Master of Business Management*
Research Analyst
Internationalisation Officer, UC
* Now offered as the Master of Business.
While working as a store manager in one of the largest retail companies in China, Micky realised she wanted to expand her management skills.
She chose to study the Master of Business Management at UC because of its location within quiet and relaxed Christchurch, away from the hustle-bustle of her home, and UC’s ranking and reputation in New Zealand sealed the deal.
"The reason why I decided to study abroad was because I love doing business and making connections with people. I know that UC can help me have a good start to my early career here as it has a good fame of educational sources as well as a great rank in New Zealand."
Micky found plenty of opportunities at UC to have a well-rounded student experience, something which helped her learn skills like communication and teamwork that she can use in the workplace.
"I am a people person. I love communicating with different people from different backgrounds. I took part in a competition held by GCC – Global China Connection. It was a great experience for me to get to know more people here in UC and improve my teamwork and conflict management skills. I was also Vice President of Business Taught Master’s (BTM) club, and we were responsible for BTM students’ daily social and study lives at UC."
She advises, "study is the first priority for students of course, however, employers also care about your external activities, so try to meet different people through activities or events. Try to take part in university clubs and competitions such as UC Centre for Entrepreneurship."
As an international student, she understands that it’s easy to miss out while focusing on studying and networking, but also found the community at UC beneficial to her social experiences in a new country.
"New Zealand pursues work-life balance; don’t waste this wonderful landscape around you, and develop some hobbies and enjoy your life here," she says.
"UC is here to support our international students in every aspect so don’t hesitate to contact them if you have any questions. To support our mental health whenever we encounter any troubles, we can always find student care for help."
The abundance of opportunities also allow international students to make friends and experience diversity. This gave Micky lots of new perspectives and challenges to learn from. The style of teaching at UC was another point of difference, which is designed for interactive and applied learning.
"I’m so glad that UC provides us a lot of spaces to allow us to talk with other peers.
The classrooms have round tables, enabling us to have discussions during the class. We sometimes had games and real-scenario roleplays. Furthermore, we are allowed to interrupt lecturers and ask questions whenever we don’t understand the content.
"We had individual essays to practice logical thinking; we had group assignments to help improve teamwork skills and get to know more students here; we also had video assignments as well as presentations to improve verbal reasoning and public speaking skills. UC also gives us freedom to self-study."
When Micky came to New Zealand, she knew she wanted to stay on. Her career goal is to be in a professional or leadership capacity so she can "help people, even the wider community, to solve their issues and lead people to positive change".
To help meet her goals, she used Te Rōpū Rapuara | UC Careers to search for jobs for international students. Following her master’s research project, Micky was invited into a Research Analyst role through UC, and worked on publishing academic papers on ethical leadership alongside her supervisor.
Micky developed connections with people at UC while studying. Fortunately, because of this, she managed to work at UC after graduation, and is now an Internationalisation Officer, contributing support and improving the international student experience.
"This highlights the importance of networking in a New Zealand work environment," she says. "It is super important to build on your own community in the early stage and do not miss out any potential job opportunities."
