Meet two of our MBA Career Consultants

Imperial College Business School Careers offers tailored 1:1 support to students to help them achieve their career ambitions.

For students across our MBA programmes, many of them come to the programme wanting to accelerate their careers, pivot into a different role, transition industries, or do a famed “triple jump”, changing positions, industries and location in one career move.

No matter what their ambitions, it is the role of our Career Consultants to help them make their goal a reality, through 1:1 sessions, CV and cover letter help, mock interview practice and more.

Two of our Career Consultants, Mark Daley and Rachel Tonner, discuss how they support students, give an insight into their role and share a couple of student success stories on the MBA.

Mark Daley

Mark Daley

Working in career development in education represents my third career and builds upon previous careers managing retail operations for a luxury goods retailer and as an executive search consultant for the Consulting sector.

In the autumn of 2008, the global financial crash changed the executive search landscape, albeit temporarily. The immediate aftermath saw a recruitment freeze for many of my clients and with the prospect of facing months of very limited success, I decided it was time for a change and resigned.

After rapidly and unexpectedly securing five offers from competing firms I felt the need for something different thus rejecting them all. At that time, a headhunter reached out to me with a very specific set of requirements for a Careers role.

Eventually, following a meeting with Imperial College Business School I realised how well aligned I was for the role and how the type of work matched almost all of the elements of work and reward I sought. A head-hunter will always put the interests of the client ahead of the candidate, but I had always had a more consultative approach to clients and candidates, so career development turned out to be the perfect fit for my hard and soft skills as well as my own characteristics.

Why I love being a Career Consultant

Since taking up my first position, I have never looked back. I thoroughly enjoy supporting students through their time at Business School, helping them in many cases, to transition from a past career into a new one, enabling them to understand their transferable skills and experiences applicable for a change of direction. At the other end of the spectrum, working closely with MSc students with little or no relevant work experience, to secure their first step on the ladder.

I really enjoy getting to know the students as individuals and over a period of time, developing a strong and effective working relationship with them. In the beginning, getting an understanding of what they want out of their career and then working with them to map out an executable strategy to implement in the pursuit of that ambition.

One of the most amazing and totally unexpected aspects of working with international students over the years is that a number of them have become personal friends after graduating. I am now in the fortunate position to know that wherever I go in the world, I have someone to catch up with.

Student success story

There are often stand-out examples of my work with students, which make me really proud and is the most rewarding element of this job. One example is having worked with an MBA student this year who joined having decided to use the MBA to accelerate and grow out of their previous career. Having outgrown the job, for them the MBA was the opportunity to kick-start their professional growth. After an initial period of applying and some networking, I found that they were experiencing a great deal of despondency. They were considering returning to their previous career and seeing it as an option which was not so bad after all. The journey upon which the student had embarked all of a sudden seemed to have overwhelmed them and the mountain to climb was just too steep.

We sat together and really developed their channel to market strategy from just a CV and covering letter to really start networking and looking at areas connected to where they wanted to go as other options to explore. The development of a powerful and effective Linked In profile really helped and after a while, an interview came through with a leading global pharmaceutical firm. The interviews went well and a few months later received an offer for a really interesting job, perfectly aligned to their skills and experience as well as to their career ambitions.

For my part, I could understand the desire for career acceleration and saw the potential in this individual. I could understand that the task appeared too difficult and the size of the challenge insurmountable. But as an outsider looking in on this individuals’ situation, with the benefit of more experience, I could see that there was scope for great success here and that I just needed to guide and occasionally push in order for things to start to happen. This student has had a very good return on investment for their MBA and it has been through listening, accepting advice and being determined to follow through with a workable plan which has brought about such success. This, for me, is by far the most rewarding element of my job.

Rachel Tonner

Rachel Tonner

Careers is where I have spent most of my working life, starting in recruitment in 2007 where I quickly learned how complex and challenging it can be for job-seekers to secure offers, and for employers to appoint the right candidates. As my career has developed, it became even more evident to me that being in the right work environment and the right role has huge effects on people’s potential, career trajectory and also their mental health and happiness. To be part of the process that helps someone to find a workplace where they flourish is why I love being in Careers.

Over the years, I’ve run recruitment campaigns across many industries, from entry to director level hires and have set-up and led recruitment teams. A number of years ago I stepped out of direct recruitment and into Learning & Development, setting up career programmes and seeing my work contribute to the step after the job offer and into the development and growth of an employee.

I now work as a Career Consultant in Imperial College Business School, supporting MSc and Full-Time MBA students, and co-leading on the Career provision for Full-Time MBA learners.

An exciting an energising job

Put quite simply, I love my role. It is really exciting and energising to work directly with such a diverse group of students who have different backgrounds and aspirations, but the same desire to succeed. I am able to share the lessons I learned as a recruiter and help inform students about the recruitment process they’re going through so they feel prepared and ready.

