Alumni

Thaiyal Nayahi Masilamani

Career Path: Senior Public Relations Officer, Samsung Construction & Trading
Location: Singapore

Previously I was working in the construction industry, specialising in Public Relations. There are various aspects to this job which includes the understanding of both technical, management and execution of duties which is both challenging and fulfilling. I continued working in this field and PR was my area of expertise so after the end of one project, I went on to another National project to continue specialising further in my chosen field.

What are you doing now?

I am currently working as Senior Public Relations Officer at Samsung C&T Singapore.

What was it about Northumbria that made you decide to study here?

As I was an adult learner balancing work, life, family and educational goals, I wanted to achieve my objective in a degree program which provides equal value as a full time programme. The Northumbria University programme was an accelerated degree programme which accepted students based on their prior educational and work experience within a time-span of one year. It was also assignment based and allowed me to integrate my professional work experience with the fundamentals of public relations. This gave me the opportunity to go for a world class education without any compromise on the specialisation of subject matters.

What was it like studying at Northumbria?

It was truly memorable as I had the opportunity to learn from experts in diverse fields and explore my strengths in various areas related to mass communications and public relations. I also had the chance to connect with students from a spectrum of diverse educational and cultural backgrounds. As I am a full time working professional with commitments in voluntary organisations, the experience gathered from studying the programme fitted well into my academic and career path. Furthermore, the University’s ranking and accreditation status made it all the ideal choice.

If you took on a placement during your course how did you feel this helped you in your career/ with your studies?

The degree helped me open doors for better career prospects and presented me with opportunities in career advancement. The programme has benefited me in many ways. It taught on concepts that were highly required in my field of specialism. As I was planning on a career transition at the end of my degree course, this programme opened doors and provided me with opportunities in the corporate world. I moved onto a new job with higher responsibilities, going up the corporate ladder, further specialising in Public Relations.

What was the best thing about your course?

Every lecturer that had taught me and my class were very down to earth and humble in their own ways. They understood our position as a working adult and that some of us were working/ studying mothers too. For me, my overall experience with every lecturer was truly memorable. It was not easy being a working mother and a student at the same time. My son was also going in for international competitions and it was crucial that I worked closely with the lecturers to understand the modules in depth. Every lecturer, including my supervisor for dissertation, were all very encouraging and supportive, ensuring I understood the modules and the required expectations for all my assignments. This experience as a whole, can never be felt or found elsewhere.

Which skills/knowledge did you learn on your course that you use most now throughout your career?

I learned the essence of Mass Communications and Public Relations, the theoretical approaches required to put into practice effective public relations, recognising branding, the fundamentals of today’s media and various communications strategies. These were highly relevant to the nature of my work and were useful in all forms of application.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Northumbria University?

The lecturers were very knowledgeable and experienced in their respective fields and often used real-life case studies to relate the topics to us. They also understood that as adult learners we had various commitments but still aspired to further attain our educational goals thus, they were very approachable and helpful with all our queries and remained contactable via email should we require any further clarification on our assignments. The programme managers were also helpful and facilitated my queries related to the course. Overall, it was a pleasant and supportive education journey.

What advice would you give somebody who is considering studying at Northumbria?

This is a course suitable for both full-time and part-time learners. The fast track does not in any way compromise on its world class standards and requisites, and is in fact rigorous and requires a strong student to come to both learn and excel in it. I would strongly encourage anyone to take up this course due to its depth of coverage, fundamentals' exposure and most importantly the lecturers' commitment to make the educational journey both smooth and memorable.