Student BusinessWise March 2012

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Students on placement Celebrating student success New York Study Tour Improving graduate employability

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Transcript of Student BusinessWise March 2012

Page 1: Student BusinessWise March 2012

Students on placement

Celebrating student success

New York Study Tour

Improving graduate employability

Page 2: Student BusinessWise March 2012

A warm welcome to this edition of BUSINESSWISE.

Northampton Business School is proud to showcase a wide

variety of student achievements and experiences beyond the

classroom.

It is always so pleasing for me to learn of the outstanding

achievements of our students and it gives me a sense

of immense pride knowing how Northampton Business

School helps people to realise their full potential. For those

readers who are considering making the University of

Northampton your first choice, I hope that this will give you

a good insight into life with us. The articles throughout this

edition demonstrate the strength of our work with national

employers, highlight the opportunities for work placements,

show our commitment to internationalisation throughout

the curriculum, prove the value we place on celebrating

student success and make evident the incredible possibilities

for your future.

Our Facebook page is a great way to see what our current

students say and do and I invite you to join our online

community and hope you will see what makes The University

of Northampton a great choice.

Message from the Executive Dean

Would you like to comment on any of the stories featured in this edition of BUSINESSWISE? Got an idea for the next issue? Let us know –email [email protected]

Published by Northampton Business School T. 01604 892036 E. [email protected]

Editors: Hayley Hunter and Michelle Smith. Design: Stamp

www.northampton.ac.uk

Every effort has been made to ensure that all of the information contained in this edition of BUSINESSWISE is correct a the time of going to press. Please note that The University of Northampton accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements in this and other marketing publications.

Featured in this edition...Aiming high at IBM P.3

Luke strikes out on his own P.5

Accounting and Finance awards 2012 P.6

Internationalising the MBA P.8

Unlock the potential of augmented reality P.10

New York study tour 2012 P.11

Celebrating success P.13

Guest lectures P.14

Comments

@ianbrooks6nbsuninorthants

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BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition Page 2

BUSINESSWISE asked Xihui Chen (Haviour) of the Global Student Society to comment on the Chinese New Year Gala. “It was my great honour to host the Chinese New Year Gala for the Chinese Students and Scholars Association this year. In that night, we were very pleased and gratified to see such a large international audience attending our celebration. We welcomed Chinese, English, Dutch, Brazilian, Canadian, Indian, Pakistani, Russian, Thai, Turkish, Sri Lankan, Mauritius, Nigerian students and many other nationalities! We had such a wonderful night! More than 300 people attended, I was so pleased that they were all interested in the Chinese culture, especially when they had seen the traditional Chinese dressing- Qipao, and the typical Chinese dancing. Everyone watched with interest and enjoyed the performances. I was so glad that I could host the gala, representing the Chinese Student Society, and introduce Chinese culture to people across the world! Additionally, I’d like to say thanks to everyone who performed that night and to our team for their time and effort in organizing this event. Wishing you a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year!”

Chinese New Year Gala

Northampton Business School were pleased to welcome our new students who started in February 2012 with a programme of events arranged to help them find their way around campus and meet their fellow students. The week culminated in a night of traditional English entertainment where students had a chance to meet each other and chat with university staff while they enjoyed a buffet followed by entertainment from the Moulton Morris Men. The Vice Chancellor Prof. Nick Petford stopped by to greet the new students and a good time was had by all who attended. Many of the students got into the spirit of the dance by joining in and one student remarked how similar Morris dancing was to an African drum dance from his home country, proving that we are more similar that you may think. Xihui Chen commented “I was so pleased that our university and the Business School value our international students’ experience so much! Last year a Chinese lady showed off the traditional Chinese dance and gong fu cha (tea), but this year, wow! It was a chance to experience the English culture- Morris dancing!

We all had a good time, in particular, the interaction part! The atmosphere was so good that students, tutors and dancers learnt the dance together. We talked and laughed. All in all, this was an evening that I will hold in my mind for much time to come, and I look forward to seeing more such activities held within NBS and our university!”

Welcome to the February starters

Hello

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Our Paul

BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition Page 3

Harry Paul is a BA (Hons) Business Studies student at the University of Northampton who is currently on the undergraduate placement scheme at IBM. Harry recently visited NBS to share his experiences of the IBM recruitment process and his time as a placement student in this prestigious organisation. BUSINESSWISE took the chance to ask him a few questions about his placement with IBM as a System X Sales Operations Analyst.