An average day is varied and can include running large workshops, facilitating small group sessions that practice interview rounds and group assessments, and having 1:1 appointments with my MBA students (of which I, and the other Consultants have separate portfolios of students we support). In the quieter, summer months, I’ll be creating new content for the next cohort to access, attending conferences to keep updated with recruitment trends and learn what particular companies are recruiting for and what they want to see from applicants.

My favourite part of my role is running mock interviews. To be able to take a part of the recruitment process which candidates often find stressful and has the lowest levels of confidence attached, and being able to pinpoint how people can present themselves more effectively, or feedback their strong points, is extremely satisfying.

My biggest highlight to date: student success story

One of my biggest highlights to date at Imperial has been working with an MBA student who was changing careers, and although extremely intelligent and capable, would take on a nervous, unconfident character through interviews, as if a switch from her normal-self had gone off. I loved working with her, giving her practical and specific feedback, observing the improvement in her performance and eventually seeing her secure a job offer from one of the most competitive top investment banks.

This type of tailored support is what makes Imperial College Business School unique.

Many students feedback to us that they are surprised and pleased to hear how different, useful and individual the support they receive from Careers is compared to their previous universities. The Imperial Career Consultants genuinely care when a student progresses in an application and gets one steps closer to a job. We make a real effort to provide an excellent level of service, and constantly share amongst the team of consultants how we can be more helpful and provide more ideas and information to particular students and their challenges.

When students are working with Consultants they don’t only get the 1:1 tailored approach, they get a team of Career Consultants (and ex-recruitment professionals) behind them, feeding into that support and encouragement to ensure it is as impactful as it could possibly be and give the student the best possible opportunity to secure the role they want.

About Nicole Pires

Content Marketing Manager
Nicole is the Content Marketing Manager for Programmes Marketing.

Meet two Career Consultants for our MSc students

Megan Camacho

A huge element of each Master’s programme at Imperial College Business School is the highly personalised Careers service. As part of this, each student is appointed a dedicated Career Consultant to help them through every step of the job application process. Ultimately they make sure that they make sure that our students take the first step in their dream career after graduating from the Business School.

In this article, two of our MSc Career Consultants share an insight into their role and how they work with students, as well as their favourite part of the job.

Hannah Salton

When I was in my final year at Manchester University, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my career. I think it’s a real challenge knowing exactly the right career path is for you without trying out a few things first. Luckily, I ended up on a Business Management graduate programme at BT that allowed me to do exactly that. In my final rotation in the graduate recruitment team, I discovered I had a passion for careers and went on to work for five years in total at BT before spending three years leading UK graduate recruitment at a top global law firm.

I changed career in 2017 to become a career coach and consultant, and split my time now between working at Imperial College Business School and coaching private clients. I love the variety this gives me, although most of the clients I work with outside of the Business School tend to be graduates or those just a few years into their professional career too! I decided to work full-time in careers because personal and professional development is something I’m passionate about. I’ve had ups and downs in my own career, and have found that the right support from a coach, mentor or line manager can be invaluable. Whether we like it or not, our careers are heavily tied up in our personal identities, so if we’re struggling or feeling lost in our career, the rest of our life can suffer too.

My favourite part of the role at the Business School is definitely the one-to-one student appointments as their Career Consultant. Sometimes these can be challenging if students are feeling frustrated, but when you help someone turn their experience around and start to see solutions instead of problems, it’s the best feeling in the world. In particular, I love doing mock interviews with students. Having done hundreds of ‘real-life’ interviews in a corporate setting, I feel it’s an area I am able to add real value with, providing detailed and specific feedback for each individual answer given. I also love helping students prepare for interviews generally. The biggest mistake we see is students trying to memorise word perfect, scripted answers to each and every interview question they think could come up. These can really lack authenticity and passion, so it’s our job to help students get so comfortable with their experiences and motivation that they can speak naturally, without it becoming a memory test.

There are a few students who I have worked with who felt overwhelmed by the job application process, and it has really affected their motivation and confidence – two things that are very helpful in a job search! At the Business School, we often encourage a networked approach to job hunting  – trying to create meaningful and long-lasting connections with people who work in industries they’re interested in working in. This may sound simple, but the reality of putting yourself out there and having conversations with people you have never met before can feel intimidating and (understandably) very daunting to our students.

My favourite success stories are from students who aren’t natural networkers, but have pushed their comfort zones and built a whole host of new connections at their target companies, ultimately leading to a successful job offer.

Megan Camacho

Megan Camacho

I am a Career Consultant supporting the energy sector. , I worked across a variety of organisations including Goldman Sachs, KPMG and Avon Cosmetics. My role in each of these organisations was across recruitment and learning and development, focusing on graduate development, leadership and management skills.

I chose to become a Career Consultant due to my interest in helping students develop their skills and identify what they are passionate about. Part of my role as a Career Consultant involves coaching students on their ambitions and interests whilst identifying potential career opportunities. The role is widely varied with activities ranging from delivery of skills workshops, meeting one-to-one with students to support the application process, conducting mock interviews and liaising with key organisations to identify employment opportunities and events for our students. My favourite part of the job is the satisfaction I receive from knowing my support has helped a student to secure a role.

