Hi, I am Thomas, an MSc student at AMBS studying Business Analysis & Strategic Management. Since joining the university, I have seen the extensive range of support that they offer and would like to discuss just some of the groups here to help.

Career Service

The AMBS career service offers support to students allowing them to optimise their chances in the job search. CareerConnect offers a platform for students and alumni to connect over all things job related, from events to internships and further opportunities. The careers service also provides students with individual advice opportunities, ranging from CV workshops to practice assessment centres, whilst also holding employer events which can be vital for networking and helping you to capitalise on potential job opportunities. From personal experience, I can say that this sort of access has been a huge addition to my postgraduate degree and has allowed me to gain a greater understanding of what to look for in the job market.

Academic Support

Each postgraduate student is assigned an academic advisor when they begin their journey at AMBS. This gives you a very useful help point related to your course. I recommend sitting down with your academic advisor and getting to know them soon after you start to build up a relationship outside of the classroom. For me, my academic advisor has been able to help with questions over my course options, offering advice on how to approach an intense workload, as well as offering advice on the future steps I might choose to take in my career post-graduation. Further support is available to aid academic literature, as many students in the AMBS do not have English as their first language. Workshops are offered to improve academic writing, speaking and grammar.

Mental Health Support

The university offer a wellbeing team to provide support to those who need it. A wellbeing advisor can be contacted for Zoom or face-to-face appointments and this can really help to talk through any issues you have. Joining a new University that is potentially in a different part of the country or even part of the world can be daunting, hence why it is essential this team is in place to offer advice and give you someone to talk to. The University is also partnered with Qwell and Spectrum.Life, offering 24 hour support should you need it.

Tailored Support for Specific Groups

The university offer support to communities for different groups who wish to speak to people within their community. This covers a whole range of communities, from international students and commuter students who might find it harder to network within their course, to LGBTQ+ societies to help likeminded people connect. Having the option to meet with people who make you feel more at home can be hugely beneficial when spending time out of your comfort zone and the University take every step to ensure this is possible for all students.

Visa Support for International Students

International students can benefit from university support regarding their Visa application process, whether this be before joining or gaining access for post-education job opportunities. If you run into any bumps in the road, there will be someone to help you tackle the issues that you face.

I hope this has proved helpful in providing insight into the range of support accessible at the University of Manchester!

Written by Thomas Wildman, a current MSc Business Analysis and Strategic Management student.

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