Q. What does your placement as a System X Sales Operations Analyst at IBM involve?“I work with 40 sellers, three managers and one director to the System X brand of IBM to ensure what we are projecting for the future in terms of sales targets for the quarter are ok. The data that we look at and analyse involve last year’s targets, current trends, aims, markets, products and checking the readiness of the brand.”

Q. What have you learned so far?“I started the placement in July 2011 and it ends in July 2012 but there is a possibility that it might get extended. At IBM I am constantly learning and my skills are always improving personally and professionally. I have to meet my aims and goals in a high pressure setting but the managers are always helpful. I have gained confidence and

improved skills by delivering oodles of presentations to sellers, clients and schools. I have improved my adaptability by doing different jobs as well as having the chance to widen my networks which will help me for the rest of my life.”

Q. How will the placement at IBM help you in the future?“Due to my current placement at IBM, when I graduate and apply for IBM’s graduate scheme I am entitled to be Fast Tracked to the assessment centres, this is of great advantage to me as I would like to work for IBM after graduation. I will bring back the 9-5 mentality to university which will help me balance my professional and private life. The placement will help me to understand the IT market and broaden my horizon by learning new ways of doing things in terms of marketing, analysing data etc. Seeing the progress I have made within IBM will help me get the most out of my university degree and hence open up more opportunities for me. I will not have to struggle as much as other graduates upon the completion of my degree.”

Q. What advice would you give to students applying for placements?“When you are applying for placements remember that the quality of your applications is more important than the quantity of applications. However the more you apply the better your application’s get it’s like the saying goes ‘practice makes perfect’. There is a job out there for everyone, you just have to find it. Always follow up on your applications as this leaves a good impression. You should not think of applying for the easiest jobs always aim higher, THINK SMARTER.”

Aiming high at IBM

Calling all final year students Have your say in The National Student Survey -

Complete the survey online @ www.thestudentsurvey.com

“Seeing the progress I have

made within IBM will help me get

the most out of my university degree”

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Coco Careers is a new University of Northampton backed Social Enterprise focused on improving Graduate Employability in Northamptonshire.

It has three simple objectives:

• Improveundergraduateemployability

• Delivercommerciallyaware,productive,industry ready graduates into graduate level jobs

• Providescholarshipsandbursariesforstudyingat The University of Northampton

The first students and graduates were placed into work in December 2011.

Staffed by Business School GraduatesThe two newest members of staff are both recent Business School graduates: Michael Pettigrew BA (Hons) Business with Media and Sarah Hull, BA (Hons) Human Resource Management. They have a very clear view of the current graduate jobs market and the unique challenges of looking for employment as recent University of Northampton graduates. “It’s vital to start thinking about how prospective employers will view you, as early as practical,” recommends Michael Pettigrew. “Extra-curricular activities, participation in voluntary work and getting involved with student support activities are always viewed positively by employers and we definitely encourage you to follow those pursuits.”“We know that what employers really want is a work history that is relevant to their industry and verified by referees; this can be really hard to achieve with the pressures of a University work load and the competition for work placements - this is where we can help.”

BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition Page 4

ImprovingGraduate

Employability Michael’s 5 step guide to improving graduate employability

1. Get it down on paperWrite an honest profile or CV. Assess whether you have enough content to impress an employer. If there are shortfalls in experience or knowledge use your time from now to graduation to work on these areas.

2. Know yourselfConsider investing in a psychometric assessment. Properly used this can give you a competitive advantage by telling an employer how to get the best out of you. Coco’s assessments are very revealing about your key competences and behaviours.

3. NetworkSocial networks and old fashioned handshaking offer excellent advantages when properly used. Follow these tips: 1. Be generous (you are looking to make good, mutually beneficial contacts here.) 2. Follow up each new contact you make. 3. Tap into your network – let them know you’re there!

4. Be realisticLet’s face it, you are brilliant. But you may not be able to go in at Managing Director level in your first graduate job. Be clear about the industry sector or company you want to work in and the role you ultimately want to secure. Then make a realistic decision on the entry level roles you can take upon graduation to start the journey to that position.

5. Register with Coco CareersUse Coco for an honest, focused and helpful strategy to get you the right graduate job and to gain temporary or part time work during your study at Northampton Business School.