A highlight of my time at Imperial has been supporting a student through the interview preparation, including writing the initial application through to networking within the organisation and conducting mock interviews. Through much hard work and practice, the student was able to secure the role with their dream employer. My advice to anyone who is going through the interview process is: practice, practice, practice.

Imperial College Business School is special due to its students. The diversity, talent and experience are unrivalled. I have been honoured to meet so many individuals with talents across the board. Each person has a unique story to tell and that’s what makes Imperial College Business School special to me.

About Nicole Pires

Content Marketing Manager
Nicole is the Content Marketing Manager for Programmes Marketing.

Meet the Full-Time MBA students who’ve landed amazing internships

All of our Full-Time MBA students have the chance to undertake an internship in the summer term. They’re encouraged to employ their networking skills and organise one with a company that interests them, with support from the Careers team.

An internship is a great chance to get back out in the workplace and continue developing your practical skills, while forming useful industry relationships. We spoke to three students from the 2018-19 cohort, who’ve secured fantastic internships at top companies, about their experience and top tips.

Paulina Chui

Paulina Chui 

Nationality: Hong Kong

Background: Bachelor of Business Administration, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Pre-MBA employment: Vice President, Asia Corporate Business Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe Limited

Internship: Wealth Management MBA Summer Banker Associate Programme, JP Morgan

Brian McCormack 

Nationality: Irish

Undergraduate studies: Masters of Pharmacy, University of Sunderland

Pre-MBA employment: Pharmacy Manager, MD & AG Burdon Ltd.

Internship: International Recruitment Development Programme (IRDP), Johnson&Johnson

Divya Gupta

Nationality: Indian

Undergraduate studies: Bachelor of Business Management, Singapore Management University

Pre-MBA employment: Talent Acquisition Lead, APAC, American Express Global Business Travel

Internship: Human Resources MBA Summer Internship, American Express

Finding an internship

Brian secured his position with Johnson&Johnson, in their international recruitment development programme (IRDP), through an event he organised. “As the President of the Healthcare Club at the Business School, I invited J&J to hold an event on campus last November,” he said. “This event provided students with information about the IRDP and gave an insight into life at the organisation.”

Divya will be spending ten weeks at American Express as a Human Resources MBA Summer Intern. “I applied for this internship online on the American Express website. This was always a company I was interested in and so I regularly monitored their careers page.”

Paulina agrees that ensuring staying up to date is very important. “I searched it online, and I signed up to receive email alerts keep me aware of opportunities,” she said. “It’s very important to subscribe to different newsletters, as they have different perspectives and focuses.” Paulina will be spending eight weeks in Hong Kong at JP Morgan, working in the wealth management sector serving ultra high net-worth individuals.

Applying with help from Imperial College Business School Careers

All three of the students had some help from our Careers team when applying for their internships.

“While I found the position and decided to apply for it independently, I had a lot of help from my Careers Consultant during the application and interview process,” said Divya.

My Careers Consultant helped me refine my resume and cover letter prior to applying. Before the interview process began we worked on mock interviews and continued to meet as I progressed through the rounds for additional practice.

Brian also found his role independently, using the support Careers offers for interview preparation.

“Experienced advice from my Careers Consultant ensured that I was prepared for each round of the interview process. A number of workshops run by Careers contributed to my application success. In particular, the ‘Networking skills’ workshops have been key in understanding how to approach people within an industry or role I am interested in,” he said.

Like her classmates, Paulina also sought help from Careers to prepare for the interview process.

“In preparation I did seek help from Careers a lot. Especially from Andreia, my dedicated Careers Consultant, and the Finance Career Consultant Marie. Andreia helped me to practice some questions before my interviews, and encouraged me to use resources like Wall Street Prep.”

Paulina also got the chance to practice her video interview skills and get feedback. “I really did make good use of this, as nowadays video interviews are more and more popular,” she said.

Taking MBA learnings to the workplace

How will what they’ve learnt so far on the MBA programme help in their internships?

“I’ve learned a lot from my cohort, about time management, elevator pitches, and how to sell myself,” said Paulina.

I’ve learned a lot of soft skills, and had the chance to study electives related to my future job. I am studying Asset Management, Private Equity and Venture Capital, all of which are helpful for preparing to perform well in my future role.

Divya agrees. “Academically, modules like Strategy, Organisational Behavior and Decisions Analytics have helped me prepare. Working in teams throughout the MBA and with such a diverse group of students has also really helped me. In addition, giving presentations regularly has helped build up my confidence.”

Want to land an internship at a top company?

We asked Paulina, Divya and Brian what their top tip was for students looking to find their perfect internship.

Know why you are interested in the company, the job and demonstrate why you are the best fit for the vacancy through your resume, cover letter and finally during the interview process,” said Divya.

Paulina highlighted the importance of being open: “I would encourage students to be open minded, and to do more research on all the possibilities, to widen your job searching scope to non-traditional roles and opportunities in additional countries. You may find the hidden gems,” she said.

