My name is Nico Dharmaputra, and I graduated from King’s College London for my Master’s Degree in Accounting, Accountability and Financial Management. After I graduated, I had the opportunity to work with an UK organization to deliver the Great Campaign project in Indonesia. The organization is called The English Network, a group of 10 independent English Language Schools in the UK. The campaign was known as the “English is GREAT”, where the objective is to introduce the UK as home of English language.
After completing the project for about 6 months, I joined Spire Research and Consulting in Indonesia. Spire Research and Consulting is a Singapore (now Japan) based company with focus on delivering market research and consultancy services in various industries.
As I lived in London, I truly enjoyed the opportunity to meet different people from various countries and background. London is like the centre of the world and I was not only able to meet different people, but I was also able to visit and see a lot of different events happening in the city. Living in London is like a TV series, where you will get to see a new episode every week and never get bored about the city.
I believed that the process that I went through to get my Master’s Degree had given me a direct engagement and real experience to what the real business environment is. UK degree is highly recognised by multinational companies and it helped during my time to look for a job. Besides, it also helps to accelerate my career path because of the skills and value that matched to what employers need.
Before going to the UK, I thought the one-year program will be a long and challenging time. But I was wrong. I turned out that time flew very quickly and my one year time has just passed in a blink of an eye. When I arrived in the UK, I lived with my brother (he has lived in the UK for over 5 years now) and we explored a lot about the UK together.
As part of my study, I contributed in Indonesian Student Association in the UK (PPI-UK) as the Head of Commerce. Working for PPI-UK had opened the door for me to join various events and meet even more people! And through one of those events, I was able to work for a UK organization to deliver one of UK Government Great Campaign projects in Indonesia!
Another career experience that I had in the UK was working with BMI Media as part of my Santander SMEs Scholarship program. It was an incredible experience to work directly with many talented people and learn a lot of things in a multinational working environment. I was also chosen as one of the 12 UK students to represent the UK in Global Leadership Experience program conducted by Common Purpose.
Not only my career experience was great in the UK, but my personal experience was amazing too! When I thought I had explored a lot of British histories and cultures, I was wrong. There are so many to explore and no wonder it is called the Great Britain! I particularly like to visit different cities and enter each of the castles located in the city. One of my favourites is Dunvegan Castle in Isle of Skye! I think I have travelled about 60-70% of all the UK and seen the different cultures that each of the city has.
Travelling will never be enough without enjoying the local dishes! From The Sunday Roast that we can find almost in every pub on Sunday (I love that Yorkshire Pudding), to Haggis the traditional Scottish dish. I am not a fan of the Black pudding, though.
Not to forget, I am a big Chelsea fan! Living in London allows me to watch several matches at Stamford Bridge and I was so lucky to witness the greatest football industry in the world! At last, my one year time in the UK has passed and I came back to Indonesia. I truly enjoyed my time there and always wish that I will have a chance to come back and live in the UK again.