News Update

Full speed ahead for Mach recruit

08 February 2010

Craig Parker, a graduate who studied BSc Computer Studies, completed a very successful placement with Microsoft during his time at LJMU.

So successful was Craig’s placement, and the good impression he created, he was accepted on Microsoft’s prestigious Mach (Microsoft Academy for College Hires) scheme – where 12 graduate recruits are chosen each year to be fast-tracked through Microsoft.

Craig recently wrote a thank you letter to say how LJMU played a huge role in helping him achieve his career goals and aspirations.

“My three years spent at LJMU were some of the most enjoyable and rewarding periods of my life and I feel almost a duty to recognize the hard work that people put in to help ME succeed. During the time when I was a student the outlook could at times appear to be bleak. The recession meant that students faced an unclear path into a career. Yet with the support of LJMU I felt less worried than some of my peers at other universities.”

“Perhaps the biggest part of this was the fantastic work that Christine and her team do at the industrial liaison office. Finding hundreds of students’ placements and supporting them throughout this is no mean feat, yet nothing ever seemed to be too much trouble. Job opportunities were advertised and updated daily and tremendous support was offered around the processes that needed to be undertaken in order to successfully apply. In addition to this, the landmark LJMU WoW scheme introduced students to the soft skills that a successful graduate would need.”

“The Computer Studies course I did in general was designed in order for me to leave university and be ‘employable’ - something which I knew gave me a huge advantage over graduates from other universities. The material was linked to real world situations and allowed me to use what I had learned in my internship and now in my Graduate role. Obviously it is important to have effective learning material and resources, but I feel that it is the way that they are brought to life that makes the real impact – the job of the tutors."

"The tutors that I had the privilege to work with were knowledgeable, articulate, interesting but most of all passionate about my learning. This is something that cannot be taught and my experiences with Jan Lunn, Henry Forsyth, Andy Laws and Mark Taylor amongst others were fantastic to say the least. Always happy to help and give insights into the ways that what they are teaching can be related back to the real world.”

“I think that the most important point I am trying to make is that LJMU had the whole package. Everyone at the university has a real passion for the students to be successful and build a good career after their studies. Like I said earlier I feel proud to have studied at LJMU and my success to date is in many ways a huge testimony to the time I spent there.”

The University would like to congratulate Craig on his success with the scheme, and what sounds a very promising start to a successful career.

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