She also mentioned making good use of alumni connections. “Throughout my preparation for this role and others, I found there were alumni who’ve worked in that company before. Often, you can easily message them on LinkedIn, introduce yourself, and they are really helpful.”

They will tell you all about the practical side of the job, and may be able to share useful tips and tailored advice according to your background. Alumni are a great network.

Brian thought that being open and putting yourself out there was the key. “An MBA programme immerses you in a new environment with new people. Aim to put yourself outside your comfort zone and take opportunities that come your way.”

Focus on learning new things and meeting new people. Building connections and networking can be the difference in helping you to secure a job or internship. Be brave and put yourself out there. You have nothing to lose.

Exciting times lie ahead for our students

“I am excited about the opportunity to work with people from all over the world, learn from my colleagues and managers, and most importantly make a significant impact through my work,” said Divya.

Brian is looking forward to making an impact on a global business, whilst learning more about the pharmaceutical industry. “It creates a platform where I can utilise the healthcare experience from my career and the commercial skills that I have developed on the MBA. Most of all, I am excited to work in a cross-functional team that creates value for its patients.”

“I’m looking forward to everything,” said Paulina. “I am really excited about the opportunity to progress my career in private banking. I am ready to leverage my relationship management experience and credit knowledge serving large-cap corporate, and I’m keen to learn the skillset required to service ultra high net-worth individuals.

We’re wishing all of our students undertaking internships this summer the greatest success!

Goals: Can you have too much of a good thing?

Careers-ipad-image

Hannah Salton is a Career Consultant at Imperial College Business School, as well as a freelance Career Coach. In this blog she talks about the unusually dubbed – FOMOMG or ‘Fear Of Missing Out on My Goals’.

‘Fear Of Missing Out on My Goals’ was originally coined in 2018 by model Leomie Anderson and has been discussed and debated on other platforms since.

It seems FOMOMG is particularly prevalent in fellow millennials, who have a tendency to set themselves ambitious life or career goals, and feel frustrated if the milestones aren’t hit. This resonated with me a lot. I am generally a big fan of goal setting, however I’ve also experienced a heavy sense of deflation and demotivation if these goals aren’t achieved.

It is easy to slip into the pattern of comparing your professional progress with that of your peers, made worse by constant exposure to other people’s successes so widely broadcast on social media. This can have a huge effect on our motivation and confidence, and leave us feeling like we’re failing at life. 

So, how can we use goals for what they’re meant for (quantifying, inspiring, and motivating) rather than using them as tools to beat ourselves up with?

Here are my top 5 tips on how to minimise fear of missing out on your goals:

1) Examine the motivation of the goals you set yourself

Do you definitely want to set yourself a rigid target of being in a new job in 3 months’ time? It might feel exciting to make such a commitment, however you could end up rushing into a new job you’re just as unhappy in. It may be better to commit instead to creating clear and specific criteria of what you want from you next job, or dedicating a certain amount of hours per week to job hunting. Both of these will ensure you are progressing, without forcing you into a decision you aren’t sure is right for you.

Be sure that any goals you do set align with your needs and priorities, and aren’t driven by wanting the external validation and praise that often comes with a big career move.

2) Beware: The comparison trap

It’s so easy to compare ourselves negatively and positively to others, and it rarely serves us well. Everyone is on a different journey, with different goals, networks, challenges and advantages.

Your school friend may have been given a promotion, but you have no idea the hours they may have put in, or how much they really like their job. Your ex-colleague may have got a job at your dream company, but you never know what connections they have or sacrifices they may have had to make. Even our close friends may not share the full picture when it comes to the ups and downs of their career.

Comparing ourselves to others is natural and inherently human, however it often results in us feeling inferior. Be aware when you fall into this common trap, and turn your attention to more productive things.

3) Use social media to inspire, not torture

Linking to the point above, be mindful of your social media use, and reflect on what content frustrates you rather than motivates you to take action.

Decide what social media platforms you want to use, be aware of how much time you spend online and reflect on how it could be affecting your productivity and motivation. Unfollow people and pages that don’t serve you.

I read a great book last year called ‘How to Break up with your Phone’ if you want to learn more about how to manage your technology use.

4) See set backs as learning opportunities

This one is easy on paper, hard in practice. In 2018 I set myself the goal of writing a small amount every day. Suffice to say I did not manage that last year. Or this year (yet). I’ve tried to reflect on why this goal didn’t work for me, and how I can modify it in the future to inspire action, rather than use it as a stick to beat myself up with.

When I fail to achieve a goal or target, I sometimes dwell a little too much on the failure, rather than turning my attention away to potential solutions. Some analysis of failure and set backs can be useful, but after a certain amount of reflection focus your energy and attention on future possibilities, rather than past failures.

5) Write down your successes, both big and small

It’s easy to write endless to do lists and action plans, but how often do you make time to record the stuff that goes well? At the end of each day, write down what you have done well, and celebrate even small successes like starting a new project, or contributing in a meeting.