Contact [email protected] 01604 24 25 91 or [email protected] 01604 24 25 92

@cococareers

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Experience of universityI was never certain of what I wanted to do after college – I chose A Levels I enjoyed and was interested in, but only applied to university on the chance that I would possibly decide to go. During college, I worked as a telesales agent at Domestic and General, a job which was the deciding factor for me to come to university, and to aim higher in life. Now as a second year BA Business Studies student, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at university and am trying to make the most of what it offers; both through social and educational factors. Yes, university can bring some stresses, but this is just the window to the real world, and you should take that and any challenges you may face in your stride, and any challenges that you may face. Next time you think that your work load is too much, stand back and look at your technique – something I have learned, and still learning to some extent, is that university life is very manageable… but only if you take the time to actually manage your time – remember that it is important to focus!

The inspiration behind the companyNow that I have had time to think about what I want in life, I know that I aim to be self-employed, or in a position of employment that I feel comfortable in. I realised that at university, I have brilliant opportunities ahead of me, and it was then that I saw an opportunity to take a hobby, and turn it into a business – the step forward to what I wish to achieve. I am the owner of Strike Web Solutions, a web design and web services company aimed at improving websites owned by small businesses in order to help them achieve greater growth and maximise efficiency, and to also take those businesses with no current web presence, provide them with a professional website, with a guidance service, allowing companies to focus on what is important – running the business.

Future aspirationsSince starting Strike Web Solutions, I have been contacted by Coco Careers – a social enterprise who are “Focused on improving graduate and undergraduate employability in Northamptonshire”, and have made it possible for me to be hired as a web designer and developer with MossFace – a position I am grateful to be in, as it has since opened more doors for me, making me more employable, plus giving me the vital experience I need to help me with my quest of running my own company - especially as it is a closely related industry to Strike Web Solutions.I am not limiting myself to just the one industry, or one line of work at the moment, although I will put everything I have into everything I do - I am always keeping an eye open to other opportunities that may arise, whether they become reality through the university or from my own methods.

BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition Page 5

Luke strikes out on his own Luke Wale, a BA (Hons) Business Studies student talks to BUSINESSWISE about the launch of his new company and his continued studies.

@strikewebsol

Richard Hazenberg, a PhD student in the Business School, presented the final results of his research to students and staff on Tuesday 7th February. Richard’s PhD examined work-integration programmes for young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) that were being delivered by social enterprises and non-social enterprises. It specifically focused on the impact of these programmes on individuals’ self-efficacy. The results of the study showed that whilst social enterprises had no greater effect on self-efficacy than non-social enterprises, the ‘added value’ that they provided was evidenced in their willingness to work with and support more ‘socially excluded’ NEETs. The results were also discussed in relation to the pressures placed on such organisations by funders and policy-makers and how this affects the delivery of such programmes on the front-line.

Presenting PhD research

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BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition Page 6

17 students from Accounting

and Finance courses within The

University of Northampton’s

Business School have picked up

prizes at the annual Accounting

and Finance Awards at Sunley

Conference Centre.

The awards – presented across undergraduate,

postgraduate and professional courses –

recognise outstanding performance of the

students within their studies.

The full list of award winners are:

• ExceptionalperformanceinACCAstudies–

Michael Haywood

• BestoverallinYear1non-specialist

accounting – Kirstie Gray

• Outstanding achievement in year 1 BAAF –

John Crick

• Best overall in year 1 BAAF –

Tryagain Kashaya

• Best overall in year 2 non-specialist

accounting – Daniel Rhodes

• Outstanding achievement in BAAF –

Anish Chudal

• Best overall in year 2 BAAF – Adam Rippin

• Best in audit – Syeda Rizvi

• Best in advanced accounting –

Amarjit Makkar

• Best in corporate finance – Dana Iliuta

• Best in financial strategy – Andrew Nelson

• Best in taxation – Matthew Swift

• Best dissertation – Samina Begum

• Bestoverallinyear3BAAF–

Christopher Beale

• Best overall distance learner non-specialist

accounting – Martin Timms

• Best in corporate reporting MSc Accounting

& Finance – Weilan Huang

• Best overall MSc Accounting –

Ikenna Onyekwelu

Christopher Cook, Divisional Leader, Accounting,

Finance and Information Services, commented:

“We congratulate all students being

presented with awards on their hard

work and achievements. They have bright

futures ahead of them in the accounting

and finance industries.”

The awards featured a keynote speech by Steve

Robinson, Partner at Grant Thornton, a leading

chartered accountancy firm. Northampton

Business School wishes to thank all sponsors

of the awards – PQ Magazine, BPP, LANSCA,

McIntyre Hudson, Hawsons, Nationwide,

Hays Recruitment, Grant Thornton and

Deborah Harry.

ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE AWARDS 2012

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BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition

Helen Ure joined NBS in 2009 as a Senior Lecturer in Work Based Learning having worked in graduate recruitment, graduate development and management and leadership development.

