Uncategorized – Sheffield University Management School Postgraduate Blog

My experience of joining university during a global pandemic

By Maria Victoria Hernandez Jurado, MSc Human Resource Management with CIPD accreditation

As an international student, moving to a new place with a different language always comes with feelings of fear – understandably, I think! My home is Perú, and I chose to come to the Sheffield for postgraduate study last year. Travelling to a new country and adapting to a new culture is always a shock – and in the middle of the pandemic it was a little crazy! Here’s my experience of travelling during the times of Covid, and a few tips on how to make it easier!

Visa, document process and travel

First, let’s talk about the visa. In the middle of the pandemic, it can be stressful to get a visa due to lockdowns or restrictions. Some embassies or VFS (Visa Facilitation Services) can be closed, or difficult to get to within your country. But, in my opinion, it’s worth it. In my case, receiving my visa took me around a month, and I was lucky because when I started the application the VFS office in my country had opened recently. My first tip for any international students hoping to come to study in the UK is to make sure all the documents you will need for your visa appointment are correct and ordered.

About the travel. My itinerary was Perú -> Amsterdam -> London, and something interesting was the strict rules in all the airports. The rules are not only in the airports but also in the planes. Something that I did was check all the documents I needed to travel not only in Perú, but in all the airports I landed in. My second tip is that you to print all the documents that you might need, such as your accommodation contract, CAS Statement, Locator Form and Covid test result. These can be really useful when you will pass migrations.

Adaptation

I have to admit that for me, adapting to life in the UK was not bad. Days here fly by, especially when you’re in classes and tackling assignments.

There is something that I like about Sheffield, and it is that you will find good people who can help you with everything. This helped to make my adaptation easy. Moreover, The University of Sheffield has implemented a lot of mechanisms to support its students. For example, the wellbeing department called me several times to talk about how I was feeling, if I needed something or if I knew someone here already. So don’t be afraid, even within a context where you don’t have contact with people, it’s possible! My last tip for potential students would be to check all the activities, clubs and more stuff that the University has to offer.

International Summer School

By Sam Volpe, MSc Marketing Management Practice

Completing a postgraduate brings its benefits, however it does require hard work. The other thing it requires is your summer. Or does it?

Having completed my first three years at University of Sheffield for my undergraduate, I was used to hard work throughout the year topped off with a lengthy summer. This gave you time to sit back and relax or travel until your heart’s content, and usually allowed time to pick up some of that precious work experience to set you up for your future. However, with the added third semester from June till September, your opportunity to get away and utilise your free time is spent on your dissertation.

If I wanted to make the most of my summer, I was going to have to do some serious thinking. Fortunately, I didn’t have to. Shortly after commencing my MSc in Marketing Management Practice, I received an email from Sheffield University Management School informing me of the opportunity to attend an international summer school programme on a scholarship. Yes, that’s right, a scholarship. For free. The selection provided was Barcelona, Vienna and a few more. Pairing with a prestigious business school or university in each of the cities, the opportunity to get away to some sun, beach and culture whilst also gaining valuable experience both socially, academically and professionally seemed too good to be true.

After a successful application process, which fortunately wasn’t too daunting, I found myself on a plane to Barcelona’s ESADE Business School, the top of its kind in Spain, with three of my close friends. What followed was two of the most enjoyable weeks I had experienced whilst at university. Accompanied by course mates from all over the world, we lived on campus and lapped up the sun and the experience. A usual day would consist of attending class from 9am till 2pm. I selected Public Speaking and Entrepreneurship, and was blown away by the quality of teaching and how enjoyable the lectures were. After this, we would head to the beach as a group and enjoy the sun, beach, sea, culture and most importantly, the World Cup. The summer school provided the perfect mix of academic and social experience with fun. The best part about it was that it was geared to not be to intense, but still provide extremely good quality teaching and content.

If you are thinking of attending, I would just advise you apply. I attended from the 1st till the 16th July, and before you get too worried you are automatically granted an extension to your dissertation if you are successful in application, with the length being dependant on the duration of your summer school. It’s an experience I’ll never forget, and I hope that some of you get to experience it too!