This may feel weird and a bit over the top, but there’s a lot of evidence to support the idea that encouragement leads to better results than criticism.

Samuel Ho on changing jobs and industries on the Global Online MBA

Lane Crawford Joyce Group

A job earns you the salary, while a career fits your capabilities, actualises your goals, and most importantly makes you a happier person. Finding a career with all three of these is not as simple. For Samuel Ho, a candidate on our Global Online MBA 2018-19, his career path has not been easy, but delightful and fulfilling.

Eager to find his way up the corporate ladder, Samuel started his career with the FMCG industry. He identified the eye-opening opportunity as a global finance trainee with the Adidas Group.

Samuel recalled, “It offered the opportunity for job rotations along the finance value chain, from sourcing to retail finance in Asia, and of course the German headquarter placement was the highlight. I seized the chance to have a one-on-one mentoring meeting with the group CFO, Robin Stalker.” At the Adidas Group, Samuel not only applied himself to the finance assignments and projects, but also obtained his professional qualification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Hong Kong.

Samuel took his learnings from Adidas to move to another local FMCG retail chain, serving the group CEO office. “I planned to consolidate my experience within a local context to strategically have more achievements,” Samuel says. He managed the Greater China business for over 120 retail stores and e-commerce channels in the branded eyewear and watches segments. The experience of launching various strategies to improve profitability and corporate control sowed the seeds of pursuing an MBA.

Further down his career path, Samuel came across another FMCG giant, PepsiCo. “It was a regional finance position to oversee and analyse the whole Asia Pacific food and beverage markets,” Samuel explained. He worked across seven time zones, which was not easy, paired with the dynamic planning exposure by leading the annual operations and strategic planning, he encountered plenty of learnings.

Samuel Ho Pepsi Co

“I identified the skills gap and management hurdles from my job at PepsiCo, I was thinking better ways to lead the planning agenda and my next steps to achieve this,” Samuel says. That was his turning moment to think about doing an MBA.

“There was an evening that I walked out of the office in Times Square and attended the QS MBA fair, where I was introduced to the Global Online MBA programme by Andy Durban, Student Recruitment Manager at Imperial College Business School,” he said.

Shortly after the initial touch base, Andy invited me to submit my resume and have an initial call.” Encouraged by his PepsiCo director, Samuel reminisced: “At that time, I struggled about the workload, return on investment and commitment, but I saw Imperial as a platform to consolidate the working experience, updating myself with the state of the art business concepts and the chance to explore my future career options that follow my ambition.”

Over his seven years working with the FMCG industry, Samuel saw how fast fashion and mass production are hurting the planet, as a major source of greenhouse gases with discarded clothes and fabrics going to the landfill sites and the sea. His ultimate goal is to join the quality fashion sector and to influence a sensible buying lifestyle.

“I attended the interview call while working on an overseas assignment in a Bangkok hotel lounge. When Imperial offered me a scholarship to join the programme, I was sure this is the moment to not hesitate and take the challenge.”

He credits his time at Imperial College Business School with raising his strategic mindset and leadership skills for the future, sharing ideas with like-minded people from different walks of life.

GMBA January 2018

“My cohort consists of 50 nationalities with 11 average years of working experience, we all come from various backgrounds and sectors; it is a very collegiate atmosphere. Samuel highlighted a key occasion that he had to lead a change management project at work, that he followed the Kotter’s model outlined in the Organisational Behaviour module. “Coming from an accounting background, it is a great value add to learn tested management tools for plug-and-play use at work,” Samuel said.

In his second year of the MBA, Samuel was approached by the head-hunter for a senior management position with a luxury fashion group. “This is the industry that I have been thinking of and it finally became a reality, but I had no previous experience with luxury,” he said.

Samuel realised the gap and arranged a Skype call with his Career Consultant at the Business School, Ana Penalver. During the two-hour call, Ana provided comments about his resume and suggested Samuel talk to alumni from the industry.

Imperial’s alumni community consists of more than 16,000 graduates, representing over 130 countries and covers almost all industry sectors. Eventually, Samuel took his personal interests, analytical skills and business knowledge, to shift industries by joining the Lane Crawford Joyce Group, where he manages planning and strategy projects.

“It’s a lot of hard work, but you can get the best out of it!” Samuel said. His MBA journey continues by going on the study abroad MBA exchange with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, as well as joining the IB Glocal Elective with New York University.

Lane Crawford Joyce Group

About Nicole Pires

Content Marketing Manager
Nicole is the Content Marketing Manager for Programmes Marketing.

Full-Time MBA Careers Week class of 2018-19

Careers Week Enterprise Lab

In the first term of the Full-Time MBA, Imperial College Business School Careers host a Careers Week with all students on the programme. An important aim of the MBA at Imperial is not only to provide students with a foundation in business, but to also equip them with the leadership skills to launch into meaningful and successful careers.

