Postgraduate student profile: Claire Dempsey

Studying for a masters in European business

POSTGRADUATE COURSE Masters in European business, ESCP-EAP, European School of Management
UNDERGRADUATE COURSE BA economics and French, University College Dublin
NATIONALITY Irish
STUDIED Italy and UK

Following my graduation I wasn’t sure as to what area of business I wanted to specialise in. I decided to undertake a masters that delved into many aspects of the business world in order to find a field that was challenging and appealing to work in. The experience has given me a deeper understanding of what I find stimulating and therefore seriously aided me in my future career choice.

A multicultural mindset

I was involved in the Erasmus scheme in Belgium as part of my undergraduate degree and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of living abroad. The option of studying overseas for a second time was attractive to me, not only because of the benefits of learning a new language, but also in terms of developing a multicultural mindset – crucial in the working world today.
It is essential to be open-minded and have the willingness to learn and develop. The greatest difficulty for me was the culture shock associated with experiencing a new language, entirely new surroundings and the different attitudes of the nationals. Although it was difficult at first, the steep learning curve was important for my development.

Finding funding

In terms of funding I was lucky that my parents paid for my course. However, several of my classmates had
student loans or scholarships from their own countries. From what I can tell, finding funding for postgraduate
courses is not a major obstacle as most lending institutions see it as an investment that will reap returns. My most important advice is to make sure that you have the commitment and stamina to take on a postgraduate course. It is quite an expensive investment so it’s important to be prepared to give it your all. I would also advise students to research as many courses as possible in order to make an educated decision.

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