Leigh Green – Student Success – My Story

Leigh Green, BA (Hons) Business

At UWS…

I entered the UWS Business Enterprise competition in April 2015 and was the winning recipient of a Renfrewshire Incube space (a prize worth £11k!) with my friend for her business idea, Knit Knax. I am currently providing business advice and administrative support for the business, juggling this role with my Honours and duties as a mum and domestic goddess!

Overcoming challenges…

I lacked confidence that our idea was genuinely any good. The business idea had been discussed for a few years but we had no idea where to start. I entered the competition not expecting to achieve a place in the final let alone win a prize – if anything we just wanted some feedback on our idea. We were amazed at the positivity and encouragement received from our presentation.
I have changed considerably during my time at UWS and my close friends and family have all commented on this. My self-awareness, confidence in my own abilities and my new found openness to ideas have meant I am now far more likely to jump in and give things a go. I used to be quite shy, a bit of a wallflower and unwilling to instigate change. I now realise that if I want things to change in my life, I can’t sit back and wait for them to happen. I am now far more willing to push boundaries and work outside my comfort zone to overcome challenges. Through the support of my friends, family and UWS staff, I have embraced the fact that I am a naturally academic, intelligent, erudite woman who is capable of so much more that I previously thought.

Improving my employment prospects…

I look back at what I have achieved so far with an awareness of the difficulties and struggles that I had to overcome to get to where I am today. I have a new found respect for myself, a new and improved inner confidence as well as a greater self-belief in my skill set; these attributes can only improve my employability. Winning the Incube award and being part of a joint business venture will enhance my CV considerably. The experience will be invaluable to future employers.

My advice to students…
Just do it. Don’t hold back, embrace it and get involved. Take a risk because you don’t know where it will lead. Only dead fish go with the flow!!

WWW.UWS.AC.UK/STUDENTSUCCESS

Calling UWS Alumni

We are looking for Alumni to contribute case studies that will help current students recognise the employability skills they bring to UWS, and those they develop while they are here, that enhance their career development. If you are a graduate of UWS, or any of its former institutions, who has a career story to tell, or if you are a recent graduate who has secured your first graduate job, we would love to hear from you.

Download a case study form: Case study template