Tell us about yourself and your background.

Hi, my name is Nevena and many people know me as Nancy. I’ve lived in three different countries and four different cities, but I am originally from Belgrade, Serbia; the country famous for Tesla, Djokovic, Exit festival and plum brandy Slivovitza. I’ve lived in London for more than six years now, and in the city where more than 100 different languages are spoken, I feel truly at home. I like to say that in my past life I was a Latin and Ballroom dancer but now I channel my love for sports by doing long-distance running. I recently ran my first marathon in the middle of the lockdown.

Why did you decide to study at WBS?

I decided to invigorate my knowledge in management science after my Bachelor’s degree, and after doing my research WBS quickly became my top choice. I loved the flexibility of the modules the course offered, which meant I could basically choose the electives that interest me more and would help me prepare for my future job. I had a couple of friends who studied at University of Warwick, and they told me all the good things about university life, and I liked the idea that London was an hour’s train ride away. Especially once I was offered a scholarship, WBS was a no brainer.

Tell us about the company you are working for now.

I landed a role at Oracle in February 2018 just a couple of months after I graduated. I work for their NetSuite global business unit, which is the fastest growing division of Oracle. NetSuite is a market leading ERP software for SMEs with over 24,000 customers worldwide. It’s a very exciting company to work for that offers career progression opportunities and its City office is perfect for after work drinks and networking with other professionals. I have joined their sales graduate programme and was recently promoted to an Account Executive role.

What does your job involve?

My role of an Account Executive focuses on working with emerging businesses and start-ups in the services space. I look for new businesses to bring to our portfolio of customers and handle the full sales cycle from an initial contact with the client to closing business.

How did the MSc Management course help you prepare for your role?

The course helped me strengthen my business acumen, and expanded my knowledge of how different business operate which helps me quickly understand how my clients make money so that I can identify the challenges that NetSuite can help them with. The knowledge of general business terminologies and concepts that I learned at WBS gives me confidence when speaking to C-level executives on a day to day basis.

What were the key things you took away from your course? How have they helped you in your career?

My course offered a fantastic module in Data Science and coming from a business background I really enjoyed learning how to code, model and interpret different sets of data. I never knew this would be fun! The most valuable lessons I learned are from job fairs, marketing events and guest lecturers from the industry. This course really bridged the gap between academia and practice while networking with professionals helped me realise I wanted a client-focused role for myself either in banking or sales.

How did things change for you on completing your course?

I landed a job in the City of London where I always dreamed of kick-starting my career. WBS is a strong brand in the industry and I believe it significantly improved my CV when I was applying for a graduate job.

Did you utilise the WBS CareersPlus team whilst you were studying at WBS? How did they help you?

Did I use it? I was practically there every day!  I owe so much to this team, who were there not only for advice and proof-reading my applications, but also for emotional support. This was a stressful period for many students, trying to juggle between making the best use of the learning opportunities and doing tons of job applications at the same time.

What would you say to someone thinking of applying for your course at WBS?

I would wholeheartedly recommend the course to students that are looking for a place to learn business studies, network and find their true calling.

At WBS we are proud to be ‘For the Change Makers’. What does being a Change Maker mean to you?
You can’t be what you can’t see. In IT sales graduate programmes the representation of women is at fifty per cent, and as you climb the corporate ladder you see your female colleagues drop out. I am inspired every day by woman leaders and it breaks my heart that a large number of women feel insecure in the workplace. I try to encourage and support my colleagues and set a positive example for future generations to help achieve diversity in the workplace.