Yuchenzi Lei

Country of origin: China

HR Specialist, CP Group (China)

I chose LUMS as it is ranked one of the top five management schools in the UK, with high world rankings.

My favourite part of my MA Human Resources and Consulting degree was the project work it entailed. The consultancy project allowed me to gain precious working experience with a company in Manchester.

Our team went to their head offices and interviewed the staff to understand what was happening in the company and what we should do to address the issue they faced in terms of succession planning. We had many group discussions to try and find the solution to the client’s problems, and after all the hard work, I fondly remember the smile on our client’s face when he received our final report. I had a great sense of accomplishment at that moment, and it has given me confidence that I can do well in the future.

During my time at Lancaster I joined the Film Club, which would meet on a Tuesday night and we would gather together to watch a movie whilst enjoying tea and cookies provided by Ms Wood, and afterwards would discuss what’s interesting about the film. I also attended the ‘International Café’ in the graduate common room every Thursday night; we would discuss a set topic each time and had volunteers to help us with our academic writing. I had a lot of fun with both and they aided my English language skills.

During my consultancy project, I gained in-depth knowledge of succession planning, interview techniques, and interpersonal communication within a company, with its do's and don’ts. I also experienced a real team-working spirit, and, most important of all, I gained the confidence that I could be an HR consultant in the future.

I found the LUMS Careers Team’s weekly newsletters very helpful, providing the latest information on job fairs and vacancies available as well as notable lectures and tutorials which would be useful to us.

My study year at Lancaster was very fruitful, allowing me to become the professional HR consultant that I always wanted to be. The peaceful and beautiful Lancaster countryside also refreshed my heart and spirit. One year in Lancaster gave me the opportunity to go out to see more of the world – it has broadened my horizons in every way.

I am now employed by the CP Group (Chia Thai) as an HR specialist. During my time at Lancaster, I benefited most from the advanced HR ideas I learned and from the development of my English. These have helped me a lot in the international training programme I am currently doing.