Employability at GCU – Nele Odzuck

Our #EmployabilityAtGCU campaign aims to highlight the ways the University can help students with accessing a graduate career.

We want current students to be inspired by our alumni - we're proud that 91% of our graduates are in employment or further study, within 15 months of leaving GCU (Graduate Outcomes, HESA, 2023).

People like Nele Odzuck, who graduated in 2017 with an MBA in Luxury Brand Management.

Nele is now working as Client Solutions Lead for TikTok, and heads up TikTok’s Consumer Goods teams, including the food & nutrition, beauty & healthcare, fashion & luxury and comprehensive retailer/home/decor teams, across Germany and Austria.

We asked her about her time at GCU, how her course prepared her for the workplace and any advice she had for current students to enhance their skillset and employability whilst studying.

What do you love about working at TikTok?

“I think it’s really the people I love most about working at TikTok. I have the privilege of leading most brilliant, inspiring and internationally diverse team of individuals who are always looking for ways to innovate.”

How did studying at GCU prepare you for the world of work?

“GCU had partnerships to offer that connection to the business world, which is so important. The networking opportunities GCU provided opened huge doors for me.

“For example, GCU had a partnership with a charity that provided women who couldn’t afford business attire with corporate clothing to help them feel ready for interviews. We organised a fashion show to fundraise and invited a lot of really important people from the industry, it was a great event and networking opportunity.

“It’s important to offer that industry connection, rather than being disconnected and focused on academic study alone. A lot of professors also had connections throughout the industry, which was also really helpful.”

What did you do while studying to enhance your CV?

“There were some great opportunities at GCU. In my course there was a mandatory internship you had to look for and it was really important to do that.

“Through Glasgow Caledonian, I had a scholarship from M&S and an internship there where I worked within various departments and found a real interest in digital marketing.

“I was also able to get partnered with a mentor, she was leading the photography team in charge of images and marketing at M&S. She’s a really inspiring woman and I’m still in touch with her.

“If I didn’t have that experience I would have gone into fashion buying - that was my plan.

“It was great that GCU had that partnership that enables you to get on-the-job experience. It was so helpful to know which area I wanted to go into while I was still at university.

What advice would give to current students to get the job/career they aspire to have?

“Be diligent and work hard – most of the time if you work hard, follow up and show your work ethic, the rest will come.

“I’d also encourage all students not just to swing by their courses, but to take it seriously. Take on any projects, networking or mentoring opportunities you can to build your connections and skills.”