Soraya Rosadha

Tell us about your degree - why did you choose it? What elements of the degree inspired you to study it?
Corporate communications and public relations has been my interest since a young age. I did my bachelors degree in PR and after I worked at Schlumberger. I decided to study PR at a deeper level by taking the Masters degree course at Leeds.

What was the best part of your studies here? What did you enjoy the most?
The best part was the support of the lecturers and professors who enabled me to comprehend the important points to take away from the classes. The diversity of the students and lecturers, availability of resources, facilities of the Uni and the city made me feel that I made the right choice to study at Leeds University.

What were your career aspirations when you arrived? Do you think the experience and skills you gained here will help/helped you in your future career plans? 
Studying at Leeds definitely equipped me with sets of skill that I needed to enter the job market; globally and locally. After I graduated, I decided to apply outside Indonesia and I gained interests from a few employers in the UK, Singapore and a few other countries around the world. It helped me in the way I approach business and corporate world. I was able to demonstrate my critical thinking and provide solutions for businesses.

How has your career progressed since leaving the Business School? 
After I graduated, I took a step onto the global job market with the focus of building networks in Asia. I was hired by a local PR agency, where I have the responsibility of driving the growth of the company and expanding markets in South East Asia, Europe and The US. Apart from the business development role, I have also had the chance to work with big IT companies such as Software AG and F5 Networks.

Where are you currently working, and what is your role?
I am currently working as a consultant at PRecious Communications, where I manage companies' reputations through traditional and social media. Apart from my role as a consultant, I am also responsible as the Business Development Manager. The team is currently working on a few country expansion projects to build our company's reputation.

What are your ambitions for the future?
In the next year I aim to learn on how to build a business and eventually build my own business. My ambition is to make a positive impact in the world, I have a vision in sustainable business and I hope that I will able to make it true soon.

Do you think your experience and skills gained here will help you in your future career plans? 
Yes, definitely. My experience and skills gained at University of Leeds are very precious for my future. When I look back, I realise that I've learned a lot from my experience.

If you are not from the UK, how was the transition to a foreign country? Did the university offer support or services that you found helpful? Can you offer any advice?
I'm originally from Jakarta, Indonesia. I had a few challenges in adopting the culture, work ethic, language and of course the weather. Luckily the university gave useful guidelines and support for foreign students. There are also student communities that helped me to feel at home. Importantly, there is a strong bond in the Indonesian student groups and they gave me full support in finding apartments, books, or even solving problems. If you are about to start your study, do not hesitate to ask the Uni for guildlines or to link you up with alumni/student associations. You are able to get to know the uni and the city before you arrive.

What was your impression/experience of the facilities, the staff, your peers, the student union, the City of Leeds and the region itself? 
The staff were so nice to me and they were so helpful. All I can say is.. everything was worth it. My time and investment is showing results in the way that I did not expect before. I'm still in touch with my friends from Leeds and we are planning to see each other again somewhere in the world. We are waiting to share our journeys of success!