My name is Poorvika Ravikumar, and I grew up in Mysore, a smaller‑tier city in India, where global careers often feel very distant. Coming to Kent Business School (KBS) to study MSc International Business and Management with Placement was not just a change of country; it was a complete shift in what I believed was possible for my future.
I was awarded the India Women in Leadership Scholarship, which covered 50% of my tuition fees. Offered to only five women from India each year, it felt like a commitment not only to my own growth, but also to showing other women from cities like mine that their ambitions belong on a global stage.
Why I chose the Year in Industry
The placement year was not compulsory, when I applied, but it was non‑negotiable in my mind. I wanted hands‑on experience while still having the safety net of university support, from lectures and careers advice to visa and wellbeing services. It is much easier to commit to a two‑year course with a placement from the beginning than to extend later; it gives you a clear structure and time to prepare. The placement year is not just another module; it is a bridge between classroom and boardroom, between theory and the messy, exciting reality of business.
The support that opened global doors
From my first weeks at KBS, the School and the wider University surrounded us with opportunities to explore careers. I attended autumn and summer careers and employability fairs, Aspire events, and student‑led activities, all of which helped me understand where I might fit and what skills I needed to build.
The power of alumni and International Women’s Week
One of the most inspiring parts of my time at Kent has been the alumni community. During International Women’s Week, I attended an event where Mrs Kinga, a Kent graduate and marketing entrepreneur, spoke about how she started and grew her own company. After the event, I connected with her on LinkedIn, and through that ongoing relationship, she introduced me to her network and opportunities, which ultimately helped me secure the placement I have today. Another alumna, Fiona, also stayed in touch with me via LinkedIn after International Women’s Week. She took the time to get on calls with me, explain how recruitment processes really work, what employers look for, and how I should present myself, which transformed the way I approached my applications, profile and professional development. Alongside this, I also found it extremely helpful to actively search for mentors on platforms like ADP Lists, and I often encourage other students to do the same to access diverse, honest guidance from professionals around the world
Securing an international remote placement
The KBS Placement Team, the Careers and Employability Service, Immigration/Student Visa Compliance and Student Advice all played crucial roles in my journey towards an international, fully remote role. My placement situation was complex: the company is not based in the UK, the role is remote, and I had to be employed through an employer of record, which involved careful coordination around visas and compliance; through it all, these teams stood beside me and helped turn a difficult idea into a real contract.
I secured a placement as an Executive Training Advisor with Beat Limited, a professional services and leadership‑focused firm based in Malta. As the business evolved, my role began to transition within the same employer group into Humanity Works, based in Ireland, while I continued working remotely.
What I do in my role
My role as an Executive Training Advisor is much broader than a single job title suggests. On a typical week, I manage client relationships, plan and run marketing campaigns, and oversee social media content across platforms to support the company’s brand and thought leadership in professional services. I also work on research and development for the firm: preparing external analyses, stakeholder maps and situational analyses that inform strategy and client recommendations. Behind the scenes, I support operational tasks such as scheduling webinars and podcasts, coordinating with partners, and helping with elements of the website backend, which gives me a holistic view of how a lean, international business operates day to day.
A learning moment that made me stronger
Not everything went smoothly, and those moments taught me the most. In one campaign, a corrupted mailing list resulted in some clients receiving multiple emails, and a few understandably sent frustrated replies; it was one of those moments when your stomach drops. I analysed what went wrong, drafted clear and sincere apologies, helped correct the data, and communicated transparently with the affected clients. My employer appreciated the way I handled the situation, and that experience strengthened my confidence in dealing with problems directly and professionally rather than seeing them as failures.
Achievements that keep me motivated
Many of the campaigns I have been involved in have achieved success or engagement rates of over 75% – a strong figure in a professional services context where audiences are busy and selective. We have also seen noticeable increases in engagement and followers on the company’s public profiles, and I regularly receive positive feedback from my employer on the quality of my reports and analysis. These outcomes remind me that even as a student on placement, I can contribute real value to clients and to the firm’s reputation.
Skills that changed how I see myself
Working fully remotely across time zones has forced me to grow in ways a classroom cannot. I have had to become more self‑reliant: when something does not work, I research, experiment and try to solve it before asking for help, which has built my self‑learning, resilience and problem‑solving skills. At the same time, I have developed leadership, initiative and time‑management skills by coordinating projects, meeting deadlines independently and communicating clearly with clients and colleagues in different countries. I now feel far more comfortable presenting ideas, taking responsibility and seeing myself as a woman in leadership, not just a student.
How my KBS studies support my work
The modules I study at Kent Business School connect directly to my placement experience. Courses in international business, global value chains, strategic marketing and global strategy have given me frameworks to understand what I see in my day‑to‑day work, from client positioning to competitive analysis and cross‑border collaboration.
Because of that academic grounding, I can approach tasks like market research, stakeholder analysis and campaign planning with a clearer structure, and I am more confident contributing ideas in discussions with senior colleagues. The theory does not stay in the textbook; it becomes part of how I make decisions and evaluate options for the business.
What this placement means to me
This placement is not just a stepping stone to a future job; it is an exploration of my career, my dreams and the kind of leader I want to become. As someone from a smaller‑tier city in India, working with companies in Malta and Ireland while studying in the UK has changed what I believe is possible and has opened networks I could never have imagined a few years ago.
Most importantly, it has shown me that with the right support and determination, it is possible to navigate scholarships, visas, remote work and international expectations without losing your own voice and values. I carry the values and confidence that KBS has helped me build into every client call, every report and every new challenge, and I hope my journey encourages other students—especially women from cities like Mysore—to take that extra step and say yes to a Year in Industry.
Find out more about the Masters in International Business Management and Placement Year.
For Indian students, find out more about life at Kent and visit our Kent Business School Guide for Indian Students.