Marija Potapova – BSc (Hons) Financial Economics graduate

“The University of Plymouth delivers many different courses, has amazing lecturers with real life experience, and gives you all the best opportunities to learn and study. You just have to see and use them.”

Tell us about your career path since graduation.

After I received my exam results I went back to Lithuania and immediately started to look for a job in the capital. I aimed for a job related to my degree, and preferably in English. I heard from a lot of people that it was going to be really difficult, if not impossible, to get a job, but I actually had one after the second job interview. I started with one small project, and now I have five under my management: working with countries like Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands. And there are more to come.

What is the most difficult thing which you have faced in your career?

Probably to earn the trust of my colleagues who are located in other countries. All our communication is via phone and email. They have their way of working and I have my way, and sharing these experiences without seeing your colleague's face and gestures can be challenging sometimes.   

How did studying at Plymouth help you?

I have received some very useful practical knowledge during lectures and tutorials, which I use now almost every day at work. My experience as a volunteer and participation in different projects has also really helped me during my job interviews, and I believe that this has made my job application also quite successful.

What is your favourite memory of studying at Plymouth?

I have a lot of sweet memories of my time at university. It might sound funny, but probably one of the best memories is studying at the library with my course mates for the dissertation. All the different subjects, all the different experiences, and just all the people from the course in one place, listening to each other, helping each other and learning from each other; and then printing your work together and all the photos of us with our coursework. That was a really amazing learning experience.   

Do you stay in touch with other University of Plymouth alumni or lecturers?

Yes, I made some friends for life at university. It’s quite funny because when I saw a big poster during the welcome week which said that I would make lifelong friends, that actually came true - even though I didn't think I would at that time. 

Would you recommend undertaking a course with the University of Plymouth, and why?

Yes, most definitely. The University of Plymouth delivers many different courses, has amazing lecturers with real-life experience, and gives you all the best opportunities to learn and study. You just have to see and use them.