Landing a Job at Lloyds Bank: Sumbal's Story

Choosing MSc International Business

"I completed a bachelor’s in business and finance in my home country of Pakistan. After this, I decided to pursue postgraduate study abroad and I chose the UK because of its high-quality education.  

MSc International Business at Salford stood out to me because it related to my undergraduate degree. I also heard a lot of good things about the University of Salford and how diverse it was so I decided that this would be the best place for me to study."

Studying at Salford

"I gained a lot of knowledge throughout my course. I would say the best things I learnt were presentation and project management skills because these are so important in my current job. Working on different projects either individually or in a group helped to improve my problem-solving skills and my confidence for public speaking. 

The programme also focused on developing our soft skills such as time management and decision-making. Alongside this, there was a big focus on developing our profiency in the Microsoft Office Suite which I have found invaluable in my new role. 

Throughout my time at Salford, I lived in Bolton which is one of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs. It was really easy to get to campus as there was a direct train from Bolton to Salford Crescent. I found Salford had great transport links so myself and my friends would spend time exploring different places across Manchester."

Finding a job at Lloyds Bank

"Even before I received my final grades for my dissertation, I found a job as a Senior Adviser in the Bereavement Team at Lloyds Bank. This is clear evidence of the impact my master’s had on my employability – straight after my degree I was ready to start my career in an industry I could once only have dreamed of working in.  

I found my job before I had final confirmation of my grades and initially Lloyds said they would not accept this. Dr Rashed Khan and Dr Adrian Monaghan were so helpful in getting me the evidence I needed that Lloyds would accept. Both my lecturers were so supportive throughout the course, and this is just another example of how they went above and beyond to help me."

Reflecting on my master’s

"My experiences at Salford were some of the best times of my life. I got to meet lots of new people from different backgrounds and countries which was so exciting. One of the best things about Salford was the equal opportunities all students get."