Omar Tariq

Country of origin: United Kingdom

Why did you choose to study at LUMS?

LUMS stood out to me for a few reasons, including its excellent reputation for diverse courses available, its prominent career support, and its course rankings. Having seen this information online, and after reading several comprehensive reviews, I applied for the Business Management course through Clearing.

What was the best thing about your course?

The best thing about my course was having the chance to interact with fellow students in groups to depict real-life work situations. For example, in the Management Consultancy module, we were given the opportunity to work as a group with a real-life company and conduct a market analysis for them, which was then presented to “shareholders”.

Who inspired you most at LUMS and why?

My Programme Director, Pavel Bogolyubov, who was also my lecturer in my first year. I had many interesting conversations during my shifts as a LUMS Ambassador, often discussing management and business-related topics and thinking about how they can be applied to real-life work scenarios. What I liked most about Pavel was the way he spoke about management and business from a more social and philosophical perspective. For example, I worked to understand from him many deep and theoretical meanings behind important leadership and teamwork qualities!

Did you do a project, placement or study abroad? What did this involve and what did you gain?

I did a summer internship just before my final year. I worked at HSBC in their Wealth and Personal Banking division. Within the division, I worked in a team called Customer Experience and Intelligence, which focused on deriving customer issue key pain points and looking for ways to address them. As someone interested in a career in marketing, this was invaluable and a great way to understand the marketing activities of a financial institution.

Describe your time at LUMS in three words.

Tiring, exciting, mesmerising.

What are your best memories of your time at Lancaster?

DJing for the County College Extrav, working as a student ambassador for both LUMS and Global Experiences team, sitting in Alan Gilchrist’s MKTG 101 lectures, and being on the exec of numerous societies at the University.

What are the best things about living in the Lancaster area?

The close-knit community, the cosy feel of knowing where everything is, the social life, proximity to UK major cities, and, of course, northerners!!

Which parts of your Lancaster experience were the best preparation for your job?

Mingling with a diverse range of people, leading societies and group projects, and networking with staff and students around LUMS.

What impact has your Lancaster experience had on your career?

I’m going on to pursue a Master's to develop my expertise and interests in marketing. Being exposed to a diverse range of modules during my course at Lancaster is what has led me to develop this interest specifically in marketing.