August 19, 2015, by Andrea Ranford
A prize winning performance! Lisa shares her achievements with the Award
This week, we hear from Lisa Murkin (BSc Management), the 2014-2015 prize winner for Entrepreneur of the Year supported by Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
Lisa shares her story about her involvement and achievements throughout the Award.
Lisa Murkin, BSc Management
The big decision… which modules to choose?
The Nottingham Advantage Award is not just another qualification, it is an opportunity to develop skills and be involved in the wider community. The modules I chose reflect two aspects of why I decided to get involved.
Firstly, I wanted to help others. I chose the Designing a Social Enterprise module as it had a positive impact on society; the Buddy scheme was to mentor first year students to ameliorate their university life covering academic study, pastoral support and extracurricular advice; and the International Business Leadership and Management (IBLM) Programme developed problem solving and encouraged a greater awareness and appreciation of diversity. Together the training and direction offered by these modules has developed my creativity and focus on others.
Secondly, I wanted a challenge and opportunities to get me out of my comfort zone. The IBLM programme involved working in a team with two international students in a poster competition, although we didn’t win, we worked well together and were proud of our accomplishments. While I have done extensive volunteering, the Social Enterprise Competition was the first time I incorporated my philanthropic desires with my business acumen. The Buddy Scheme placed pressure on interpersonal skills, with constant learning.
Enhancing your employability
When applying for graduate jobs this year, I realised I had experience of three key skills employers wanted: problem solving, decision making and flexibility. Management Consulting was the career path that was most appealing to me, and in interviews employers were more interested in what I had actually done in real life, opposed to the theories learned for academic exams. Accenture has offered me a Graduate Analyst role starting in September and I believe these modules have been crucial to my success.
All of this and a prize!
To be awarded Outstanding Female Entrepreneur of the Year by Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an achievement beyond my expectations. Without a large and successful business, I can only accredit this award to how I have grown as an individual developing an entrepreneurial mindset. I have gained many transferable skills derived from analysis, creativity and teamwork, which will be valuable throughout later life.
Modules for 2015-2016 will be opening for applications very shortly!, More information to be found on our workspace pages.
Interested in applying for next year’s prizes? Details will be announced in autumn term. Information on this year’s employer-supported prizes can also be found on our workspace page.
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