Studying for a master's at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has "surpassed expectations" for Rishi Patidar.
The Strategic and Digital Marketing MSc has provided him with the skills and experience needed for his chosen career in analytical marketing.
He is proud to have landed a job as a brand manager (research) at Vision Express head office in Ruddington, Nottingham, which is a "fantastic place to work".
Rishi said: "Deciding to do my postgraduate degree was my highlight of DMU. It provided me with relevant experiences and developed me immensely in becoming more employable.
"I feel really proud that I have been able to land my ideal role within a marketing field for a leading optical brand."
Having been in post for two weeks, Rishi's role assists in ensuring the company understands the optical marketplace, latest trends/customer insights and measures Vision Express against its competitors.
Leicester-born Rishi said: "Everyone is so friendly and easy to get along with. I have been involved in a lot of inductions and now I feel like things are clicking together."
He is also excited about the company's focus on progression.
"The potential within the organisation is one of the biggest motivators in deciding to work at Vision Express," said the 24-year-old.
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It has been five years since Rishi enrolled on DMU's Marketing Management course, attracted by the reputation of the business school, where he gained knowledge of important theoretical marketing models applied throughout industry.
"My undergraduate studies were supported by my placement year at Barratt Homes, a FTSE 100 company," said Rishi, who added the placement team was invaluable in helping him secure the role.
His MSc also emphasised employability. Rishi said: "Senior staff, including David Gordon and Mark Prescod, were very passionate about how the core concepts involved within their modules can support employability prospects."
He gained more real-world experience courtesy of the Executive Company Project (ECP) - an alternative to a dissertation - spending six months as a digital marketing analyst at GI Insight.
He said: "The company had acquired an analytical programme and my role was to help them develop a more comprehensive understanding of its programme capabilities, competitive positioning and user guide.
"The ECP was highly rewarding and it is invaluable to take to an interview."
Rishi also completed the IDM certificate, a professionally recognised marketing qualification, to help "broaden his horizons" and took advantage of a #DMUglobal opportunity to develop his international awareness.
Rishi added: "I went on a trip to Copenhagen and one of the best things we did was visit the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark.
"I attended a conference about Danish SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) entering the UK market.
"This was a really good experience and, afterwards, all the students contributed to a White Paper."
Posted on Friday 7 April 2017