Case Study

Paolo Villano is an MBA student at the University of Sunderland in London, coming up to his graduation. He talks to us about his choice to study at the University after graduating with a Master of Business Management (MBM) in his home country of Italy.

“After I finished my first degree I felt driven. I had all these new life experiences and I wanted to use them. I also wanted to improve my English! My original plan was to spend the summer of 2016 in the UK, then go back home to look for jobs. But I kept saying to myself, ‘I’ll just stay a little longer.’ That was four years ago.

Over the last few years, I’ve worked in hospitality, but I see my future in consultancy. Moving into a new industry is intimidating. I needed the right tools and skills and for that, I needed the MBA. I applied to the University of Sunderland in London because of all the opportunities the course provides, its location and how easy it is for me to commute to class, the three-day class schedule and so much more. It was the obvious choice.

I’m a business student, and I want to work in the financial industry. So obviously studying in Canary Wharf is really amazing for me. Coming to campus and being surrounded by hundreds of professionals, you get the sense that one day you might be one of them.

It’s interesting studying in the UK after experiencing the education system in my country. There are some differences. The British system is definitely more practical. We get to do a lot of workshops, group presentations and assignments where you need to do the research work yourself. It’s been useful putting the more theoretical knowledge I got in Italy to practical use. The two experiences ended up working together really well.

Another great aspect of the University are the Lecturers. They are all such experts in their disciplines, and they can deliver concepts really clearly. But they all have their own personalities too. In particular, I feel lucky to have chosen Muhammad Azam (Lecturer in Postgraduate Business) as my dissertation supervisor.

I’m coming to the end of my degree now, so I’ve started thinking about what comes next. Job hunting is tough, but I like to think I’m ambitious and the University has prepared me for the wider world of work. I am hoping to get some experience in the field I’m interested in, then who knows what the future might hold? I’m excited to find out what happens next.” 

To follow in Paolo’s footsteps, visit the MBA course page and find out more. In February, Paolo took part in the Santander Enterprise Challenge, and won! Read more about the event on our news page.