Business Management – Page 5 – Undergraduate Blog

My placement year at Arla Foods

By Lily Robinson, BA Business Management with Employment Experience

Last year, between my second and third years of study on the BA Business Management course, I decided to take a placement year. I began the application process during the autumn semester in second year. At this stage, I had an idea that I wanted to work in the marketing function, and I found Arla Foods advertisement for a Marketing Assistant on the lily 2 ratemyplacement.com website. The Management School has a dedicated careers service, the Employability Hub, who also advertise placements and they were a great help too.
I knew a placement was right for me as I really wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and try a new challenge. I was a little nervous about leaving Sheffield, moving to Leeds and being without my friends, but I knew I would meet new people and have an exciting experience. If you are unsure which area of business is for you, a placement is a great trial and error year. You can find out if you like your selected discipline and discover if you can see yourself working in that department in your future career.

After the recruitment process, which involved psychometric tests and an assessment centre day, I was offered a placement starting the following July. Arla were a fantastic company to work for, and I was given lots of responsibility (real tangible experience not just making tea and photocopying!). I worked on four brands during my time at Arla Foods, who are the UK’s largest dairy company and own brands such as Lurpak and Cravendale.
I ran events, liaised with marketing agencies, helped to create packaging and managed budgets. My proudest achievement was running a stand representing Arla across a whole weekend that had over 90,000 attendees! My family came to support me and my manager was on hand to see my work – the whole team were really supportive and pleased with my achievement. As well as work, I made loads of new friends in my colleagues. I had my own flat in Leeds and had loads of fun!
My career prospects have benefitted immensely from my placement year as I have tangible experience in marketing. Employers love to see a placement year and it means I have plenty of examples of transferable skills to speak about in graduate interviews. I won’t be as nervous leaving University as I know I can achieve high quality results when I work hard. I have also benefitted academically. Coming back to final year I am so much more focussed and really pushing myself. I am appreciating a weekday morning lie in much more now too!
As I mentioned, the Employability Hub are a great source of help. There are also the Placement Ambassadors, a team of students who were on placement last year. They are always on hand to give you advice on the application process and answer any questions you might have from a student perspective.

BA Business Management final year studies

By Lily Robinson

After returning from my placement year last year, I am now in my final year of BA Business Management. This year I had only one core module, meaning I had five other modules to choose from a very varied list. I really wanted to tailor my degree to involve lots of marketing modules, as that is my main interest. I have been able to do that this year, and it has been a great experience.

As with the other years, there is an option to take an unrestricted module to the value of twenty credits, if you want to pursue interests outside of the Management School.
The core module I mentioned is Corporate Social Responsibility. Coming back from placement, I have realised this is a really important subject to study and is so relevant to all businesses. Due to the current climate, it is important that as managers of the future we have a clear view as to the ethical implications of our decision making.
The amount of varied modules has meant I can study all different aspects of marketing. In the first semester I studied Digital Marketing, Strategy Practice and CSR. In second semester I am currently studying Work Related Health and Well Being, Integrated Marketing Communications and Management Project. As you can see, I have managed to have at least one marketing based subject in each semester. There are many other modules such as International Business and Industrial Relations. No matter what function you are interested, there are modules that will suit you.
If you work particularly well in group work, or prefer exams to coursework, you will also find the assessment criteria for the modules are very varied and so this year is geared to help you achieve your best. Now you know what’s best for you and you are a more mature student, you can make a really informed decision as to your module selection.
One of my favourite modules so far has been Work Related Health and Well Being. After being on placement, I was really interested to learn about stress and wellness at work, and this module is very interactive. The lectures are really interactive, and it is great to study a module that you know you can apply wherever you work in your future career.

BA Business Management – what I studied

By Andreea Ionescu

The syllabus for BA Business Management covers a wide range of topics and most importantly, it gives you the chance to tailor your degree to suit your career preferences. It offers a broad scope of knowledge and skills with the opportunity to specialise later in the course, starting with eight core modules in the first year and ending with only one core module in the final year.

As it is important to get a grasp of each topic (i.e. maths, accounting, economics, marketing etc), the first year includes a range of modules. Without basic knowledge in all core business sides, it is very difficult to become a valuable professional for either a company or for your own enterprise. These modules are constructed as an introductory stage to business management and possible pathways in your career.

Moving on to the second year, the flexibility of choosing your modules tailored to your preferences increases. The core syllabus includes Organisational Behaviour, Business Strategy, Operations Management and Essentials of Marketing. Beside these modules you are able to choose from a very wide range of optional modules (eight run by SUMS and other unrestricted modules from across the university, such as foreign language modules).