Aligning your goals and using your time here

By Nia Starr, MSc International Management and Marketing

For some reason, when I was thinking about applying for postgraduate study, I had the impression that it would be absolutely time consuming and that I would have no time for a personal life or just to enjoy my time abroad. Needless to say, I was absolutely wrong, and I’m glad that I was. While my classes here were longer than they were during my undergraduate degree, I found that I had ample time on my hands to do whatever I wanted and still achieve what I deemed to be the appropriate amount of studying.

Visiting the Cotswolds for the first time to meet my new bosses!

When I moved here, one of my goals was to secure a job so that I would be able to stay in England for a few years. Another goal was to try and build a full life for myself here, a life similar to the one I had while living in America. I’m not really an idle person, so I decided to apply for the position of Student Ambassador at the Management School, and ended up being successful. This provided me a chance to meet new people and potential students on my experience, while also providing me with a little extra income. Even with this job, I found that I still had too much time on my hands, so I applied for one of the Postgraduate Advantage Scheme (PAS) internships through the university and secured my place with Undiscovered Cotswolds. The internship was in my field of study (International Management and Marketing), so I was able to practice my craft with really great employers and help the progression of their company. Applying for these different things helped me towards making steps to better my CV which would ultimately help me in possibly securing a job, but not only that, having these different activities allowed me to fill my time and have a fuller and active life here in Sheffield. Finally, I applied for a company based project, which I secured. Not only would this project give me great out of class experience, but if successfully completed, would be an outstanding thing to have on my resume and to discuss with future employers.

I feel that I have best utilized my time here in Sheffield to best serve the long and short-term goals I had when moving here. No matter what your goals are, it is important to make sure that you are taking the appropriate steps to reaching those goals. The university has a lot of resources that have been paramount in my success and could be in yours too!

Lesser-Known Job Application Tips

By Nadia Zulhasni, MSc International Management

As someone who is graduating within the next few months, I understand that ‘adulting’ can be tough and searching for a job can be challenging and time consuming. The leap that you have to take from graduating into work life feels huge, so I don’t find it surprising that candidates are scouring the internet for hours, days and even weeks for some effective job hunting tips!

We no longer need to be told to proofread CVs and spend time writing a cover letter for every application; we’ve heard that a gazillion times before. Instead, implementing some lesser-known strategies can help you gain a competitive advantage over other applicants. Below are some of the tips I’d love to share:

Apply for several jobs; do not restrict yourself in one sector

It is great to be selective but you should also be open to new opportunities! Send as many job applications as possible to maximise your chances of being called for an interview. Scout out as many relevant opportunities as you can. It is crucial to set a target and track your progress. Whenever possible, make timely follow-ups contacting the prospective company’s HR department.

Tailor your CV; it shows that you are serious about the specific vacancy

Relevance is crucial when applying for any job because no two jobs will be exactly the same. The recruiter is more likely to notice you if you specify your wants and skills suited for the company and position that you are applying for. You should always try to match your skills, education background and experience with the position you are applying for to stand out from other generic applications.

Use various sources for your job applications

Job websites are a great source of vacancies and should definitely be utilised, but do not restrict yourself on applying through these platforms. Many adverts on major job sites receive extremely high volumes of applications which means that there is a higher tendency of your CV to be overlooked. Online networks or social media platforms are also great alternatives for you to connect with prospective employers. I manage to stay connected with many professionals in my home country of Malaysia through LinkedIn.

On top of the above, you should utilise as many opportunities as possible from the University such as the Careers Service and the Employability Hub in Management School. With their help, I successfully landed my third sector paid placement, which gave me great experience and looks great on my CV!

Finally, best of luck to all the students out there that are close to graduating and entering the job market! It’s a difficult time, but your hard work will be rewarded in the end!

My Life in Sheffield

yueh-ting-chung By Yueh-Ting Chung, MSc International Management and Marketing

Hello.

My name is Yueh-Ting, a Taiwanese student studying a Masters in International Management and Marketing. Today I want to introduce my life in Sheffield to you!

Food

Because I love eating, most of the content of this article will be about restaurants and food.

my-life-in-sheffield-5 I most often study at the Diamond library and while I am there, it is easy to find food.

There is a fast food snack bar just across the street where you can easily try the classical British food, Fish and Chips!

There are many other restaurants and a convenient store nearby.

In the library itself, there is a coffee shop.

