Meet University of Roehampton alumni Kathankumar Joshi, who has recently graduated from his MBA with Professional Placement. Kathankumar started his course in January 2021 and enthusiastically engaged in the Postgraduate Placement Preparation Module in his first year of studies. As a result, and despite a challenging placement search in a competitive labour market, Kathankumar was successful in securing a placement at AHZ Associates; a Higher Education Consultancy based in East London.

Having impressed in his role as Junior Business Development Officer, Kathankumar was offered a permanent role with AHZ at the end of his academic placement in December. A perfect example of how hard work pays off, Kathankumar returned to campus this February to support a placement preparation workshop and inspire his peers from the September 2022 cohort. The Placements Team also caught up with him to ask him about his Roehampton experience…

On his placement experience

“It has been a great experience for me.  As an international student, coming to a university in the UK I have learnt so much. I’ve been able to meet lots of multicultural students and develop key skills. My second year was a really important point in my career, as it helped me transition from student life to professional life. The Placements Team really helped me with this transition; I told them what my goals are and they really helped me in the application process. During my placement, the management team at AHZ supported me with quidance and mentoring throughout, and as a result I was able to gain some really important skills and learning. I’m a quick learner and I feel that I grasped the culture and systems quickly. That’s why I feel that this role is a great fit for me.

Advice to current postgraduate placement students

“The one most important piece of advice I can give is to be consistent. I understand that applying for placements is not an easy journey, but rejection is part of the process. This does not mean failure, but it’s a learning curve. Just go with it and apply, apply and apply, and one day you’re going to succeed! You have to also speak to the Careers & Placements Team because they are there to help you in this process. They will explore your career aspirations and help you with the jobs you want to apply for. On this basis, just trust the process, go with the flow and continue with your applications.

Placement prep module and future plans

“The Placement Preparation Module was great. I found it useful to keep a weekly diary of the placement for the final assessment; for example the challenges I faced this week and how I solved them. This helped me to curate the final-vear portfolio at the end of the placement. Looking into my future, I plan to continue in the education sector; I have really enjoyed it and it suits my skills!”