors for tips and suggestions.
Share with us a handy hint or trick which makes campus life that much easier!
Try and get to know people from other MSc programmes in the Business School – there are so many interesting people to meet! Get involved in a student club or use the campus gym to meet people.