This formative week feeds into the Personal Leadership Journey, which runs for the duration of the MBA to help students identify their strengths and areas for development in terms of their leadership capability and professional effectiveness.

Careers Week comprises of a mix of compulsory sessions for all students and tailored events and workshops that they can choose depending on their career interests. We look at three of the key events run during Careers Week: the development centre, Entrepreneurs Day and tailored careers sessions.

Development centre

The Full-Time MBA 2018-19 Careers Week kick-started with an intensive two-day development centre, compulsory for all students on the programme. This session is deliberately scheduled early in students’ MBA journey as the intense experience draws out the competencies that are so critical for candidates to work on throughout the MBA.

"The Development Centre is a fantastic opportunity for students to experience an intensive Assessment Centre-style activity. Put into teams, working on a business scenario, students practice a variety of skills as they engage in stakeholder meetings, information analysis, problem-solving and ultimately pitch their solution to the client."
Marie-Jo Wilson
Assistant Director, Careers Consulting

While we have designed the centre for learning development, MBA students enjoy the element of competition and relish the opportunity to achieve success and win the competition!

At the end of the two-day Development Centre, each student receives individual feedback on their strengths and areas for development from a Careers Consultant who has observed them in action.

The areas that are assessed in the centre are:

  • Communication and impact
  • Interpersonal skills and teamwork
  • Commercial awareness and drive to achieve
  • Resilience
  • Creative and analytical thinking
  • Leadership

Marie-Jo said, “Without a doubt, this is the highlight of Careers Week for most students. They really value the opportunity to try out new leadership styles, practice their creative and analytical thinking and hone their team working skills; and getting specific feedback is particularly helpful.”

Entrepreneurs Day

Developing an entrepreneurial mindset is the cornerstone of the Imperial MBA, so it’s only fitting that we dedicate a whole day during Careers Week to entrepreneurship. Imperial Enterprise Lab runs Entrepreneurs Day; they are a College-wide hub who are at the heart of Imperial’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

“We were delighted to run the Entrepreneurs Day masterclass at Enterprise Lab as part of the Full-Time MBA Careers Week. It was great to be able to give these talented MBA students the opportunity to explore what it means to be entrepreneurial in both a corporate and startup setting. These skills are crucial in the development of the next generation of business leaders.”

"It was one of the busiest yet most insightful events during Careers Week in all senses. The session is as useful for a professional like me who wishes to return to the corporate world, as it is for those wanting to start their own business straight out of the MBA."
Vidhi Dwivedi
Full-Time MBA
Vidhi Dwivedi

Vidhi highlights some of her learnings from the day:

  • The Lean Canvas concept – how to recap your entire business on one small page
  • The importance of knowing your early adopters, i.e. those who desperately need the solution you are willing to provide
  • Being an entrepreneur is not about having the perfect idea but rather having the strength to fail, try again and the knowledge and discipline of going through the right process
  • As Professor Davide Turi says, the key is to NEVER fall in love with your first idea

She concludes, “I will always look back on this day at the Enterprise Lab for inspiration for new ideas or challenges in my future career. The learnings of the day are a perfect way to start fresh and think out of the box.”

Tailored careers sessions

With such a diverse class, we offer students a highly personalised and tailored Careers service to suit each students’ needs and interests. During the week, we hosted a variety of specialised sessions for them to choose from.

Whether students want to get into consulting, finance or technology, our employer sessions throughout the week brought in representatives from companies in a range of sectors. This year’s line-up featured Alix Partners, EY, PA Consulting and Amazon. These sessions give students the chance to get a real insight into these industries and explore jobs opportunities in the companies.

Additionally, the Careers service also ran drop-ins for sector-specific careers guidance, skills sessions on interview preparation and panels with professionals from various industries.

Following Careers Week, students meet with their Careers Consultant to complete an Action Plan assignment to reiterate their learnings from the week and form a plan that will put them on their path to becoming a global leader of business and society.

Careers Week is just one element of our MBA students’ Personal Leadership Journey and Careers services available to students. More information on Full-Time MBA Careers.

About Nicole Pires

Content Marketing Manager
Nicole is the Content Marketing Manager for Programmes Marketing.

What are the benefits of submitting your MSc application early?

Admissions video - What are the benefits of submitting your application early?
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      When applying to our MSc programmes, it is important to consider how the admission process works for the programme you are interested in, and if it involves application deadlines. In addition to deadlines, it is also good to understand the amount of time it could take before you receive a decision on your application. 

      Although not all programmes have application deadlines, it is always beneficial to apply early. This post will explain the advantages of applying early and will guide you through how application deadlines work for the programmes that have them.

      Applying for your visa

      Our Admissions team are experienced with the Student Visa process and this experience has given us a good understanding of what to expect each year. Visa applications can sometimes be fairly time-consuming, therefore the best way to avoid any complications and delays with the issuing of your visa is to make sure that you apply to our MSc programmes sooner, rather than later. It is also important to have considered the time it could take for us to provide you with a decision on your application, as you must have an unconditional offer before the visa process can begin.

