Nina Ma

Tier 2 visa with PwC
BSc Psychology, 2018

As an international student, I was really lucky to have secured a graduate job with a Tier 2 work visa kindly sponsored by my company during my final year which allowed me to stay and work in the UK. 

I currently work as a Technology Risk Associate at PwC in its Birmingham office. In Tech Risk, we work on a variety of engagements ranging from ITGC and programme assurance to implementation and delivery support. I personally specialise in digital transformation project management. I am responsible for planning, change management, risk management, governance, business and service readiness and communications. 

I believe I was chosen for this role because I was able to demonstrate my interest and my passion for technology. I also possess the transferable skills that my company looks for. My company didn't care about my technical knowledge but who I am as a person and my eagerness to learn and develop in the field.

I had been actively involved Careers Network (CN) since the start of university. I enrolled into the Personal Skills Award (PSA) in my first year and achieved PSA (Advanced) in my second year. I also worked for the PSA team as a Promotion Assistant. Between my first and second year, I did an internship with CN as an International Employer Liaison Assistant (Hong Kong and Singapore). I was also a mentee on the CN Mentoring Scheme. I also worked part-time for a year as an IT Service Desk Support Assistant, helping the students and staff at the University with their IT incidents. All these experiences helped me gain transferable skills and boosted my employability. The important skills I developed during university include time management, teamwork, communication, organisation and problem solving.

My advice to current students would be to be proactive. I believe it is so important to get involved as much as possible and make the most out of your university experience as a student. Most students will come out of university with a 2.1 or above but what sets you apart from others in the eyes of the companies is what you have done outside of your degree. These experiences are what ultimately get you an edge in terms of employability.

Nina Ma is currently on a Tier 2 visa with PwC and was interviewed by Ellen O’Brien, January 2020.

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