I was not going to do business or marketing
or anything originally at Hull.
Completely different subject,
I came,
I loved Hull after I spoke to somebody
at a UCAS event.
When I got here, I cried.
I was so happy.
I was like, this is where I’m meant to be.
I think for me it was a mixture of
I was really interested in business with supply chain.
I always had the interest in business previously doing it at A-level,
and I think for me it was, I was always looking
at BBC news apps and looking at the business areas.
They were the areas that sort of captured my interest
and then going forwards, I think the mixture of being with people
and applying that within business was sort of where my personality led me.
And then Hull itself, I really loved the campus.
It sort of feels like a family in a way.
It's so small, but so big at the same time.
It sort of combines the city with the out of town sort of campus as well.
And I love the business building and the Derwent building.
It's just it's old, it's bright, it's vibrant.
It's a great place to sort of walk into your lectures, walk in and out.
Yeah.
And meeting the people as well.
I remember on my Open Day to this day, I remember Fiona was presenting it
in the Allam Lecture Theatre.
I still remember that to this day, it's not that long ago.
A highlight reading between the lines.
Not, not my words.
And he still came.
Can I ask you a question about supply chain?
Obviously, since you've kind of gone through the university process, we've
obviously had Brexit which has made supply chain
as a topic essentially even more important.
Or you might look at it, it's made it considerably harder.
Do you have any reflections on, you know, do you have any regrets
or do you think it's even more important?
You think it's going to be even more
valuable as you kind of accelerate out of the university?
Even more valuable, definitely.
I think when I was making my decision,
which would have been around the time of Brexit,
you saw a lot of supply chain in the headlines
and then even more so when COVID came along.
So I think it's a really positive thing
that this sort of subject area is out there a bit more.
And it's even more interesting from my point of view
because there's a lot more complications going on.
So there's a lot more problems to be solved.
And I think particularly going through doing my degree now
in third year, over the course of the two years during modules,
you see how much Brexit and COVID’s had an impact as well
and seeing how supply chains have had to react and have had to become
a lot more modern and a lot more complex as well as a result.
We specialise in retail.
I don't think we have one single client meeting
where we don't talk about supply chain.
Yeah, I mean it applies to
every single business has a supply chain
to some extent, particularly logistics.
So it's a valuable area, just like your accounting or whatever.
It's just not in the headlines as much because
it's sort of seen as a bit more of a niche area, I think.
Yeah, I agree with what you say, because
one of the reasons why I was wanting to go into business
was my family's like business oriented, like they have,
you know, their own thing going on for them.
So at a very tender age, being the youngest was like,
my siblings are like helping the parents in the businesses and stuff.
And I'm someone who's very like curious and trying to inquire a lot more.
So the first thing I did was like went to the
Hull uni website and I was like, I need help.
I mean, I was like the first whoever I spoke to, I knew he wasn’t a
robot because they’re talking to me like a person.
So to like, as an opening vein
Im like, Is this someone I can speak with?
Because I don't want to, like,
go to opening events and, like, start speaking to various teachers.
He was like, yeah there’s this teacher,
Fiona, and then I'm like, okay, yeah, I'm going to email this lady.
I emailed Fiona.
I think you took a day or two to respond back to my email
because during the lockdown I’m thinking, is she actually gonna reply to my email?
Okay, fair enough.
And then when I saw her reply I was like ‘ding ding’, and she was like okay,
oh yeah, I'll be at a stand, give me the address and everything.
The next thing I was there with my sister and when we came to the open events I was saying to
Fiona like, I am at a place whereby I need more
I feel like I want to explore what I can do.
I want to like, push myself kind of thing.
So Fiona was like, Yeah, Hull uni's nice. To my ear
she's just like trying to sell this idea to me.
Hull uni is nice.
Come to Hull uni.
You know, there's so many experiences and stuff
and I feel like so far in my two years being here I’ve explored,
I've participated in everything, I've attended
everything. I feel like it’s really built up my business desire
to be like a business woman at some point, you know, being an entrepeneur
or one day becoming, you know, something important.
or useful for myself.