As well as her academic role at the University she maintains her connections to the corporate environment via her learning consultancy activities. Helen is a Fellow of The Institute of Leadership and Management and The Institute of Training and Occupational Learning as well as a member of CIPD and CMI.

Through work-based learning Helen works with full-time and part-time students to help them maximise the opportunities for learning

within the workplace. “Graduate employers are more frequently seeking employees who can demonstrate an ability to learn effectively within a range of contexts and work-based learning is a perfect way for students to develop and demonstrate this”

Helen, as the academic consultant, has been at the forefront of the creation of the new NBS Centre for Employability (C4E). The C4E aims to support NBS students in the development of key skills and attitudes that will enhance their graduate career prospects. Through the C4E, students are offered a range of skills development activities and because of Helen’s strong connections with the corporate learning agenda these workshops reflect the current expectations of graduate recruiters and employers. The C4E is establishing strong relationships with employers to provide students with an opportunity to meet and work with employers through placements, mentoring schemes, shadowing and mock interviews.

Helen’s research interests are in the areas of work-based learning and employability skills. Previously she has conducted small research projects looking at the barriers for students when seeking one year placements and also the expectations of international students in relation to work experience in the UK. In addition to her own research into how work-based learning contributes to the development of student employability, Helen is currently supervising two URB@N projects on student perceptions of employability and also the positive impact of undertaking a placement.

Kate Russell, Managing Director of Russell HR Consulting (www.russellhrconsulting.co.uk), has been a regular speaker at Northampton Business School for the past five years. Her most recent presentation covered the issues of employment legislation which she gave to current HRM students. Kate is also running a series of workshops which are free to schools, colleges and universities through her consulting company to give students practical advice onhow to plan and achieve their future employment goals www.flyyourownrocket.co.uk

Kate says:

“I feel we have a duty of care to educate students to be more realistic and sensible in their job applications. I believe it is useful to have links with the University, it not only gives me the ability to share my knowledge of the industry but it also enables me to meet potential employees. We have already done some work with a former University of Northampton student and hope to do more.”

In F cus

Congratulations to Daniel Jenkins-Ferguson (CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing) who won the Marketer of the Year award at the CIM Marketing Excellence Awards 2011. BUSINESSWISE will be finding out more and catching up with Daniel in a future edition.

Fly your own rocket

Page 7

Marketer of the Year

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BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition Page 8

BUSINESSWISE spoke to Freya Virdee about a recent week of work experience which she arranged directly with Clarks HQ in Somerset.

“I managed to gain a week’s work experience at Clarks HQ simply by emailing and making phone calls to the International team. It took about two months to get the final ‘Yes’ but they were extremely efficient and kind. I had to send a cover letter describing myself, what degree I was undertaking, what I wanted to achieve from my work experience and why Clarks in particular. Perseverance, manners and personality definitely helps gaining opportunities. ‘Clarks’ shoes are one of the biggest non sports shoe retailers in the world, selling on average 55 million pairs of shoes annually and are pioneers in innovative shoe technology to support and care for consumers feet as well as aiming at contemporising their footwear designs to appeal to new, younger cliental. My first day was nerve racking, arriving for duty at 8.30am with no idea what the day had in store for me. I was met by the Head of International Marketing’s PA and taken to the Marketing department, where I would be based for the week. I met the team and explained what I was hoping to gain from the week, although extremely busy, everyone made time for me, explained things when I needed guidance and always invited me out for lunch so I didn’t have to sit like a loner in the huge ‘Cow Shed’ canteen. During the week one of my main tasks was to assist Jane Walker, Head of International PR, with regards to sourcing product displays suitable for a showcase conference. Buyers, wholesalers and press will congregate to preview the new collection, and the whole venue had to ooze a particular theme, in this case ‘Old England’. Another task handed to me during the week was to work with the Graphic Design team on the content and layout of the monthly international newsletter, for distribution to European and Asia Pacific retail and wholesale markets. The newsletter consists of monthly updates from the Clarks Street HQ, pictures of press days and a short story of one member of the team per month. As well as interacting with PR teams for the conference and graphic design for the newsletters I was also shown how to use the company’s computer system and was given a deep insight into their key operations, I helped with international orders and design briefs, and received a great week of work experience at Clarks HQ.”

