Isaac Ijeh

I worked for a student recruitment agency providing advisory and support services to Nigerian students seeking overseas study. I joined Loughborough University London because it was the right course in the right location.

Yes, and in a lot of ways actually. The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management course not only supported with developing my business and entrepreneurial skills but it also helped me achieve major progress in my business – generating funds, constructing plans and developing innovative strategies.

The careers and employability sessions at Loughborough University London not only assisted with developing my employability, but also gave me an insight in seeking and employing the best personnel for my business being a full time entrepreneur.

Learn as much as you can and remain engaged. Loughborough is a community, continually hosting activities and always seeking results - engagement is what helps you achieve the best and take advantage of the numerous support systems available.

Yes, definitely. These activities are tailored to impact students in different ways, irrespective of the nature of the activity. For instance, taking part in employability fairs and exhibitions and being able to chat to potential employers gave me the opportunity to understand the business world, what employers sought after and the tricks to getting the right job which all in all guided my path to finding out my perfect career progression.

Also, the social aspect of the extra-curricular activities provided an opportunity to mix with other individuals with diverse experiences and backgrounds providing an all-round learning and enlightening experience. Not only have I made friends for life, I now have potential business partners in different continents and the future would see us involved in business across the globe.

I would have to say there are tonnes of hidden gems on the London campus and they sort of hide in plain sight! The most important and impactful experiences during my time involved my lecturers, guest speakers, all the way down to the support staff and career department. These are gems that have supported me in the course of my programme.

The e-learning resources are another key tool students need to take advantage of. As far as the city (London) is concerned, as with every big city, there are a lot of gems – students need to pay attention enough to find the most suitable and useful one based on their preferences and life situations. For example, to a self-sponsored student like me, the fact that one can easily find a job in London is a real gem and I took advantage of this during my time in London.

I received the Dean’s Award for Enterprise which was a 90% discount towards my tuition fees.

I saved up the remainder and I worked part-time to pay for my living expenses.

Silicon Green Educational Services is an international student recruitment and advisory firm recently set up to support Nigerian students seeking overseas study.

The industry is highly competitive but S.G.E.S would be operating on a sustainable business model (carefully applying principles from my course at Loughborough University London) by securing active and healthy partnerships and business relationships with the elite high schools and colleges where these students mostly go abroad for undergraduate studies whilst still open for business to support the mature postgraduate students.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering with a year and half experience working as an engineer. After that I worked in sales, marketing and student recruitment for 2 and half years before coming over to London for my master's in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. My decision to pursue further study was after a long period of time in advisory services and assisting students find the right path in their career.

I love being able to support students in a more productive way, providing good value for money while delivering a quality service and helping them find the right course, and the right university in the best destination in line with their budget and career aspirations.

However, what I love the most is the fact that I am an entrepreneur working on a couple of ideas all at once. I love creating value in my society and the world at large. In the near future, I hope my businesses would involve a good dose of travel, which is something I always enjoyed doing – now I could get to do it while getting paid!

The future is definitely bright and promising. Being in the position that I am in with my ideas and detailed plans as well as the support to be expected from Loughborough University, the alumni services as well as the enterprise hub - I am more than confident in the fact that these opportunities and ideas could be actualized and within the next 5 years.

So far I would say I feel proud to be working on something I love doing and I am proud of the fact that because I am working on a lot of projects this is the most motivated I've ever been in my life. I now have a ‘can do’ attitude and it’s only up from here.

Excitement beyond explanation! I considered it a vital opportunity to help me meet my personal expectations and meet my career objectives.

The opportunity to be a Loughborough student and learn as much as I have, the networks I have had the opportunity to develop over the course of the programme, as well as vital guidance in kicking off my businesses.

Have a clear vision with an impact and build the project considering every parameter in order to make it easy for the University to spot how to support such an idea in line with available resources.

Besides the fact that Loughborough sits high within all UK University rankings, it is the best place to study- there is impeccable support, relentless effort to achieve excellence, as well as vibrant academics and faculty. The right question should be “What do you choose if not Loughborough University London?”

The applicability of my modules, my lecturers and their support and the diverse backgrounds of students I’ve had the opportunity to work with during the course of my programme. This, coupled with the fact that I lived in London, the business hub of the UK, gathered and harnessed vital experiences that came into play when I kicked off my businesses.

1. Unmatched excellence
2. Reliable support
3. Ever-improving reputation