I think like the business was giving me the opportunity to, like,
explore my options and just see what's in it for me.
So yeah.
Okay.
Sorry. I was going to ask.
You said you felt the previous course,
there was like a ceiling and you felt like you didn't
have the opportunities that you wanted.
What was it about Hull uni where you thought there is more for me?
Yeah. Yeah.
So one thing about Hull uni that is different from what I’ve researched
because other cities are good, but for me I was more focused on being local
before I started to explore my, you know, options and stuff.
But one thing about Hull uni was there was a lot of partnership
and I get to see people who were previous students.
So when previous students come in and give a review, I feel like
they have more opportunity than I do where I am, and I needed opportunity.
I needed a place whereby I can actually go in and meet people
because where I was there was an opportunity,
there was resources, but I feel like they were limited.
But with Hull uni like issues brought like there's no limitations,
like to keep on stretching and stretching and I want that,
you know, keep stretching my wings and see where that would lead me.
So I feel like that's one of the reasons why I was like, this is Hull. You need Hull.
If it’s not Hull uni then
I might just leave education.
Hull uni had more resources, more opportunities, more partnership.
And that was something that I need, you know, to get me just to get me good going.
So that's one of the reason why I chose it. So, yeah.
So it's not
it's not uncommon cause
I can remember the conversation that I was telling you about that other student
and it's coming
from that local college and sort of the decision between doing
your degree at local college where perhaps you've done sort of sixth
form studies or coming to the university
and the feedback that
he came to in the same conversation was he was saying,
I'm being told by the college I'll just be
lost, I'll be a number at the university.
And actually
sort of as you come, you realise, no, we don't treat people like numbers.
We think of you guys as the future business leaders,
and it's our job to equip you with all of the knowledge
and the skills and the confidence to be able to actually fly..
When you think about it as well like,
I mean in class, some of my classes actually like, there’s so many of us in the hall.
So when you think about is like how much did you know, you know
have a one to one conversation for like the opportunities there for us
as a student, regardless of you being 40 or 60 in a class
and trying to raise a hand, being a little bit shy for like
it gets to the point where even after the class,
the teachers are kind of there for a couple of minutes if
you want to speak to them,
like is a quick opportunity for us as a student to like, speak to them.
You know, be like I'm struggling with these assessments,
I need some more information like they’re always there to help
and now that is like one of the reasons I really enjoy Hull uni is like
they are there, just use them as you want, in a good way, professionally
of course. Use them the best way
to help you as a student, you know,
improve your academic life as well, which is really good.
So yeah, yeah.
I'm the only one that didn't speak to Fiona when I was applying.
I was not going to do business, all marketing or anything
originally at Hull.
Completely different subject.
I came,
I loved Hull after I spoke to somebody
at a UCAS event.
When I got here, I cried.
I was so happy.
I was like, this is where I’m meant to be.
I finally feel like it.
But yeah.
Then some
troubles with the course.
Not my fault.
And I thought, okay, I need to pick something different.
I spoke to the very lovely people at the uni who really wanted
to help me actually, and they were like, let us know what you're interested in.
We’ll, kind of try and get you in touch with the lecturers,
will get you to speak to people you need to.
And I was like,
Marketing sounds a bit interesting, but I don't really know anything about it.
So they were like, oh, we'll put you in touch with one the lecturers.
And it was Peter Andrew's actually,
and he was calling me up and I was like, I have no business
knowledge, I have no marketing knowledge, like what do I need to do?
And he was like, don't worry, we teach it all when you get here.
And I was like, there's no way.
I literally have zero experience and knowledge.
I don't know anything.
I was like, what do I need to read up on?
Do I need to do any courses?
He was like, don't stress, don't get worried, just come.
We literally will teach you all.
Wasn't he sending you links every week to the masterclasses
that he was running on his digital marketing and social media marketing?
Yeah, he was doing masterclasses for the third years.
Molly,
who's attending every single week into my masterclasses.
