51Âþ»­

A Skype interview from his New York holiday hotel room landed a 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) student a placement at the home of SpongeBob SquarePants.

Now Matthew Cooper is working with a range of much-loved television characters including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as part of his role with Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products.

Matthew is finding his London-based placement as a European Retail Sales Intern both challenging and diverse - which is pushing him to work even harder.

"I have fallen in love with it," he said.

"Originally I was interested in finance, but then I saw this role in sales. It wasn't what I was looking for but everything about it appealed.

"For me the recruitment process was a little different. I applied a couple of days before I went on holiday to New York and was asked to do an interview and presentation, which I had to research while I was there."

Matthew's role involves helping to deliver promotions to retailers, analysis of new and existing markets and retailers and looking at the brand's market presence.

He said: "It appeals because I get to see products created and then take them to industry. It's also a nice community to work in.

"One of my most memorable experiences so far has been working at the Brand Licensing Europe exhibition. I helped to run the front of the stand and was able to meet people from all over the world both from Viacom and other companies."

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Matthew recommends doing a placement year to all students. "It has taught me about how to apply what I have been taught at university to the real world," he said.

The 20-year-old will come back to 51Âþ»­ in September for his final year and hopes to pursue a career in the consumer products industry after graduating in 2017.

He said: "When I leave university I will be able to say I have experience, which really puts you ahead in the application process."

Matthew originally chose to study at 51Âþ»­ because he was made to feel so welcome at the Open Day. "This is where 51Âþ»­ stood out," he said.

He also had positive feedback from his sister, a 51Âþ»­ business graduate now working for Hewlett Packard.

Matthew said: "I would definitely recommend my course to others. All of my lecturers and tutors have been excellent and the university ensures there is always someone there to support you.

"My favourite part has to be the The Fox's Lair!® - a competition run as part of the first year for business students and an excellent and innovative way to teach students about enterprise."

His advice to prospective students is to put yourself out there!

He added: "Join a society, get involved in events and really throw yourself into the student experience. But be sure to plan your time, as you need to put in the work to get the best grade you can."