A foot in the door

with Clarks

Internationalising

the MBAAs part of the Masters in Business Administration, students are offered an opportunity to internationalise by working with a company overseas to look at an aspect of change they have recently undergone. A number of groups have taken up the challenge with destinations including, India, Thailand and Portugal. The MBA course leader Linda Lee-Davies said “It is so important for modules and teaching to enable students to internationalise their qualification and to increase their employability in terms of promotion at work. We are facilitators for their talent and clearly on receipt of that chance they shine. This one post graduate module on the MBA is a good example of how the University creates added value beyond the qualification itself.” Laura Wood, Julia Evans and Hayley Hunter have been working with Talent Universities based in Portugal to look at the acquisition of IADE, a design school in Lisbon. The purpose of the visit was to talk with senior managers about how the acquisition had affected the culture of the organisations within the group. The holding company are based in Porto and manage IPAM, the Portuguese Institute of Marketing Management and IADE, the Institute of Visual Arts, Design and Marketing. The link with the organisation came about through a former MBA student, Filipe Morais who is now the Executive Director for IDIMCOM, part of Talent Universities, responsible for research output. Filipe was instrumental in helping to arrange interviews with senior managers prior to arrival and offered a warm welcome to Laura and Hayley in a very chilly Portugal. Unfortunately Julia was unable to join the others in Portugal but kept up to date with Skype calls and provided valuable back up research during the week. Colleagues who think this was an easy week can think again, there were some long days and lots of travel involved getting to see all the sites in Lisbon, Porto and Aveiro however it was well worth it and the reward was a day of rest on Friday to take in the sights of Porto and attend an international jazz festival. Laura, Julia and Hayley will submit a management consultancy report to Talent and as part of their assessed work to show how the organisation have approached the acquisition and make recommendations to address issues which the group have identified during their visit. Julia said “To be able to use the work we have done in the classroom on the part time MBA course in a real life business environment has greatly enhanced my studies and given me hands on experience of applying business principles and models to analyse a current situation. This has enabled me to compare and apply it to my own working environment, it has been very advantageous and has added real value to the learning experience.” Laura commented that “Being able to apply the theory learnt on the course and work on a real life business issue has given me a deeper understanding of what organisations face rather than just text book views. It has definitely increased my confidence and knowledge of what organisations face during change, and by being given the opportunity to internationalise this report, it will prove invaluable for my career.” Hayley added “I would really recommend taking the opportunity to internationalise the MBA, it is such a valuable experience working with colleagues from different cultures and comparing working methods”

BUSINESSWISE will report on the other student visits in future editions.

Laura, Filipe and Hayley

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BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition Page 9

In May 2010, BUSINESSWISE reported on third year BA Business Management student Datsa Gaile and the launch of her Latvian newspaper, Anglo Baltic News. BUSINESSWISE caught up with Datsa, two years on, to see how her business was progressing. “Anglo Baltic News is not just a paper anymore. I have a media and production company www.abnonline.co.uk and the biggest Latvian news agency www.anglobalticnews.co.uk in the UK. Since graduating I have also been working with The Times newspaper, I have had a case study written about me in The Independent, and I have recently been contacted by The New York Times and an American TV

channel to do some work regarding a Latvian person who used to live in the USA! Also, every year Latvian TV comes over to film my progress in the UK. I am opening The Latvian Supplementary School in Northampton. The school will be opened by the Latvian Ambassador and guests will include representatives from Northampton Borough Council and the Head of the Supplementary School organisation in Northampton. Other projects include opening the first Latvian library in the UK which will be based in Northampton and running the Latvian Award 2011 Ceremony where we expect 500 guests from Latvia and the UK.”

Emma Wilson, 22, a Fashion Marketing student at The University of Northampton won the runner-up prize of a Sony digital camera after submitting a blog post styling a seventies inspired dress for the Christmas party season. Emma’s entry is posted on the Freemans.com blog along with the other winners. The Freemans Student Fashion Writing Competition attracted many entries from university and college students all over the country. Sukhvinder Sangha, Online Acquisition Manager from Freemans said: “We were really impressed with

the quality of the entries we received from students for this competition. Emma highlighted some of the quirky trends of A/W 2011 within her post which helped to showcase her defined style and individuality.” Emma said: “I want to become a fashion writer as fashion is a subject which I love, and feel that by writing about it I would be able to share this passion with others. I entered the competition as Freemans is a great, reputable online shopping service, and enjoyed an opportunity to reflect individuality through outfit choice.”

This competition is one of a series of competitions organised by Freemans.com to support fashion and journalism students wanting to develop a career in the ultra-competitive fashion industry. Through giving students the chance to have their work published professionally and gain important fashion writing experience, it is hoped this will help students with their chosen career path.