It’s quite easy for people to find Chinese food in Sheffield so international students can fit in quickly! Here are some pictures to show you the Chinese food in Sheffield.

my-life-in-sheffield-9 The moor market in the city centre is a great place to find fresh and cheap food. My friends and I usually go there at the weekend to have breakfast and then buy some vegetables, fruits, meat and bread for the next week.

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Of course, there are also small local versions and large supermarkets, such as Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s, near to the student accommodation which have long opening hours for convenience.

Student Accommodation

my-life-in-sheffield-7 There is a perk living in the student accommodation of our university that I want to introduce to you! We can join the residence life sport class without paying fees.

In the first semester, I joined the Yoga, Pilates and Zumba class, because these three classes took place in the same complex as my home. I just needed to go downstairs and exercise.

my-life-in-sheffield-13 Besides, with the residence life card, sometimes we can buy concessionary tickets. For instance, I bought the ticket to Whitby in the Student Union at a lower price (The picture is of Whitby Abbey). Yes, our SU will take us out to visit other cities on one day trips. We just need to buy the ticket and hop on the bus.

Travelling to the Management School

Living in Allen Court, I take about 20 minutes to walk to the Management School. Yep, I know. You might think it’s a long time. But actually, you will get used to it! And you will be stronger and healthier for it. There is also a beautiful park, Western park, on the way. Soooo beautiful. Really!

my-life-in-sheffield-12 my-life-in-sheffield-11

Crookes Valley Park, which is next to Western park, is also very attractive.

In addition, there is a great Tai food restaurant close to the Management School. Having lunch with classmates there after class is quite enjoyable. After that, you can take a walk in the two beautiful parks and then go back home or to the library to study.

5 things you shouldn’t worry about when coming to study at the University of Sheffield

roxana-rojas-pic By Roxana Rojas Linares, MSc Entrepreneurship and Management

So maybe you are planning to get a postgraduate degree at the University of Sheffield but are concerned about a few things like language, making friends and getting used to a whole new environment. And you are right; studying abroad is challenging but is also a highly rewarding experience that will change your life.

Here is a list of my top 5 things you shouldn’t be worried about.

1. Language

If English is not your first language you may feel concerned about not being able to communicate or about not understanding your lectures. You may picture yourself in a room full of English speaking people with you staring from the corner. Well, you shouldn’t. Each year more than 5,000 students from all over the world join the University of Sheffield and it is a fact that you’ll share lectures with many of them. So first thing, you are not alone! Secondly, the University gives you the opportunity to improve your English skills through workshops and lessons especially designed for international students. They can even help you to check your written assignments. Language will not be a problem.

2. Making friends

First days at school can be scary. Now imagine it in a foreign country! Will you make any friends? The answer is, definitely. Apart from meeting people from your classes, the University makes a big effort to program plenty of activities to break the ice, from sports to entertainment and culture. Also, there are dozens of students’ societies for you to join. Share your passion for music, art, dancing, books… you name it. And there’s more, Sheffield has been named the friendliest city in the UK so be prepared, chances are you won’t even have time for yourself!

3. Food

my-life-in-sheffield-6 It’s true. After a while you will miss some of your hometown’s flavours. However, Sheffield has excellent restaurants from all over the world. Greek, Asian, Turkish and Italian to name a few. On the other hand, the University Shop at the Students Union and other specialized supermarkets sell international groceries. Test your cooking talents and make yourself and your friends a traditional dinner from your country.

4. Finding a place to live

Finding a place to live in an unknown city can be intimidating. Is this area safe? Will I like it? Sheffield is a beautiful city with plenty of living options for students. Any area near the University is safe, affordable and near supermarkets, coffee shops and restaurants. If you don’t like taking risks, go for the University accommodation, located in the best areas of town and at a walking distance from the University facilities.

5. Safety

If you come from a big city, you will find Sheffield charming and friendly. If you come from a small city you will find it exciting and entertaining. In any case, crime rates in Sheffield are low and the city is known for being one of the safest places in the UK. However, it is always advisable to take basic safety measures like avoiding walking alone at night or in dark places. The University makes sure you have access to safety information and runs special transportation for women at night.

I hope that helps you feel more comfortable in your decision to study at the University of Sheffield and to understand what Sheffield has to offer!