To give you an example of the benefit of tailoring your degree I will describe my journey at SUMS. In the first year, as an international student, I wasn’t familiar with the British curriculum and how the course was delivered. Getting an insight in every topic has helped me to familiarize myself with the British and international business environments. As I developed academic knowledge in these various topics, I have realized I really enjoy studying business strategy.

In my second year, although the Business Strategy module is challenging, with the teaching methods and help from my lecturer and tutor, I have managed to score 80 marks.
Continuing in my final year, I have tailored my range of modules to match my interest in strategy and in internalisation, by choosing Strategy Practice, International Business and International Marketing.

I believe that the possibility to tailor my degree around my interests and professional goals has helped me to gain high grades and to greatly enjoy my degree. As a result of this amazing benefit I will be continuing in education to do my Masters.

How to make the most of what’s on offer

By Claudia Sorescu

When it comes to ways to get involved with the Students’ Union, I could talk to you for days. I’m really active in societies and clubs (anything from martial arts to volunteering to the Lord of the Rings Society), so I know my way around the Union, and I’ve always been really impressed with how easy it is to become a part of the community here. There’s definitely a feeling of belonging that you get from being here, no matter what you decide to do with your spare time, and I couldn’t love it more.

For example, I think one of the best ways to get involved here is Bummit, the world’s largest student-led hitch-hike. Every year, a thousand students head out to raise money and awareness for a huge number of charities: just one trip last year, from Sheffield to Romania (which is actually where I’m from, so I got to show my more adventurous friends around!), raised more than £85,000 for 9 charities. I’ll admit my inner couch potato was skeptical about the whole hitchhiking thing, until this February, when I got dragged into a smaller version of Bummit called the Rat Race.

The concept is the same, but my team-mate Chris’ and my destination was Manchester, and to keep things interesting, we had a long list of challenges to complete along the way, which went anywhere from having to chase a builder down to take a selfie with him…

…to getting a present from Town Hall officials (sadly, our negotiating skills couldn’t get us anything more than a free parking ticket), persuading Chris to get fake nails (he wasn’t impressed), and even running through a fountain- you don’t really want to be completely soaked when hitchhiking, but it worked out. We had a somewhat scary walk through Manchester late at night, stumbled upon a brilliant jazz gig by complete accident, and overall had a fantastic time.

It sounds like a silly thing to do, but when you’re there you get to meet some kind and amazing people that otherwise you wouldn’t have had the chance to speak to. A person we randomly met for a challenge was directly affected by the charity we were raising money for, Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, which suddenly put everything into perspective for us and made our cause tangible.

Bummit is just one way to get involved here at our Union, but I definitely think it’s the most rewarding one. It was a crazy day, but immensely satisfying, and if anything it taught me to take on more challenges and break out of my routine, which this time turned into a chance to make someone’s life better. As they say, sometimes you really just need to take a leap of faith and see where you end up!

Studying at Sheffield University Management School

By Saad Khawaja

Having the opportunity to study at Sheffield University Management School has been a really proud moment for me. Being a leading business school, it gives students the skills set and opportunities to enhances their employability prospects and enables them to make a positive impact on the local and international community.
The programmes offered by the University are internationally recognised coupled with excellent quality of teaching, research output and student support that availed the University in achieving Triple crown accreditation by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. This accreditation helped place the University in the top one percent of business schools worldwide, making it stand out against other universities worldwide.

The Management School provides excellent opportunity to enhance your employability skills. The Employability Hub is specifically built to provide students with a variety of skills sessions and opportunities such as placement years, year abroad and many more, which brings them into the lime light in front of the employers. The Management School hosts many careers events as well, inviting numerous companies in to speak with students.

The schools astounding teaching quality attracts students from all over the world. Lectures and tutorials help give a combination of real world experience and academic expertise which are academically stimulating. The teaching methods are quite intellectual and demanding, as they are applied to real world case studies, giving students insight about practical situations. The modules are quite interesting and challenging, which is exactly what I was looking for.

Being a newly built building, the advanced facilities are also admirable. Since I got here, the facilities have been improving constantly, and the school is even being extended to house a bigger and more central Employability Hub.

Being an international student, I have received constant support and help at every stage from the Management School. When I came across Sheffield University Management School during my A-levels studies I knew it was the university for me, and I’ve had no doubts since.

What will I study on BA Business Management?

