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Work placement was a professional game changer for alumnus

Work placement was a professional game changer for alumnus

Published: 13 Mar 2023

Ben Tuff

The thin sandwich (work placement) approach is genuinely a professional game changer.

Ben, Undergraduate, Alumni

Chief Product Officer, IPG Media Brands - Universal McCann (UM)

Business Management Studies BSc - 1997

From UK

Previous Institution

Peter Symonds College - A Levels

Which country do you currently live in?

Singapore

Tell us about your educational and/or career journey since you graduated from Brunel?

As appropriate, professional development including an MBA level marketing course.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

A mix of empirically driven marketing solutions for clients, organisational design work, and advanced analytical analysis for marketing ROI for multinational businesses.

What’s been the highlight of your career journey so far?

Spending six and a half years in China from 2006 as the economy truly opened and international business entered with a vengeance, and local businesses rapidly developed and out thought them.

How would you say your Brunel experience has helped you to get where you are today?

The thin sandwich (work placement) approach, and returning to the organisation I undertook my second placement with was massively important. Brunel also treated students as grown-ups and made us think as such, something that became even more apparent once work started properly and we met students from other institutions.

Why did you choose to study at Brunel and why would you recommend Brunel to others?

I chose Management Studies (because it was not Business Studies). The thin sandwich (work placement) approach is genuinely a professional game changer.

What is your best memory of studying here?

The seminars that built lifelong learning experiences and friendships. My time was collaborative, creative, and allowed us to challenge each other...and the tutors.

If you could give one piece of advice to current Brunel students, what would that be?

Invest time in finding a quality work placement.

What would be your top tip or key advice for new graduates as they begin their career journey after leaving Brunel?

Academic theory is great - but take a large spoonful of realism into the working environment. And get savvy on organisation politics (as this is not taught).

#IamBrunel