Could you please describe yourself in a few sentences?
Enthusiastic and energised about finding the best way to learn for herself and for others and to teach in the most informative and engaging way she can. Loves to see success in other people and will help those who want to help themselves and be the best that they can be. An eternal optimist but focused on being fair and reasonable in all circumstances.
What is your area of academic interest and which courses were you involved in?
Business strategy and marketing (with a particular focus on dynamic capabilities, communications and the institutional environment). The courses I’m involved include the MBA and final year undergraduate business and marketing courses.
Could you please tell us a bit about the courses that you are involved in?
The MBA is a postgraduate business course (where I teach marketing) for mature students who have had considerable experience in the work environment and more so in the management area. The undergraduate courses that I teach on are all business based, some focusing more on marketing and some more on general management.
What was your first job? What did you learn from it?
Karate instructor and door-to-door saleswoman (of Karate classes/club membership). Learned some valuable life skills when it comes to engaging with people and teaching a skill, and passion, to kids and adults alike (5-65 year olds). Though I’ve always known the value of sincerity and belief in what you do, this was something that became tangible in this job.
What did you do in your career before coming to Westminster Business School ?
I used to run a strategy and market research consultancy providing bespoke services to pharmaceutical and food multinationals and prior to that I worked for a niche company delivering similar services but across a wider set of industries including banking and finance, logistics and telecommunications.
What advice would you give to the students during their studies and after graduation so that they make the right decisions for their career ?
Always aim to get the best marks that you can because employers do look at your transcripts in applying for graduate positions. I’d also advise students to see learning as an enjoyable opportunity for enlightenment not a chore. Learning can reap it’s own rewards and is far more useful than knowing who won the X-factor! I’d also suggest getting summertime placements or work experience. Partly to figure out what kind of work they want, but also potential employers don’t just want a studious employee, they want someone who’s shown some get-up-and-go, who shows they can work in a team and who can organise things so even getting involved in running a club or getting involved with the Student Union can help show that you’re not only good at your studies but you can also multi-task and manage a hectic schedule. After graduation, hopefully students have done some research on what kind of jobs they want before they graduate as this should help them to choose the most suitable electives for their desired career paths.
If you were asked to give one piece of advice to students who are considering going into Post Graduate study what would that be?
Make sure you chose a course that will help you to get into the industry or the dream job of the future. Hopefully that would also be a course that you would enjoy because if you don’t like a topic area, then the chances are you won’t do that well.
How do you relax out of work? What are your interests/leisure activities?
Going to the gym with my husband, catching up with friends, going to see a museum or special exhibition, the theatre or a live show and getting out of London – seeing different parts of the country or the continent and experiencing new things.
Dr Felicity Hardley is a Senior Lecturer at Westminster Business School
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