Wellington was a great place to study. Wellington School of Business and Government being in the heart of the city meant the practical application of lectures was literally just outside the door. The transition from university to working life was a natural one, as the real-world business and political environments were already part of my daily dynamic.

Throughout my Honours year, my self-confidence grew massively. The academic staff made me feel like a peer, rather than an inexperienced student. Tutoring undergraduate classes was a great way to develop my personal leadership and communication style early in my career as well.

The style of the Honours programme is quite different to the undergraduate experience. It taught me skills that gave me an edge when entering the workforce and allowed me to progress at a quick rate. Six years after graduating, I left Wellington for London, and I’m now working at the UK Department for International Trade. My Honours year strengthened my resilience and agility, which are invaluable skills to have in the Brexit environment!

Studying International Business at Victoria University of Wellington opened my eyes to the possibilities that the world holds for a regular Kiwi student like me.

My degree has provided some excellent work experience so far. I've completed a three-month internship in China, I’ve worked on submissions for New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreements, and I've conducted a project on exporting pounamu for Ngāti Waewae. If my studies hadn’t been internationally focussed, I don’t believe these opportunities would have come about.

Thanks to the academic and extracurricular opportunities that Victoria University of Wellington has provided me, I now feel equipped to tackle the workforce at home or abroad. I’ve developed an understanding of how to engage with different cultures and markets, which is critical for New Zealand.

Wellington has been a terrific place to live, work, and study from a lifestyle perspective. However, it has been the city’s status as the nation’s capital that has benefitted me most. Because Wellington is a hub for international politics and business, I’ve been able to see possible career paths emerging on a daily basis.

In high school my favourite subjects were Business Studies, English, and Painting. When I thought about what I wanted to study at university, I chose to pursue business. I didn't come to university to study marketing, but while taking MARK 101 I absolutely fell in love with it. Marketing combines everything I always loved about business and the written word, and it allows me to tap into my creative side.

At Wellington School of Business and Government you’re surrounded by an abundance of startups, creative agencies, and well-established businesses. If you put yourself out there, you can always find opportunities to get real-world marketing experience. I’m currently doing a marketing internship at Whittaker’s Chocolate, which is an amazing experience.

Wellington is an amazing hub of culture, art, business, and government. There’s always something interesting happening and an endless supply of groovy things to do.

Marketing is a great subject to study because it drives all organisations, big and small firms, government agencies and not-for-profit organisations. Marketing defines what value organisations offer, who they do it for and where they do it.

Here at the University we offer Marketing courses that link what we teach with the reality of business in the 21st century. We work to identify the latest trends in marketing, relating to consumers, businesses and the offline, online and mobile economies. We apply the latest theories to real business opportunities and problems on both a local and global scale.

There are many opportunities for our Marketing students, like hearing from marketing leaders as guest lecturers, taking part in business case competitions such as the Marketing Association’s annual brand challenge, or working with real companies on ‘live’ marketing business issues. You will network with other future marketers in VicCom.

So take it from someone who has a personal interest in researching marketing trends and in helping our small, medium and emerging organisations be better at marketing and branding—Marketing at the University will open the door to your being a future business leader.