Marco Morazzini
Masters programme, year of graduation and current role
MSc Urban and Regional Planning, graduated 2016, after having studied Engineering at the Sapienza University of Rome. Currently looking for employment in Italy after having done a placement with the City Design and Conservation Team at Birmingham City Council.
How has your Masters prepared you and given you relevant transferable skills for your current role?
It gave me a real insight into the UK planning system, especially the different spatial levels of planning, and the planning permission process. I also got in contact with some relevant professionals from the public and private sectors who gave talks to us on the course.
The transferable skills gained include improvement of written communication through assignments, enhanced oral skills and speaking in public through presentations. I improved my knowledge of Microsoft Office.
What support have you had to help you make the move from your Masters to your job?
I received valuable help from people working in Careers Network, especially in the face to face meetings I could book on the website.
From academics, I benefited from some help in relation to the UK context, which represented a topic of the job interviews I had.
Please add any tips or advice for postgraduates looking to enter the job market
I would attend as many Careers Network events as possible to enhance your employability skills alongside your academic study.
Also, you need to prepare thoroughly for psychometric tests which are invariably now part of the application process for most graduate schemes.
Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in Western Europe with 120 councillors representing 40 wards and over 1.1 million people. With 12,000 employees working in a full range of its services, the Council offers a multitude of different graduate opportunities in its range of service lines.