Hasn’t she done well

@anglobalticnews

Northampton student runner up in Freemans Student Fashion Writing Competition

Anglo Baltic News - two years on

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BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition Page 10

NBS would like to thank the Strategic Director of Engine Creative, Andy Wise, for his recent work with Marketing and Advertising students at NBS. Students were set an Augmented Reality project where they had to demonstrate how brands can use this technology.

Andy explains:

“Augmented Reality (or AR) is a term that has been in the mainstream public consciousness for decades. Despite all of the promise, it is only now, since the rise of powerful smartphone technology, that AR is finally a mainstream reality. Put simply, AR is the term used to describe an enhanced view of real

life by overlaying computer-generated content. This computer-generated ‘virtual content’ can be almost anything - video, 3D models, dynamic web content - and it can be triggered by an image, a location or a combination of the two.” Engine Creative has created Augmented Reality campaigns for high profile brands such as Top Gear and Sony Music. Their work for the Ting Tings resulted in the first British band to have a fully augmented reality album cover. Experience AR for yourself by following these simple steps (works on iPhone, iPad and high powered Android devices):

Step 1:Download the Aurasma Lite app for free from the App Store or Android Market.

Step 2:Open the Aurasma app and hover your device’s camera over the album image cover above.

Step 3:Watch the magic unfold!

The Centre for Academic Practice (CfAP) provides academic guidance and resources to students in order to help them achieve their academic potential. CfAP’s new Mentor Scheme initiative within NBS is aimed at helping students in their first and second year.

What you can expect from a student mentor

The student mentor will:• assistyoubysharingtheirexperiences• supporttaughtlearning• giveadviceonhowtoapproachassignments• provideone-to-onesupport• guideyouthroughyourstudies• ensureallsupportprovidedisconfidential

CfAP are looking for second or final yearstudents to become mentors. Don’t worry – you will receive full training before you begin!

What will it involve?

You must be willing to:• shareyourknowledgeandexperience• giveaminimumof30hoursovertheacademicyear

In return CfAP will give you:• areferenceforyourCV• avolunteeringcertificateattheendofeachacademicyear.

The Mentor Scheme is confidential, voluntary and available to students. If you are interested in receiving help from a mentor or want to volunteer as a mentor yourself please email [email protected] for further information or visit Tanish in room C121 (The Hub, Cottesbrooke Building).

Engine Creative

unlock the potential of Augmented

Reality

CfAP Mentoring Scheme

STUDENT MENTORS NEEDED!

Try it where you see the logo or hover your device over the back of a £10 note

Page 12: Student BusinessWise March 2012

The trip this January was a great success not only in terms of seeing some fascinating insights into a wide range of businesses but also the drive and enthusiasm which was on display wherever we went. The two parallel study tours visited a total of 20 businesses which included The Food Network TV channel, NY & Co and design agency Graj+Gustavsen for the Marketing and Entrepreneurship group whilst the Fashion Marketing and Retailing group visited such diverse organisations as Armani Exchange, Tommy Hilfiger and the social enterprise Dress for Success. One of the main questions for our (mostly young) hosts was ‘how did you get your job?’ and the reply was invariably through lots of hard work and commitment, getting as much experience as possible as well as having high aspirations in the first place.

This has left a strong impression on our students with many of them being more determined to investigate internship and placement options as well as applying what they had seen to their studies. It was not all work however and the Chinese New Year was celebrated in style along with a great deal of shopping, eating, walking and soaking up the atmosphere in New York.

Gill Gourlay

BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition Page 11

Student trips

A group of over 20 students and staff enjoyed an afternoon at the Royal & Derngate Theatre, with a behind-the-scenes tour hosted by Richard Clinton, Operations Director, and culminating in a performance of Oedipussy. Oedipussy is a spoof comedy based on the classic Greek story, this new work commissioned by the Derngate is already receiving good critical reviews before it goes on tour. The group, led by NBS’s Adrian Pryce also enjoyed nibbles supplied by Hope Catering, a new social enterprise chaired by Adrian and linked to the Northampton’s homeless charity, The Northampton Hope Centre. The event arises from a growing relationship between the Derngate and NBS. Martin Sutherland, the Derngate’s CEO, is a regular speaker at NBS to

Adrian’s 1st year students – and he welcomes more contact between our two important institutions in the town. “The arts have a lot to teach business” says Adrian, “as they have to manage talent and knowhow alongside all the usual business functions such as marketing and finance. We are lucky to have such a good theatre in Northampton, and I am keen to explore in more detail the link between business and the arts.” Several of the students said they would love to go again and didn’t realise how big the theatre was, which is in the centre of Northampton. The Derngate, which is one of the biggest provincial theatres in the country, was awarded Regional Theatre of the Year in 2010 by The Stage 100 Awards.