      We always try to make sure as few students as possible experience any difficulties with acquiring their visas but applying early truly is the easiest way to avoid any disappointment.

      Network and meet your classmates early

      One of the most exciting reasons to apply early is to start to experience the social benefits this can bring. We organise a range of exclusive events and activities for our admitted students. This means that you can get to know your future classmates sooner and start to feel a part of the Business School community before you have even officially enrolled on your programme. We also provide a platform for you to connect and interact with your future classmates so you can begin making friends straight away.

      Make use of our Career Service

      On a professional level, our Careers service is an extremely popular feature of joining the Business School. Access to the team’s support, advice and guidance that is tailored to your own specific career needs, is also available for our admitted students, who can gain use of the service in the months leading up to the start of your programme. This expert support can boost your professional development, help you to prepare for summer internships before joining us, as well as assist you with the application process for post-MSc graduate roles. Importantly, many large firms that hire graduates set their job application deadlines very early on in the academic year, so it is good to get ahead of the game as early as you can.

      Scholarship deadlines

      If you are hoping to be considered for one of our scholarships, you must ensure that you apply early, and specifically, by the scholarship deadline.

      Similarly, if you’re applying for an external scholarship, it’s important to consider both the scholarship deadline and our application deadlines to ensure you don’t miss the opportunity to study with us.

      How do our application deadlines operate?

      Programmes included:

      For the programmes listed above, there are several admission rounds throughout the year. If you submit a complete application by one of the application deadlines, then we will guarantee you a decision by the decision date specified. In between the application deadline, and decision date, applicants for MSc Business Analytics and MSc International Management will also be expected to complete their online interview. This must be completed on time for you to be considered in the admission round in which you applied.

      For most of these programmes you will hear the decision on your application at the end of each round, which is approximately 1 month after the application deadline. Please check the relevant webpage above to find out the specific deadlines for your programme.

      Which programmes do not have application deadlines?

      These programmes do not have application deadlines. You can submit at any time while applications are open. Although there are no specific application deadlines our programmes are all highly competitive, so we recommend you apply as early as possible. Our typical response period for these applications will be around 8-12 weeks.

      We hope to receive an application from you soon! 

      It's not easy being green: Decarbonising transport and the grid

      Electric-Car

      Dr Billy Wu

      19 July 2017

      Decarbonising transport and the electric grid has been a long sought after aspiration of many nations in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on oil and gas. Transport alone contributes to around 14% of the 49 GtCO2eq produced globally as estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Catalysed by this, electric vehicles (EVs) have in recent years emerged as a potential solution and as of 2015 1.3 million EVs were in use globally, representing a 67% average growth rate since 2012. Yet despite this rapid growth, EV sales still only make up a small proportion of the 90 million vehicles which are annually produced. Whilst commercialisation of EVs continues to grow, this is accompanied by a plethora of market analysis showing aggressive forecasted growth rates which attracts new investors and start-up companies alike. However, since Sony released the first lithium-ion battery in 1991 there have been many false dawns for the EV revolution, in part due to the misalignment between technology development and media hype. So, the question is: what is it that actually holds back innovations in EVs and specifically the battery which is at the heart of the vehicle?

      A lithium-ion battery is made up of 2 main components (though there are others): the anode and the cathode which are the negative and positive halves of the battery respectively. The modern day lithium-ion battery was first demonstrated by Professor John Goodenough, who in 1979 championed the lithium cobalt oxide cathode material. Later in 1980, Professor Rachid Yazami demonstrated the graphite anode which was the other half of puzzle. Together, these innovations allowed Sony and Asahi Kasei to commercialise the technology in 1991. This origin story highlights one of the key challenges with the commercialisation of lithium-ion battery technology; innovations have a long incubation period to validate performance.

      To appreciate this, the Joint Centre for Energy Storage Research in the US has defined a range of battery technology readiness levels (BTRL). At BTRL1 there is a material breakthrough. BTRL2 is then to figure out how these materials can be synthesized repeatedly. This can take upto 1-2 years. From there, BTRL3 is to take the material and make a small battery and validate it’s performance which can take 2-5 years. Once confident, BTRL4 then scales up this proof-of-concept cell and again validates its performance which is another 2-5 years. Finally, once validated, at BTRL5-6, material scale up is performed and battery packs are made for vehicles for real world testing. This can take upto 5-10 years. Therefore, full commercialisation can take anywhere from 10-22 years.

      Despite these challenges, companies and governments are investing significant amounts into research and development of battery technologies. Globally: Samsung SDI, LG Chem, Panasonic and BYD are amongst the largest battery producers. Panasonic in particular are the key partners of Tesla and their gigafactory. Whilst there are also many smaller start-up companies, a key challenge is the high cost (often >$100M) in commercialising battery technology and the long incubation period before profitability is realised. Companies such as Samsung, LG Chem and Panasonic are able to absorb significant R&D costs however, this has been the failure point of many start-ups.

