Naeem Desai was offered a position at BAE Systems, Grant Thornton and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, before choosing to accept a place on the Lidl UK GMBH Graduate Management Development Programme.

During his time at LUMS, Naeem made use of the Faculty’s Careers Team, attending careers fairs to meet employers and employability workshops to broaden his skills.

Naeem said: “The application experience has been extremely challenging, especially because I was studying for my MSc in Management qualification and working part-time, whilst simultaneously applying for graduate positions. With the help of the LUMS careers service, I was able to get advice and support to help me prepare for the various stages of the recruitment process, ranging from writing applications to assessment centres and final interviews.”

Part of what he has enjoyed about studying at LUMS is the diversity.

“The MSc in Management attracts students from many different parts of the world, and being able to learn about other cultures and work alongside diverse people is an experience that I have extremely enjoyed.

“I have been able to develop my personal and professional network on an international scale, and I am now able to speak a total of seven languages owing to the fact that during my time at Lancaster I have had opportunities to learn Mandarin, Hindi and German, through a combination of formal teaching and learning from my peers.

“Being taught by leading professionals in the Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) meant that I was able to learn about both the theoretical and practical aspects of management from specialists in this area, and it quickly became apparent that I wanted to pursue a career in this field as I extremely enjoyed and connected with the areas of management taught on the course.

“Following the completion of this graduate scheme, my ambition is to progress within the company and undertake a role in senior management.”

Professor Mark Stevenson, Director of the MSc Management, said: “I am delighted to hear about Naeem’s success. The MSc Management programme develops the global managers of the future. There is a strong emphasis on preparing students for their future careers and making them competitive in the job market through company projects, careers workshops, and a new link with the Chartered Management Institute. Naeem has made the most of the opportunities available to him on the programme and within the School; and he has been duly rewarded for his efforts.”

Dr Peter Sewell, Postgraduate Careers Adviser (LUMS), said that in addition to Naeem’s talents and experience, his success was due to his hard work and commitment in preparation for the employer selection processes, adding that he took advantage of the wide range of help and support available from the LUMS Careers Alumni and Employer Relations team.