Marjon Business – Week 1: Orientation and First Impressions
Accidental Manager – my takeaway of the day
Starting my Master’s today was somewhat overwhelming, with the imposter syndrome hitting hard first thing. I was quickly put at ease by an informative morning led by our programme lead, Laura, and an introduction to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) qualification we will gain as a result of the study, in addition to our academic qualification. Having missed out on this as an undergraduate due to COVID-19 and being a clearing student, it felt great to be informed and welcomed to a course that is evidently passionately led.
Icebreakers with the course and a timeline of events made me feel better about the future undertaking and excited about the opportunity. It would be wrong not to note the concern about the balance of work, study and life, especially since work and study are in one place, but I firmly believe that this is attainable given the clear outset of expectations.
The afternoon was more generalised and it was great to meet other postgraduate students. The nature of mature study means that it’s less about settling in and more about getting on, in my opinion, so it felt great to be introduced to key stakeholders and then ready to start our next week.
I am joined by a fellow friend, from a different background which meant that today was able to be a purely student day for me, although I am hoping that our name sign-making skills, referenced above in a picture are not indicative of the times ahead – Katy standing tall and strong and my label sinking quite rapidly!
A key takeaway today was the focus on the ‘accidental manager’ from CMI. As a new manager, I am keen to upskill to ensure that I lead with purpose and don’t fall into this category. It’s a promising sign that I have lots to learn, develop and improve and can gain this with the assistance of the course.
Ella O’NeillPlymouth Marjon University