      A notable example is A123 which was a spin-out from MIT who pioneered the lithium iron phosphate chemistry. Whilst, the core innovation was scientifically sound, they filed for bankruptcy in 2012 having being founded in 2001. The Chinese company, BYD, which was founded in 2002, also uses the same lithium iron phosphate chemistry however is currently the largest EV producer. This is in part due to the $435M subsidies BYD has received from the Chinese government. Many of China’s internal combustion engine vehicles do not currently meet emission standards to be sold in western markets and therefore China sees EVs as a means of increasing their automotive market penetration.

      Noting that Professor John Goodenough’s original battery work was done in the University of Oxford, the UK has not managed to retain the value of this breakthrough significantly. To this end, the UK government have recently announced via the industrial strategy fund £246M for the Faraday Challenge to address the need to stimulate fundamental and applied research in batteries.

      Whilst, the immediate focus is on decarbonising transport we must also not forget that the overall objective is carbonisation of the whole system. Analysis has shown that in heavily coal powered electrical grids, converting all vehicles in that region can actually cause more CO2 to be emitted as this merely shifts the problem. Thus, decarbonisation of the grid is also needed. Whilst, many have suggested lithium-ion batteries to also be the solution, the challenge of scale and safety become an issue. Therefore, for large scale and long duration storage needed to ingrate wind and solar, grid operators are turning to technologies such as redox flow batteries, thermal storage and compressed air storage.

      Despite all uncertainties highlighted in this article, one thing is certain. Decarbonisation of transport and the grid is needed in order to avoid irreversible damage to the environment. Skeikh Yamani, the former Saudi oil minister summarised this elegantly by saying “The Stone Age came to an end, not because we had a lack of stones, and the oil age will come to an end not because we have a lack of oil”.

      Dr. Billy Wu is a lecturer at Imperial College London in the Dyson School of Design Engineering where he works on additive manufacturing (3D printing) and electrochemical devices.

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      Imperial Business in the City: the Future of Real Estate

      Real estate

      For the 5th event in the Imperial Business in the City series David Miles, Professor of Financial Economics at Imperial College Business School, discussed his recent research on the future of Real Estate – specifically on whether we can expect house prices to continue to rise.

      David took the audience through historical, current and future context, influences and impact on houses relative to incomes and the implications they have for home ownership. Further details of David’s research and his conclusions can be read on IB Knowledge.

      On concluding his talk David was confronted with a tsunami of questions from the audience all wanting to discuss and understand the variables that will potentially affect future house prices. For example:

      How might Russian oligarchs influence the price of property, especially in the ‘super-heated’ South East?

      What part will construction companies play in supply and demand for property?

      What if more people commute to the dense employment areas from further afield?

      David agreed that the variables were many and all potentially significant.  What he left us with was the prospect of a perfect storm of factors such as – a rising population, static incomes, construction techniques being unable to counterbalance high base land prices, people being unwilling to make a significant shift in spending habits from consumer goods to housing, and transport infrastructure that would be unable to improve enough to move commuters from further out from the crowded South East.

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      How to Lead with Confidence

      How to Lead with Confidence

      Dr Jayanie Kodituwakku

      The lack of confidence relates to a lack of self-esteem and the perception of how others see us. I find it is an increasing issue I hear from Business Leaders across all levels in an organisation. Who doesn’t feel a lack of confidence at one point in our life? And for some there is a more consistent version of this.

      When we feel a lack, we don’t think so well about ourselves. This can produce an adverse impact on your performance including:

      • Not producing the results that are expected from you and your team not matter the circumstance
      • Stepping back from giving your valid expertise and experience
      • Unfocussed decision making
      • Poor Leadership
      • Playing small across the board!

      THE BIG MYTH

      The old way of thinking about self-esteem and confidence is that you either have it or you don’t.

      Most of us are bought up to think that if you don’t have confidence we have to work hard to develop it. However, everyone has these feelings of a lack of confidence, they come and go. But we can begin to falsely believe that if we have these feelings a lot, it is a characteristic that will always stick. We may label ourselves ‘I am not a confident person’ or ‘I have no confidence’.

      We are born with confidence. It is the nature of who we are. If you observe children, they have an abundance of confidence. The other day I heard my nephew, who is 6 years old declare ‘I am a genius’ with such belief in himself, he just knew it. He had learnt how to count up in a sequence of 5’s to 100.

      ‘What if everything you’ve ever thought about where confidence comes from is simply not true?’

      When we fall deeply into the present there is no feeling of a ‘lack of confidence’ or insecurity.

      Confidence does not come from our upbringing, genetics, our environment, the people we socialise with or anything outside of us. But we may buy into the myth that surrounds confidence because no one tells us anything different.

      *

      Dr Jayanie Kodituwakku is a former PricewaterhouseCoopers Management Consultant, Coach and Innovator. She works with individuals, teams and organisations to reveal the unexpected keys to Insight; the ultimate leverage point for creating a thriving business and life. To learn more about Jayanie’s ‘Leadership Immersion Experience’ please click here.

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