Natalia Dobias
Adoption & Change Management Consultant, Microsoft
BSc Management (2011 – 2015)

What was the best thing about studying BSc Management at WBS?
There is no such thing as one best thing about studying at WBS – my whole WBS experience was what made a difference in my life.

What’s inspired you most through your studies?

Studying at WBS is a steep learning curve, which at the end provides a springboard for your career and life. Every day, you learn something new, discover something you didn’t know before, you meet new people, improve and grow. The notion of my personal transformation was the driver throughout my time at Warwick.

Did you use the WBS CareersPlus team?

The help from the WBS CareersPlus team was invaluable in my first year when I was preparing for job interviews and assessment centres. The team supported me with building my CV, mock-up interviews and workshops on various soft-skills. The team also helped me with my personal development and taught me how to stand out from the crowd, and with their help, I secured a three-month internship after my first year at WBS.

Were you a member of any SU clubs or societies?

At the end of my first year, my three classmates and I couldn’t have decided which society to join so we established Warwick Management Society. The aim of the society was to provide WBS students with workshops on how to prepare for exams as well as bring additional content and speakers to broaden the topic of career and job search. Having been a part of the team taught me to be a better team player and also gave me the opportunity to improve my entrepreneurial and presentation skills.

Tell us about your accommodation whilst studying at WBS.

Both, living on and off-campus provide different experiences. I highly recommend living on campus in the first year as it enables you to socialise with others and make friends from day one. In the second year, students are encouraged to find their own accommodation, which is great for learning to be independent. I also had the opportunity to live on campus in my final year after returning from a year-long placement – being able to stay close to the university whilst living with other final year students helped me stay focused and motivated till the very last exam.

What are your tips for getting the most out of an Undergraduate degree?

First, be open to any opportunity that WBS provides and try new things, even the scary ones. Secondly, know when to have fun but also when to get your head down and study. And above all, ENJOY it – time will go so much faster than you think – in the end, you will look back and say ‘what a journey.’

What were the key things you took away from your course?

Studying (and doing) business is like learning about a million different, yet equally important things, which at the end they all come together in one unified masterpiece. We can agree that three years of business studies will not make anyone a business guru. However, it is a starting point. The WBS approach to teaching is what makes that starting point as broad and as deep as possible. The first-year compulsory modules give you the general overview of various business domains after which you have the opportunity to select subjects of interest during the following years. I truly appreciated this approach as I was able to learn about things I was particularly passionate about. In addition, the opportunity to apply the learnings during my placement year at Microsoft was invaluable in building the bridge between the theory and real business world from an early start.

How you did you go about getting your current role? Did the WBS Careers team support this?

My placement experience at Microsoft helped me open doors to my current full-time role.

What do you most enjoy about your role now?

At Microsoft, I work as an Adoption and Change Management consultant. I know, a fancy title but you may ask what does it really mean. Our team work directly with clients, helping them with the people side of change when new processes and technologies are introduced to their organisations. Nowadays, deploying new technology comes as second nature to organisations, however, helping employees to adapt to and embrace the change is where the challenge is. My role is great as it encompasses a broad range of domains and skills: creativity, communication, coaching, presentation delivery, stakeholder management, problem-solving, planning and more. Also, I work in a great team of experienced professionals from across the globe in a consulting role, no day is the same and that is what gets me out of the bed.

What are your future career aspirations?

Indeed a tough question! It has been nearly two years since my graduation and frankly, I still don’t know what I want to do in the future. Interestingly, I have realised that today, more than ever before, it is difficult to provide an answer to this with certainty. I now do a job which I was completely unaware existed when I started my studies. Thus, the only thing I am clear about is that I want to keep doing things that energise me, with people who push me forward and who I can learn from, and in places where I can create something valuable as well.