Yaroslav (Yaros) Loginov, from Russia, is studying Business Management at the University of Glasgow in Scotland – but he’s been doing a lot more than essays and exams!
Having spent one year at the University of Nottingham’s campus in China, Yaros is working as a study abroad student ambassador as well as a digital intern, while indulging his interests (and gaining valuable work experience) as a marketing assistant at a 3D printing company!
So what has he learned? And what’s his advice for gaining work experience while you’re studying? Read on to find out…
If you had one piece of advice for students who want to secure the ‘right’ internship, what would it be?
Sometimes being more open-minded can help – students shouldn’t focus on just one internship they want, or think there is a ‘right’ internship for them. Go for what is available and be open to more opportunities. Apply to a variety of different things. You could do so many incredible things in so many different places!
How is your degree preparing you for the working world?
Overall it has prepared me very well. Ironically it’s less to do with lectures or modules, and everything to do with the incredible extracurricular activities on offer, that students can really use to prepare for the future.
For example, I’m part of a society that focuses on a graduate skills programme. It helps students reflect on activities and extracurricular things they have done at university, and shows them how these boost your employability. The society helps you put together a portfolio and keep track of everything you do and learn as a student.
There are also plenty of internships – I got a few internships in my first summers, including an internship selling educational products in America. It was a really tough but great experience. It’s good to get internships for both experience and money – try and see if you can make some good cash on the side.
Were you thinking about your future career when you decided to come and study in the UK?
I have to admit that all I was thinking about was studying psychology and business; I wanted to learn how to read people’s minds! Business seemed like good thing to do, but I wasn’t looking past university years. I was more concerned about football and things like that – I was 17 after all. I was studying at an international school and they helped us apply through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service – find out more here), so that is how I ended up at Glasgow University.
How was your year abroad in China?
Glasgow has a great study abroad programme. Living in a culture that is so different helped me mature and grow a bit. I acquired some Chinese – but I’m not fluent yet!
I also came across 3D printing in China, which has really influenced my career path. It was just an extra thing in one of the modules I took there, and I thought it was fascinating, so I took it forward myself and started reading more about it. Now I have a part-time job in a 3D printing company in Glasgow – it’s a start-up called 3D Print Works. They sell 3D printers and provide services (printing and shipping), but their real strength is in making the materials that are then used for 3D printing.
What internships are you doing at the moment?
I guess officially I am doing three internships right now! I work as a marketing assistant at the 3D printing company and I’m also Digital Intern for the College of Social Sciences employability programme at my university. My third role is as a study abroad student ambassador – I help with organising a study abroad fair, meeting students one-on-one and giving them advice about the study abroad programme.
As for the College of Social Sciences, their role is to organise employability-related events, like bringing in guest speakers. I work on their website and on their LinkedIn account, keeping people engaged online.
At 3D Print Works, they needed an intern to implement a customer relationship management (CRM) system. That means developing online tools for the website to gather customer details and do some data analysis – for example, to see who their most popular customer is, and what customers have been buying. I’m also sending out email newsletters.
And I do some fun printing stuff on the side – so far I’ve made a snowflake, a little robot and a little cardholder owl, wearing a hat!
How did you make the most of university while getting work experience?
I’m quite happy that in my first year, I signed up to do a lot. Undergraduate students usually think that in the first year, it isn’t necessary to get a summer internship, but I think first-year students have a big asset – time. They have these three or four years in which to develop, do internships and grow within one company (for example, over several summers) or gather a lot of different experience. By their final year, they’ll have an advantage over others.
So my tips are to start as early as possible. For those who haven’t, then step one is to look for internships, step two is to join lots of societies, even something like the salsa society! In the first year I was just taking classes, but by second year I was teaching – I got so many transferrable skills being a part of that society, and being a board member. Step three, do more extra-curricular activities and definitely do a study abroad programme if you still can.
What are your ambitions for the future?
I’m a huge fan of learning languages. Right now I’m intensely learning Czech, because I want to do my Master’s there after Glasgow. I want to finish learning Czech, become fluent and then start up Chinese again.
I also think 3D printing will be revolutionary and it will change the way we do things in the coming years. So maybe in the future I will start my own 3D printing company.
