Joe Simpson - BA (Hons) Business Management with Marketing (Industrial)
Selecting a course for its diverse opportunities
Joe chose to study Business Management with Marketing (Industrial) at the University of Leeds because of the discovery modules on offer as part of the undergraduate degree. “I really enjoyed A-level Business Studies, but also wanted the opportunity to do a year in industry, outside of the seminar room. I felt the course here at the University of Leeds would give me the chance to explore my broader interests in a unique way. Plus, the city itself is fantastic!
“I’ve enjoyed every module, but Innovation Thinking and Practice, offered by Leeds University Business School, really stands out,” Joe says. “It was one of the hardest, but perhaps the most valuable, for practical experience and networking. We were assigned project groups, each sponsored by someone in industry. I was lucky enough to work with the Head of Innovation and Partnerships at first direct bank, who has continued to mentor me even though the module’s complete, which has helped shape my career path.”
Gaining business experience through a year in industry
For his year in industry, Joe secured a marketing and events internship at Bosch, in the automotive B2B sector. “Bosch is a global engineering firm, and 60% of its operations lies in the automotive area, so this was an amazing opportunity,” Joe says. “I was fortunate to have a few options of what I could do in my year in industry. But marketing was a key area of interest for me, so when this hands-on events role with Bosch came by I jumped at the chance to take it.”
Joe worked in the marketing team, running stakeholder events to mark the company’s 125th year in the UK. “This involved everything from organisation and on-the-day coordination to designing promotional materials, and copywriting,” he explains. “I got to travel a lot across the UK, with plenty of visibility, autonomy, and relationship building with senior management. I didn’t feel like a typical intern at all, and the experience was incredible.”
Developing ideas through a Spark scholarship
While on his industry placement, Joe came up with his business idea, TreckMate, an app to help people meet one another while travelling. He submitted the idea for the Spark Enterprise Scholarship. “I’d begun to explore Spark in my second year, reaching only the pitching stage,” Joe explains. “But my internship gave me so many of the tools I needed to develop TreckMate. I went to the Spark pitch, demonstrating the app’s USPs, as well as business and marketing plans. After a successful shortlisting process, I was awarded the scholarship prize of £3K and an intensive course to learn even more business skills.
“Following the scholarship, I secured a further £1,250 through Spark’s Business Plan Competition,” Joe adds. “I was asked to submit TreckMate for the Sir Peter Thompson Enterprise Award, with the opportunity to secure £5K towards business development. Although I didn’t win on that occasion, it was an amazing pitching experience and great to meet likeminded people and expand my network within, and beyond, Spark.”
Using university experience to secure a graduate role
Joe has secured a global marketing graduate role with Heineken. “I wanted to work in the beverage industry, but I also wanted to develop TreckMate beyond the prototyping and marketing research stage,” explains Joe. “But it was my mentor who encouraged me to continue developing my own business alongside my role at Heineken. She said it’ll be hard, but I’m prepared for it!
“I don’t believe I’d have got the Heineken graduate job without the experiences I’ve had at the University of Leeds,” Joe concludes. “Other candidates at the assessment centre had more qualifications than me, such as master’s degrees, but lacked the practical business skills I gained through Spark and my experiential learning module at Leeds University Business School. It’s clear that hands-on experience is what Heineken, and many other organisations, are looking for. I’m really excited about my future.”