From running a virtual business to managing real-world operations: how LSBU helped Mehedi build leadership skills for Amazon
After graduating with First Class Honours in Business Management, LSBU graduate Mehedi is preparing to start his career as a Graduate Area Manager at Amazon. Before studying Business Management, he initially pursued Computer Science. Realising his strengths and ambitions lay in leadership, strategy and decision-making, Mehedi mapped out a new path.
Finding a clear direction
Mehedi chose us because the course aligned with his career ambitions and gave him a route into the business world.
Alongside his studies, he used his LSBU Personal Development Plan (PDP) to identify his strengths, determine career goals and set out the direction he wanted to take after graduation. Rather than waiting for opportunities to come to him, he used his plan to guide the decisions he made, from extracurricular projects to career experiences.
‘I used my Personal Development Plan actively to identify my strengths and set clear career goals, which kept me focused on where I wanted to end up.’
‘The Employability team were a big help, and I had brilliant lecturers and mentors who backed my development throughout.’
Learning by doing
Rather than limiting himself to his timetable, Mehedi chose to put himself forward for additional opportunities designed to give students experience of working in realistic business environments.
One of those was Evolve 2024, a SimVenture business simulation where teams compete by running a company and making strategic decisions under pressure.
‘My team ran a company end-to-end and made strategic and operational decisions in a highly competitive environment.’
One particular challenge became a valuable lesson.
‘The toughest moment came when a pricing and market decision we made backfired. It taught me two things that have stuck with me: understand the market before setting a price and constantly balance profit against market share rather than chasing one at the expense of the other.’
‘Getting that call wrong, and having to recover from it, taught me more than getting it right would have.’
Presenting solutions to real clients
Looking for more opportunities to apply what he was learning Mehedi also joined the Practera Consulting Academy, where students work together to solve a real business challenge and present recommendations to a client.
Unlike a traditional university assignment, the project gave him experience of producing practical solutions for a real organisation.
‘It was more nerve-wracking and higher stakes than a classroom assignment, but it also felt far more real and motivating.’
‘It taught me that in industry a client wants practical, usable answers, not theory, and there's real accountability behind what you present because people are going to act on it.’
Building confidence to lead
By stepping outside of his comfort zone, Mehedi developed the skills employers value most: communication, decision-making, collaboration and resilience under pressure.
‘Those experiences built my confidence presenting and speaking up, taught me to handle disagreement and pressure without losing the room, sharpened how I structure decisions and helped me work effectively with very different kinds of people.’
‘When I started at LSBU, I knew I wanted to lead people, but I wasn't always confident backing my own decisions. Through experiences like Evolve and Practera, I learned that leadership is about taking responsibility, learning from mistakes and keeping a team moving forward. By the time I graduated, I felt confident leading discussions, presenting my ideas and making decisions under pressure.’
Ready for Amazon
Those practical experiences gave Mehedi a bank of real examples to draw on when applying for graduate roles.
‘As a Graduate Area Manager at Amazon, I'll be responsible for leading people, making operational decisions and performing under pressure. The closest preparation for that wasn't reading about management, it was practising it.’
He believes making the most of opportunities to test classroom learning in realistic business situations gave him an advantage throughout the recruitment process.
‘In my interviews, I could talk about real decisions I'd made and what came of them, not just concepts. That's the difference between knowing the answer and having done it.’
Advice for future students
For anyone considering Business Management at LSBU, Mehedi's advice is simple:
‘Throw yourself into every competition, simulation and project you can, and volunteer to lead. That's where the real learning is, and it's what makes you employable at the end.’
LSBU didn't create Mehedi's ambition. It helped him recognise it, develop it and put it into practice. Through teaching, support and opportunities he found ways to test himself and build the confidence, judgement and experience that helped him take the next step.