Nishil Parmar

Before coming to the UK, I was working as an Academic Study Counsellor in India, helping international students navigate university applications and visa requirements. I was good at my job — but as I guided student after student toward their dreams of studying abroad, I realised I wanted to walk that path myself.

UWS London, with its diverse international community and reputation for applied learning, felt like exactly the right place to do that. During my studies, I gained a strong foundation in supply chain oversight, strategic leadership, research and analytics, and global enterprise. What struck me most was how every module connected theory to the real world, these were frameworks I could immediately map onto challenges I had faced in my previous work. Studying alongside classmates from so many different countries deepened my cross-cultural communication skills in ways I had not anticipated, and graduating with a Merit was a proud moment.

Beyond the classroom, I became a Badminton Instructor for the TEG Club, which turned out to be one of the most formative experiences of my time as a student. Week after week, I worked with students of every ability level, learning to read the room, keep energy up, and make everyone feel welcome.

Looking back, it was the perfect preparation for an administrative role where every day brings a different person with a different need. It was through those sessions that a member of the TEG Club events team noticed how I connected with students and recommended me for the admin team, and that recommendation changed the entire direction of my career.

Navigating the UK job market as an international graduate was not easy. The hiring process here is different from what I had experienced in India, and the competition is fierce. I took a methodical approach, focusing on roles where my existing strengths in record management, data integrity, and process improvement would translate directly, tailoring every application to match UK hiring conventions, and highlighting specific, measurable achievements rather than simply listing responsibilities.

The opportunity that changed everything came from closer to home than I expected. UWS London itself. My familiarity with the institution and the recommendation through the TEG Club network gave me a foot in the door, and I joined the admin team in October 2024.

In my current role, I serve as a first point of contact for over 200 daily student and staff enquiries, maintain accurate student records in compliance with GDPR, support enrolment processes, and coordinate orientations for up to 300 students. I also volunteer at UWS graduation ceremonies, not as a graduate this time, but as one of the people helping to make the day run smoothly for the students who are. I know exactly how they feel standing in that ceremony hall, because I felt it too. Getting to play even a small part in making that moment as special for them as it was for me is something I never take for granted.

Looking ahead, I want to continue deepening my expertise in higher education administration and data management, and explore how well-designed administrative systems can directly improve the student experience. One day I was in India advising students on how to get into university, now I am here, making sure their experience once they arrive is as good as it can possibly be. That full circle means everything to me.