By Lily Robinson

As a final year student looking back over my three years on the Business Management degree course, I am very satisfied with the variety of modules and topics that have been available to me. I have covered many areas of business; accounting, human resources, marketing and supply chain to name a few. In first year, though it seems you have less choice, the modules are based around important different areas of business, to really help your understanding of what you enjoy. A good manager will have knowledge of all of these areas, so it’s also beneficial for your employability prospects. All modules in first year teach the basics, so if like me you didn’t take Business at GCSE or A Level, please don’t feel you are at a disadvantage starting this degree!
There are compulsory basic maths, accounting and economics modules in first year, which personally I was nervous about to begin with. All the lecturers were great at explaining things. I did poorly in Economics during my AS Levels and achieved a 2:1 in the Business Economics module at degree level, which really is a testament to the great teaching staff at the University who were there to support me.

Having taken a placement year after second year, I found that I used learnings from some of my modules during work. During the second year supply chain module, I did a group presentation to a number of academic lecturers and industry experts which was an invaluable experience. I also found the unrestricted module I chose, Business Challenges, gave me the chance to work on my communication skills and meet new friends.

Through later years, there are less core modules and you really get a chance to tailor your degree and take modules in subjects that really matter to you. I am currently exploring a career in Marketing after working as a Marketing Assistant at Arla Foods during my placement year. I have chosen two different marketing modules in third year and have decided to work on a marketing based project in my Management Project module. This has allowed me to research subjects that I find interesting, which I believe has helped me achieve good grades in my modules. One of those modules, Digital Marketing, is a relatively new field of marketing and I received up to date theories and research from my lecturer.
Overall, the variety and quality of the modules has been very beneficial to me. I have tailored my degree to the point where I can highlight certain modules to employers and mention specific works in my CV.

A degree that suits you

By Lucy Grimes

One of the main reasons I chose to do BA Business Management at Sheffield University Management School was because of the flexibility the course offered, with modules covering every aspect of the field and allowing students to gain a wide knowledge of the business environment.
Although the first year of the course is mostly pre-set, the modules are really varied, giving you an introduction into many business areas from maths, accounting and economics based modules, to human resources and general management themed modules. I found that this year really helped me to understand which areas of business I was most interested in, and which I would not want to pursue in the future. It also helps you to understand where your strengths lie both in terms of the module content but also the assessment methods used. For example, I decided that I did not want an accounting or finance related career, and also found that I performed much better in modules assessed by exams and presentations rather than written coursework. Discovering these things in your first year is so useful and really helps when it comes to choosing modules throughout the rest of your degree.
In year two of the course there is more scope for personal choice, with just four compulsory modules and a wide variety of options for other modules including law, statistics, human resources and enterprise. I chose to take Law for Management and Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, as they were both areas I was really interested in but hadn’t had much exposure to previously. Choosing modules across a range of subject areas really gets you thinking about career options too, as you can gain an insight into various disciplines.
In year three there is even more choice available, with only one compulsory module: Corporate Social Responsibility. Aside from this you are free to choose the other five modules for your final year. At this point I had a clearer idea of what I wanted to do after University, and so I chose my modules based on this, as well as choosing the assessment methods which I thought I would perform best in. There are so many options at this stage, in areas such as Work related Psychology and Well-being, Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Business Strategy, and there is also more scope to study the International aspect of Business in these various disciplines. Having so much choice in your final year really allows you to focus on your strengths and interests, tailoring your degree to best suit you.
Each year there is also the option to take an unrestricted module, which means that it does not have to be a module from the Management school. Although I did not choose this option myself, many of my course mates used this as a way to study a new language, or build upon one which they had previously studied. It’s a great way to experience another department within the university and to try something new!
It may seem like there are a lot of choices to make, but that’s what makes the course so dynamic. You can tailor your course to your personal interests and strengths in order to get the most out of it. There is lots of support available when it comes to making these decisions- so you needn’t worry! Personal tutors are always on hand to discuss module choices, which I personally found really useful when choosing my modules. There is also the add/drop period at the start of each semester, so if you begin a module and find that it is not what you expected, there is the option to change onto one more suited to you. So make the most of the many options available and try something new- you may find a new interest or career path which you hadn’t considered before!

Careers support for your future success

By Livia Burridge

At the Management School we are lucky enough to have our own Employability Hub. The Employability Hub gives students access to careers information and supports students throughout the graduate job application process. They run many events throughout the year, such as the Careers Discovery Series which gives students the opportunity to network with graduate employers such as Boots, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and Lloyds Banking Group.

I attended a session held by a member of Morrison’s marketing team as part of the ‘Marketing Careers Discovery Week’. This session gave me a unique insight into the marketing graduate scheme at Morrison’s and provided me with the opportunity to ask questions and find out whether the scheme was right for me. The speaker gave us lots of hints, tips and information which was not available online or through any other source. This was all very useful when completing the application form, and at interview I believe it gave me a real advantage over other applicants.

