Hamish Marchant had a single-minded determination to become a business consultant.  He took a year off after high school, so by the time he started his Bachelor of Applied Management at Otago Polytechnic, he had a clear idea on what he wanted to achieve post graduating.

“Immediately, there was heaps of support from the teachers and my peers. The small class room size meant we got to know everyone on a first name basis and could bounce ideas around throughout the course of the degree.”

Hamish says his final year of study definitely pulled everything together for him.

“We spent six months in our last year on the Cooperative Education Project, where we applied everything we had learnt.  We worked independently with an organisation on a specific issue that they wanted the answers to. This real-world work experience gave me tangible skills, and definitely set me up for career when I graduated”.

Hamish chose Otago Polytechnic because it offered him “the best skills in three years”.  He says it was fundamental in helping him get his first job – as a market researcher/consultant.

“The balance of theory and practical fits perfectly into my career.  What I do day-to-day is strongly aligned with what I learnt in my degree - from market research, to consultancy, to business development.”

“I love my job.  I get to work with many businesses across New Zealand, undertaking market research to best understand their needs and how to drive success for them.”

Hamish recommends the course to anyone interested in business. 

“I loved it. I wanted to come out of a degree with a clear understanding on what area of business I would like to work in. The degree helped me develop my critical thinking, understand different research methodologies, it all resonated really quickly for me.  The whole experience was just amazing.”