Jamie Moan - BA (Hons) Business Management

When leaving school aged 16, a degree seemed impossible for Jamie Moan. The more he worked however, the more he discovered he had a passion for business and didn’t want to stop learning. Given the opportunity to gain direct entry onto RGU's BA Business Management Course, Jamie, now aged 28, jumped at the chance to make his years of business experience mean something.

Father of two, Jamie from Fort William left Lochaber High School aged 16. He spent 12 years working his way up through the ranks to his first management role at BSW Timber. He wanted to go to university to develop and open up his career opportunities.

The advanced entry level meant Jamie could start in the final year of the Business Management Course. His company have been really supportive, backing him all the way and providing the encouragement he needed.

“Being able to use my knowledge and understanding of business whilst getting a formal qualification has been great. It’s been such a fantastic experience and I’m delighted with my results and end qualifications. The teachers and RGU tools made the experience of going back to academic work very achievable and enjoyable as it was very daunting starting this course.

For many the pandemic has proved challenging however Jamie says it’s been an opportunity; “Doing the course during the pandemic has been a good thing. Everything was locked down and you had to stay at home. The BA Business Management course at Aberdeen Business School really helped me through and gave me something to focus on. Having the weekly classes were great. It allowed me to catch up with people doing the course and the tutors were really helpful at keeping me on track throughout the modules.

“The course work is very practical and summarises everything you have learnt in the end assessments on real topics. This gives you a sense of what it’s like in a more senior role and helps you prepare work against deadlines. It has been a great learning experience.”

Now that Jamie’s finished university, he wants to develop his newfound knowledge further and to keep progressing up the career ladder.

He also has a special thanks for his family; “I am really grateful to my supportive wife and two little girls. I wanted to show that you can achieve anything you want to, if you put your mind to it and I did just that.”