Christine McKibbin (Graduate),
Northumbria University

“I graduated from the IT Management for Business (ITMB) degree in 2008 and am now one year into an exciting career in technology at British Airways (BA).

ITMB is a great degree because it is focuses on graduate employability from day one, with employers shaping the course based on what they really want from graduates. Also, because it’s an innovative and evolving degree it has a lot of support and recognition from a range of well-known companies.

I’ve always been interested in IT because it’s such a diverse industry that shapes the way we live our lives today. I originally found out about the ITMB degree when I attended an open day at Northumbria University – I was there to enquire about another course but when I heard a presentation about the ITMB I decided it was for me. I was attracted to the employer-developed mix of IT within a business context and the unique opportunities it provided to get direct contact with people already in the industry.

For me, contact with employers is a unique and invaluable aspect of the ITMB degree. From the beginning, you are given the chance to meet with big-named employers such as BA, Microsoft, ITV and Sainsbury’s, through site visits and summer placements. These visits all offered me the chance to develop a real feel and understanding of how the companies use IT to meet their business needs.

I also found the ‘Guru Lectures’ – an annual series of lectures by leaders in the IT industry – really interesting and helpful. They gave me a good idea of the kinds of issues faced by professionals in the IT industry and translated the theory of what I was learning into practice. It also gave me the chance to ask questions and get practical advice.

I would have to say, however, that one of the biggest benefits of the ITMB degree were the mock interviews, recruitment days and CV clinics with employers. Exclusive to the course, these meetings were fantastic and meant I was able to get feedback directly from employers.

As part of my final year dissertation, I went on a placement at BA for three months, during which time I made friends and began to develop a feel for the organisation and its culture. I enjoyed working there and wanted to stay, so when I found out about their graduate programme I decided to apply. The mock interviews and CV clinics really helped me throughout the graduate recruitment process and secured my place on the programme.

So far in my career at BA, I have found that the ITMB course content really reflects the knowledge you need in a business setting. The interpersonal skills (including team work and presentations) that I developed on the ITMB course have been very valuable since joining BA. I am required to deal with a range on people from on-site and off-site team members to customers, and rely on the skills I gained at university to communicate effectively and efficiently to achieve my objectives.

The ITMB degree gave me the skills and connections I needed to secure my position at BA. I loved every minute of the programme and would recommend it 100%.”