We are lucky to have such a facility in town. Students should note that free and discounted tickets are available for many performances – more information is available on the theatre’s website at: www.royalandderngate.co.uk or at their box office.

New York Study Tour 2012

It ended with Oedipussy!

“The people, the advice, the enthusiasm they had and their passion about their jobs”(Fashion Marketing 1st Yr)

“It has inspired me to fulfil my goals, I have seen what is achievable”(Business Entrepreneurship 2nd Yr)

If I can make

it thereI’ll make it anywhere

trip to the theatre

Two of the comments gathered as 44 marketing studies made there way home from New York:

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BUSINESSWISE - Student Edition

Students from NBS had a lovely day visiting important financial institutions in London. Beginning with a tour of the historical building of the Chartered Institute of Insurance, where students learn’t about the fire marks which were used to mark insured houses - the fire brigade would only respond to calls from these! The students also had a tour through the financial district of London, taking in the sights of the Guildhall, Mansion House and the Royal Exchange, to Lloyds’ of London. Although Lloyds’ began its life as a coffee house (Lloyd’s coffee shop) it is now an important international market place for insurance and reinsurance, and has a unique niche in unusual, specialist business such as kidnap and ransom, fine art, aviation, marine, and other insurances. The Titanic, for example, was insured by brokers at Lloyds’ of London for $5,000,000 in April 1912. At the time, many thought that there was one in a million chance that the ship would sink. Although it sank at 2.20am on the 15th April 1912, it is unclear when insurance was put in place for the Titanic. It has been claimed that the Titanic may only have been insured after it had sunk and that its sinking may have been part of a wider insurance scam! Students saw the record relating to the Titanic and on the day when the bad news reached Lloyds’, the Lutine bell sounded across the floor as an alert to the huge loss. The students then headed to the Bank of England’s museum where they had fun lifting a gold bar that weighs two stones (13kgs) and on the day was worth over £433,000. Students learned about the role of the Bank in controlling inflation and the horrific effects on businesses if that goes out of control. Although clearly exhausted by the end of the day, students went home feeling very inspired and had an enjoyable and memorable day touring the capital.

NBS students in the CityOlympics Site

and Wimbledon Student thoughts from the visit

Students from the Leisure Field (tourism, events and sports marketing) paid an educational two day visit to the developing Olympic Site in Stratford East London to learn about the proposed impacts of the games to the local and wider area. The trip comprised of an extended tour of the Olympic site, including the completed Olympic Stadium, the aquatics centre, basketball venue, the velodrome, along with brief visits to West Ham stadium (exploring the legacy of the Olympic Stadium), the O2 arena, ExCel Centre and Greenwich.

Day two included a visit to Wimbledon, where the students were able to learn about the business of Wimbledon, including its use for the 2012 tennis events as part of the Olympic Games. BUSINESSWISE spoke with some of the students on the trip: Grace Chettle “For me, my favourite part of the Olympic Trip was having a walking tour of the Olympic site from a local architect, he gave praise for the transformation. His tour highlighted the positives and

negatives of the games and how these will impact London in the short and long term, he also explained the decision processes in the venue designs and functions. Even in the rain he held my attention and I would definitely recommend a visit to the Olympic Village!” Katriona Campbell said “The Olympic trip was very interesting, we learned how all of the venues have had to be adapted to accommodate the amount of visitors, and the preparations and strict guidelines in place for ensuring sponsorship deals are kept. I especially enjoyed visiting

Wimbledon, and learning about how they are accommodating the games.” Nina Gandy added “I think that the Olympic Trip was extremely beneficial to gain a better understanding of the overall impact of the Olympic games on a variety of different venues, such as Wimbledon and Excel not just the

Olympic Park. I enjoyed the Olympic site visit and the trip to Wimbledon the most, as a lot of information was gained on the enormous task that is undertaken to change the use of a venue such as Wimbledon for a major sporting event like the Olympics. Staying in the hostel

was also good fun.”

