Moving to London to pursue my dreams of working in business

My name is Arianna and I just graduated from Middlesex University in Business Management. I moved to London in 2022 from Italy to pursue what was one of my biggest dreams, moving to another country to study. Little did I know that MDX was going to be the place where this dream would come true and much more.

Why I chose to study business

Why did I choose to study business? Well, when in high school I was faced with the hard task of choosing a university course, I was drawn to business studies as I had always been interested in understanding how companies could become successful multinationals. I remember that I was also inspired by stories of brave women who fought to become successful business leaders, and I thought, “I could be one of them”. The decision of studying abroad came almost naturally in place as I thought that getting an education in another country and in another language would enrich me in ways that I could only imagine if I stayed in my comfort zone in Italy.

Why business management at Middlesex is different

I chose MDX because, academically, the Business Management programme offered a well-rounded, practical, and intellectually stimulating experience. When I came to the open day to visit the university, I remember meeting with current students who told me that the course was very broad, which is what I wanted, rather than specialising in a pathway. I wanted to get to know every angle of how businesses work. I experienced this in these 3 years, from the very first year we were exposed to the core foundations of how organisations function, ranging from marketing, operations, and finance to organisational behaviour and leadership. 

Each module is carefully designed to build upon the previous one, creating a strong, interconnected understanding of how businesses operate in today’s global economy. You get a broad, but at the same time, in depth understanding of all the facets of a company, and I found that extremely exciting.

One thing that stood out during my time at MDX was how the lecturers were approachable and genuinely invested in our success. I had many conversations over a coffee in the Quad with several of my professors that made me understand how lucky I was to be taught by someone that was not seeing students as just people getting a degree, but rather as young professionals ready to launch themselves into successful careers, and they were keen to help us thrive. 

Preparing you for your career

While at MDX you breathe the University’s focus of preparing and supporting students in their careers beyond graduation. Every week for three years, we had employability sessions, where we had the opportunity to learn what the current employers are looking for in recent graduates and how we could best prepare. In addition, lots of extracurricular activities were offered so you could apply what you have learned in class and boost your CV.

In my 2nd year I signed up for the Wincanton Greenford Challenge Cup, where students were asked to observe operations in Wincanton’s sites and propose business improvement ideas that would not affect the budget. It was a great opportunity to gain exposure to the operations management space and apply the theories that we had learned – I may or may not have won the competition!

The University’s career and employability team, Careers and Futures, offers a variety of programmes that contribute to students personal and professional development, whilst being able to earn some money. I was a Resident Assistant in Usher Halls for two years, in that time I developed key soft skills like communication, empathy and time management. These are skills that I lean on every day in the workplace. In addition, Careers and Futures was a great resource in helping me explore internship opportunities throughout my studies. I did a Marketing internship at Media City AI in my final year.

Finding my community

Outside the classroom, the MDX community offers many opportunities to have fun and socialise, make friends and feel involved in the university community. Examples are sport clubs and societies. In my first year, I fell in love with the strange but beautiful sport of Real Tennis (if you don’t know it, it’s worth checking it out on YouTube or even go to the club to try it yourself). I captained the team, which not only gave me a sense of community and a break from studies but also sharpened my leadership and teamwork abilities. Even now after graduating I am still meeting the friends that were once only teammates in the tennis team, even though we live in different cities in the UK and abroad. Joining a team gave me friends for life.

Coming from a very small town in Italy, I was a bit scared of moving to such a big city like London. However, living in Hendon turned out to be a compromise that was just right for me: quiet enough for focused study, yet close enough to the buzz of central London, just a few tube stops away. I loved going on walks around north London, with Hampstead quickly becoming my favourite spot for its views and charm. When it came to unwinding after a long day at uni, The Claddagh Ring and The Greyhound in Hendon were my go-to pubs to catch up with friends and enjoy the student social life.

My career and MDX after graduation

Overall, the three years at MDX equipped me with the skills, confidence and desire to stay in London and start my career here. In addition, I fell in love with the city (who doesn’t?) and thought that it could be my home for many years to come. Therefore, I started the most daunting task that any graduate goes through, applying for jobs. After months of applications, final stage interviews and rejections, the best news came through, I had been offered a position with AlphaSights as an associate in their London office.

I was over the moon, as the company is globally renowned and the role fits with what I was interested in. What we do at AlphaSights is connect clients, which range from consulting companies to investment firms, to industry experts, so they can access the knowledge they need to succeed. Pursuing the general course at MDX exposed me to every aspect of a business, it has made it easier for me to work at AlphaSights. I get in touch daily with clients and experts from several different sectors, industries and departments and I can comfortably speak with them about what they are doing, whether it is finance, strategy or marketing.

In addition, being at MDX provided me with one skill that I thought was only marginally useful, but I find myself leaning on it everyday: cultural awareness. One of the key strengths at Middlesex is its international community, being surrounded by and getting to know so many different cultures during my university life has provided me with the capacity to relate to many people from all parts of the world.

When I think of the future, I see myself growing into a confident and successful individual, both work wise and as a person. I can confidently say that the three years at MDX, with the skills I learned, experiences I had and the support I received, laid the groundwork for where I am today. 

My advice to prospective students

If I had to give a piece of advice to prospective students, it would be to give it a try, always. Despite studying abroad being one of my dreams, many times I felt too scared to take the first step to move to the UK. If I did not take that big decision, I would not be here today living my dream life.

So, take that chance. If it goes wrong and you understand it is not your thing, you are always able to go back to your normality and that is totally fine too, as it shows maturity. But if you never try, you will probably miss the best decision of your life.

About the author

Arianna Magnanini studied BA (Hons) Business Management from 2022 to 2025.