Wahida Wanliova

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Kinguin Poland Spzoo

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

I’ve been working in a gaming company and Esports Performance Centre, where I applied my knowledge of languages.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I’ve chosen this career, because I enjoy gaming, but also because I wanted to contribute, because it’s a family business.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

I was part of Arabic & Middle Eastern Society.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

I’ve enjoyed everything! I loved being in the UK and studying at top university among English natives from different corners of the world/country. The biggest highlight was our year abroad. I’ve chosen Jordan Language Academy in Amman, Jordan as my year abroad country. It was incredible, because I’ve been in a class with students from Manchester Uni, University of St Andrews, and the US. I was able to get a volunteer work in Zaatari refugee camp in 2012.

What did you enjoy most about studying here?

I enjoyed our history classes and language classes. I’ve taken Turkish classes to learn about the language. I really loved our campus, the Auditorium and our Arabic & Islamic Institute. I’ve enjoyed being a part of wider community and the gatherings we did as students at the Institute. I was shy at first but most classmates made me feel welcome.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

I wasn’t accepted to Leeds University because of IELTS 6.5 score on writing , and I chose not to re-sit the IELTS exam. At the same time, I was already accepted into Exeter, so I did my research and decided to accept the offer. I was living in Leeds at that time for a year and had a part-time job. I loved my time in Leeds, but felt like this was a once in a life-time opportunity, so I decided to move to Exeter.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

I’ve learned to believe in myself, gained confidence in using English, team work and collaboration/communication with people from different backgrounds. Unfortunately, I forgot a lot of Arabic, because I am not actively using the language.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

Before I got accepted into Exeter, it was a two years long journey of hard work filled with obstacles and lonely beginnings. I arrived to the UK from a small Czech town and I got very little support from my friends and family in the first year, so I had to persevere. I had to believe in my dream of studying and making it in the UK. So my advice is to believe in one self and be/stay persistent, and at the same time work towards achieving your goal(s) while navigating the often hard days of being far from family and relying on one self.

What are your plans for the future?

I’d like to grow my e-commerce business and see where else will my professional path take me. I’m currently on maternity leave but I am planning to return to work. I’d like to learn more about the HR field and employer branding, I will explore this new career path in the same company that I am currently employed in, which is Kinguin. I would like to also maintain my Arabic language skills by doing online courses, and learn Italian fluently, because my future husband is Italian.