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Celebrating success Graduation Winter 2012

Two brothers were amongst the graduating student cohort at The University of Northampton’s recent Winter Graduation Ceremonies at Royal & Derngate Brothers Samuel and Isaac Imhanwa, from Northampton, both graduated from the MSc IT Service Management. Samuel stated: “Attending The University of Northampton has been a great experience for me. The staff are friendly and professional and have in-depth knowledge of their subject area. The environment is conducive for learning and the University is always expanding with new infrastructures every session which shows that it is keen on growth and student satisfaction. Studying with my brother in the same University and MSc course has been a great achievement for both of us. We shared opinions together, and motivated each other to achieve our goals. We both graduated with good grades and are both pleased with the standard of teaching provided by The University of Northampton.”

Samuel Imhanwa

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Brothers graduate together

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Forging a partnership with the Cobblers

Following on from a successful partnership with Northampton Saints Rugby Club, NBS has recently agreed to do similar research on behalf of the town’s professional football club. Over the last three months NBS Senior Lecturers Alan Seymour and Ross Thompson have been working closely with Northampton Town Football Club. Specifically, the ‘Cobblers’ are interested in finding out the level of fan satisfaction with the various services available on match days. Alan and Ross together with a number of sports and marketing students are in the process of conducting a series of fan interviews at a number of home games in the spring of 2012. The questionnaire design was essentially structured around the ‘fan experience’ and focused on such elements as pre and post-match entertainment, catering, opportunities for fans forums and a number of other key factors that would help in the total fan experience. Once compiled and analysed this data should prove hugely useful to the ‘Cobblers’ as they seek to refine and develop their match day services. The data produced will also form the kernel of a research data set which Alan and Ross are looking to share with the wider academic community. Andy Wooldridge, Commercial Manager for Northampton Town Football Club commented “The survey is a valuable way for us to understand what our supporters are really thinking. It allows them the chance to talk to the club directly and gives us the opportunity to shape our future decisions based around what our customers and supporters want and need. The biggest challenge we as a club face is that direct contact with the majority of our supporters comes in a two to three hour window each week, so we are very grateful to the University and their students for their help with this. We hope the students will benefit from the experience and wish them all well with their ongoing studies.”

Guest lecturesTom Lloyd, a management author hosted the latest in our guest lecture series. On a cold and snowy night we welcomed over 100 students and members of the local business community to explore ways in which business and leadership are shaped by cultural and contextual factors. Tom proposed a new approach to management emerging in China that will challenge the Anglo-Saxon approach. The lecture was well received by all who attended and Tom fielded some great questions from the audience. Adrian Pryce and Prof. Nada Kakabadse were pleased to announce that Tom had been confirmed as a visiting Fellow of the University so we hope to see a lot more of him in the future.

In addition to the guest lecture series, we have been fortunate enough to attract a number of guest speakers for specific student lectures.

Kate Russell Managing Director of Russell HR Consulting came to update the Human Resource Management students on the latest employment legislation.

Hubert Thomassen and Henk Vrijheid from GE Capital came to talk to the Cross Cultural Management students about cross-border mergers and acquisitions from a global company perspective.

Paul Harbottle the Chief Executive Officer from Atmosphere Bars and Clubs visited students studying the ‘Managing customer and clients’ module to talk about the fact that while traditional marketing, including social media is important to get people to a venue, it is the experience of the visit that is all important for repeat business.

Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of Northamptonshire Arts Management Trust hosted a lecture to students studying on the ‘Business Environment’ module. Martin spoke about understanding the external environment that impacts upon running the theatre, using the famous PESTLE framework. This was followed by a lively Q&A session in which he also gave insights into managing artistes – talent management.

Andy Wise, Strategic Director of Engine Creative, an agency here in Northampton, is at the forefront of a new technology called augmented reality. Andy came to speak to some of our 2nd year Marketing students about this amazing technology and its use and application in marketing.

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Issue 39

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Northampton Business School, The University of Northampton’s albums

International Food Event145 photos

Tour of London 20 Feb 1154 photos

New York Trip 201238 photos

Olympic Trip, November 2011 / January 201237 photos

Chinese New Year Celebrations 10 Feb 1212 photos

Visit to Royal & Derngate 8 Feb 201232 photos

Placement Students 2011/1210 photos

Graduation February 201283 photos

International Welcome Week Feb 3rd 201224 photos

Accounting & Finance Awards22 photos

Tom Lloyd Guest Lecture7 photos

Chinese New Year celebrations24 photos

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for Northamptonshire Young Carers Collecting your eggs until Friday 30 marchYou can drop off your Easter eggs at:Cottesbrooke Reception,Maidwell Reception, Newton Reception, John Clare B2

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The University of NorthamptonSport Relief MileFriday 23 March 201212-2pm on Park CampusGet sponsored or make a donation

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