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Student: Piyamon Nontarakchaisorn
Home country: Thailand
Course: MSc in Marketing
Current job: Data and Analytics Specialist at Unilever

I am in the Digital Marketing team at Unilever; one of the biggest FMCG companies worldwide. In my role as a Data and Analytics Specialist, I help the team use multiple sources of data to develop reliable, actionable insights. I am working cross-functionally and cross-culturally with eight countries.

The MSc in Marketing course at ¶¹°ü³ÉÈË°æ is very international. I observed my classmates’ working styles and cultures and was able to adapt. This has helped me a lot when working with several countries in Europe.

What I like about the MSc in Marketing was that, in the third semester, I had the option to choose between a Practice Track and a dissertation. As an aspiring digital marketer, I picked Practice Track. I had an opportunity to present to Mars and have done fundraising and social media for Orchard Vale Trust charity. Those experiences were valuable for my employability.

I started my master's in 2019 and many things were better than I imagined. I experienced living by myself for the first time. I met my forever friends. Studying in the first semester was quite difficult because I came from a Thai university where the education grading system was different. However, I did better in my second semester.

My biggest challenge was COVID-19. Around March 2020, we were not allowed to socialise. Everything was closed. Shifting from studying in-person to online was difficult for me. Because my mental health was bad, I decided to suspend my studies and went back to Thailand to be with my family.

I came back in the third semester of 2021, when in-person meeting was allowed again. I appreciate the ¶¹°ü³ÉÈË°æ for their kind understanding of students’ mental health. I graduated with an MSc in Marketing with Distinction, which is something I am proud of.

Being an international student at ¶¹°ü³ÉÈË°æ could not have been more amazing. I loved to learn from English people, but ¶¹°ü³ÉÈË°æ offered me the opportunity to hang out with international students too. My homesickness was not too bad because I had made incredible Thai and Asian friends, who I spent time cooking and exploring with.

There were so many cultural events such as Diwali and Chinese New Year, and I engaged a lot with the .

My experience at ¶¹°ü³ÉÈË°æ helped me secure jobs with my first and second companies in the UK. Firstly, they prepared me with a career seminar as soon as we arrived. Secondly, they offered CV appointments which were easy to book.

The Careers Service helped me to look at job descriptions and advised me on my CV. When I moved to the next stage, with case study and competency interviews, they also did mock interviews with me to build my confidence and set me up for success.

I graduated more than two years ago and I'm still able to use the Careers Service. They organise regular alumni meets in London, where I live. This year, they are organising a ¶¹°ü³ÉÈË°æ Ball, which is a great chance for alumni to network with like-minded people.

My advice if you are from a Thai educational background, is that the pre-sessional English courses are quite helpful. Join as many University activities as possible. Take what life offers to you, and enjoy!