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Kick-start Your Career with a University of London Education! Ambitious University of London (UOL) graduate Nicholas Gerard is certainly enjoying the fast-paced role of Business Development Lead at technology start-up company Peatix (a Japanese company that manages mobile ticket sales for events).

As part of the team that set up operations in Singapore for Peatix (which recently launched its services in Malaysia last year and has offices in Tokyo and New York), Nicholas is gaining valuable experience for launching a business – which will no doubt come in handy as he plans to start his own company one day.

Nicholas shares, “Working in a start-up is indeed exciting, but it is a lot of hard work. It is like nurturing a baby and trying to help it grow. That is where my satisfaction lies.

“I truly and genuinely like solving problems for our clients through our product. I’m learning something new every day from my bosses, all of whom have extensive resumes in tech and media.”

Brand Value of Globally-Recognised Degree

The enthusiastic Nicholas credits the globally-recognised degree from UOL and the networking opportunities he received there as crucial factors in helping him secure his role at Peatix.

Nicholas, who enrolled in a BSc Management degree at SIM Global Education (SIM GE), an Affiliate Centre for the University of London International Programmes, explains, “The ‘brand value’ of a British education is still highly recognised here in Singapore. The history of UOL and its Colleges and UOL’s global reputation made it an obvious choice for my further education.

“I chose SIM GE because the lecturers there are either practicing industry professionals or have a wealth of industry experience. This allows for greater classroom learning and the ability to apply academia into real world scenarios.”

The Importance of Networking

Nicholas also developed an interest in technology start-ups during his second year at UOL. He elaborates, “I got an internship at one of Southeast Asia's most successful technology start-up accelerators, the Joyful Frog Digital Incubator. There, I started learning about start-ups and the start-up ecosystem in Southeast Asia, and along the way I networked extensively and met with over 300-400 professionals in the industry.”

Nicholas’s networking paid off – he met his future Peatix boss at an industry event before connecting with her on LinkedIn. “By chance, she was expanding Peatix's operations outside Japan and was looking to put together a team in Singapore. I received a message from her to meet to discuss if I might be keen on an opportunity with Peatix and things kind of took off from there.

Nicholas says while the learning curve has been steep, he is enjoying the fast-paced environment at Peatix and foresees many more years with the company. “I certainly feel that my BSc Management degree from UOL’s London School of Economics and Political Science indicated that I am a competent and high-quality worker!”

For more information about the University of London in Singapore, please visit www.londoninternational.ac.uk/sg

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