Yeah.
He was doing them for third years, I believe, and he was getting guest
speakers in every week.
And I was working on my gap year at the time,
but I made sure I was home every time to attend these
and they would send me the emails.
He was like, oh, this week's ones about thi, Molly, if you can join.
And I was like, I will be there.
So yeah, that was really good
because as I say, I had no idea anything about marketing.
And even though it was third year stuff that I was sat there like.
What is all this about?
It was still very interesting and I learned bits and bobs from it,
but I did kind of know what was going on.
So yeah.
And then I came
thinking, still a bit
worried that I was not going to, I was going to be like, lost.
But no, everything was quite straightforward.
All the modules in first year are really good.
Helped me decide that I don't want to do
marketing and management and I just want to do marketing,
which was easy to change.
And yeah, I'm in second year now, loving it.
And that flexibility is important actually for business students because not
everybody comes in knowing exactly what their career, you know, should look like.
And so giving these opportunities where, you know,
you can meet with employers and you can have guest lectures
from different sectors and you can work on projects
with different businesses in different sectors.
And that's really important to give you insights into your career.
So it's nice that you've been able to kind of come in straight into business
and then feel like you have that flexibility to tailor your
your experience here
to areas that you're passionate about for a career.
And I think it's really good because
I just had the same experience
as everybody like A-levels and a part time job and things like that.
And now, like by the time of I'll have finished the first semester
of second year, I'm going to have I worked with three companies on my CV.
Yeah.
Already. And I’m applying to placements and things.
It's crazy.
It kind of gives you a bit of a leg up.
I can say, oh, I've worked with them, I've worked with them and them,
and it's like, wow, like somebody already got
even if it was a week that I worked with the company
or even if it was just like a module project that I did with the company,
it's still experience working with the company
and kind of learning how things need to be done
that way rather than just be sat down and like, this is how you do this.
And you actually learn physically and do the work that contributes to it.
So I think having that experience makes you
a lot more confident as well and kind of makes you feel
like you’re learning more because you're actually going to apply it.
It was one of the things that I think Elizabeth was touching upon there.
You mentioned the digital
masterclasses, which myself and Emily have participated in.
And one of the things that strikes me about everyone I meet from
the business school and Hull university, particularly the staff, are great
we employ. We've built a whole business model on
employing Hull university graduates because we love them so much.
But the academics and the administration of the course
and everyone you meet and we both smiled when we talked about Peter Andrews, there
we both think he's just like an incredible human being
who you want to be around him, Fiona and Claire.
And there's such positivity and enthusiasm and energy for the
humans on the course, for the, for the graduates,
for what happens to them after the course, you know, for their wellbeing.
And it's so well rounded and I would imagine it’d be easy.
And it isn't like that in every institution, every academic
institution where you have such positivity and enthusiasm
towards, you know, you bounce into work every day.
Maybe it's just the days that myself and Emily come in and we see.
I don't think it is.
I think there's a real energy and enthusiasm.
And, you know, the certainly the business school has a real mojo to it,
I would say.
But I think it's because it's that
the value of the partnerships that we have with businesses like yours
where, you know, the insights that you give to our students
in terms of, you know, the skills that they'll need as graduates
and the types of opportunities that are open to them.
You know, this is what makes our job more engaging.
And if we are a bit more engaged, the students tend to be more engaged.
It's more interesting to hear a guest lecture
and to hear how these theories that are in the textbooks
come alive and are being used by real business people.
And, you know, in different sectors.
So, you know, we're just enormously grateful for
all of your input for the way that you work with our students,
the way that, you know, you'll come in and support our student experience.
An event like the the world of business event we did for Welcome Week.
And there was three of our graduates
who were there to talk to the first year, first week coming
in, working with businesses like yours, 18 other businesses there.
And you know, to give them some insights and a taste really of what's to come,
you know, on their course for the rest of the year
that it's not going to be about sitting passively in lectures it's
it's got you know, your sleeves rolled up from day one.
Absolutely.