The Management School’s Employability Hub is a facility I use regularly and their events are a great place to network with graduate employers and access information further to that provided by companies in their graduate recruitment literature. These events are free and I would encourage all students to attend as many of these as you can, it really opens your eyes to careers that you didn’t even know existed.

You can also book a one-to-one session with one of the careers advisers to talk through your plans for after graduating or to get help with arranging a placement or internship. They also run great skills sessions on CV writing and interview techniques as well as running practise assessment centres, it really is a great resource that we are lucky to have!

Your first year – building a foundation of knowledge

By Jamie Lloyd

First year modules in the Management School give you a taste of everything that’s to come. From the subject areas covered, to the way these modules are assessed you get an idea of what interest you and where your strengths lie.
Management Themes and Perspectives is the module in which students will be most aware of the subject area, as it includes marketing, strategy and supply chain. This consists of both coursework and group work for assessments. Business Management in Context builds on this module by taking related ideas and applying them to the business world right now, helping you to develop your analytical and application skills.
A possible new area to some students is Introduction to Behaviour at Work, this module focuses upon employees at work, how they act, how they react and how managers can get the best out of them.
A unique module to the Management School is Professional Self-Management, this module is brilliant at helping you not only improve your skills, but also give you an insight into what really interests you, and it includes lectures from external employers such as Santander and HSBC.
There are also modules which look to improve your wider knowledge. One such module is Business Economics, this may sound daunting to begin with but is really about understanding the basics of economics, such as supply and demand and is extremely applicable to the other modules. It allows you to bring in broader views and ideas and really helps you grasp how economics works within a business.
Accounting and Finance for Managers is another module which helps students learn about wider business activities. Again, many worry about mathematical ability, but there is nothing to be concerned about, you will only ever need to add, subtract, multiply and divide. This is assessed by an exam with a related case study so by reading the case study you can often do much of the maths before the exam to practice.
Analysis for Decision Making is the most mathematical module. There are two streams of this module, one for those who did A-level maths (A stream), and one for those who didn’t (B stream). The only difference here is that those who didn’t do maths have two lectures a week rather than one. This means if you’re not comfortable with maths there is lots of time to go through things slowly, along with tutorials, which are amazing at helping you really grasp theories. However, this doesn’t require you to be a maths expert, and that’s why you can take two sides of A4 filled with your own notes into the exam!
Every student has an unrestricted module choice in first year; I took Business Challenges which is a really great option for Business Management students. It consists of four challenges, all group work based, and you will be randomly assigned to one. After a couple of introductory lectures, you are in complete control, with no more lectures it is up to your group to work together to complete your tasks. Assessment comes in the form of a reflective essay from yourself about your experience, and a presentation as a group.

Opportunities at Sheffield

By Georgina Rees

As a first year BA Business Management student, I was excited and nervous before arriving in Sheffield. Upon arrival, I was amazed at the amount of opportunities that were presented to me and I knew that I wanted to make sure that I made the most out of my time at university. Here at Sheffield you are strongly encourages you to exceed in your studies as well get involved in extracurricular activities, as these are not only fun and interesting at the time but also look great on your C.V and help make you stand out from the crowd in the job market.

There are a range of different societies to join, and there really is something for everyone. I decided to get involved with the Management Society (ManSoc) a committee run society, by students and for students. ManSoc offers lots of socials and sports events, which I found a great way to instantly meet new friends and also encouraged me to interact with second year students to get advice on particular modules and applying for internships. Through the society I was also given access to a range of information regarding careers and guest speaker events.

Another opportunity that I have got involved with is Enactus. Enactus Sheffield is a student-run company based at the University of Sheffield, dedicated to running commercial and social action projects to make a difference to the lives of others both in our community and internationally. Enactus Sheffield created the ‘Homemade’ project, working with homeless men to help them gain financial stability and once again become self-sufficient. This has been particularly rewarding as well as placing me at an advantage when applying for first year insight programmes.

I also attended various talks organised by the Management School’s Employability Hub as part of their Careers Discovery Series, where guest speakers from different companies come in to talk to students about their recruitment process and the opportunities available. One organisation that particularly stood out for me was KPMG and so I decided to apply for a first year insight programme. I was successful in gaining a place on this and the talks that I attended really helped me in the application process. This opportunity will give me an early experience working for an organisation which I may look to apply to in the future for an internship.

I would really recommend getting involved with as many opportunities that the university offers. At Sheffield, you will be spoilt for choice!