UEA student offers advice after securing job a year before graduation
By: Communications
A student at the University of East Anglia (UEA) has secured a role with one of the largest accounting firms in the world a year before graduating – and is sharing her advice for fellow job-hunting students.
Mao Suzuki, 21, is currently studying Global Development and Media at UEA and will work as a Business Consultant at KPMG Japan after finishing her studies.
KPMG is a multinational professional services network and one of the ‘Big Four’ largest accounting firms in the world.
Born and raised in Japan, Mao came to the UK to study. She credits both her time at UEA and her commitment to extracurricular work for this job opportunity.
She said: “Through my studies I’ve realised that I want to be involved in creating a more stable and sustainable society. That’s why I’m going into consultancy – it allows you to get involved in the structural change of large corporations.”
It was the variety of modules offered by the School of Global Development that drew Mao to study at UEA, enabling her to tailor her studies to her interests.
Mao made the most of this flexibility and studied economics, media, French, and the environment in the second semester of her first year alone, which allowed her to “look at complex issues from multiple lenses”.
Exploring a range of topics also helped Mao gain clarity about what she wanted her future to look like after university. She said: “Studying Global Development can be mentally tough, but it really made me think about the impact I’m having in the world, and what I can practically do throughout my career to help the planet.”
Throughout her degree, Mao also sought out extracurricular activities tailored to her interests, such as taking part in student-led social enterprise projects through the student society Enactus UEA and completing an internship with Norwich-based Youth Climate Solutions. Combined with her studies, this helped Mao to curate a strong CV and, ultimately, to receive a job offer one year before graduating.
Her success comes amid an increasingly competitive job market for students and graduates, with findings from Prospects’ Early Careers Survey 2026 revealing that one in five graduates apply for more than 100 jobs.
When asked what advice she would give fellow students searching for jobs, Mao said: “Be strategic. I knew I wanted to work in business, but specifically in sustainability and development-related areas, so I did extracurricular activities that relate to these things.
“Seek out unique experiences that make you stand out. For example, I volunteered and backpacked around Europe in the summer after my first year of studies.
“And lastly, broaden your opportunities by considering which countries you’d want to work in. When I first came to the UK, I was hoping to stay in Europe after graduation, but I realised that it can be difficult getting a work visa and being hired by a company when you’re not a local.
“Since that realisation, I started looking for jobs in Japan, which was a lot easier for me because the experience of studying and living abroad is a unique strength compared to other candidates.”
Thinking about studying at UEA?
Discover our award-winning campus, meet current students and staff, and find out what life at UEA is really like at one of our upcoming Undergraduate Open Days:
Saturday 28 November 2026
Related Articles
New guide puts Indigenous Peoples, local communities and rights at the heart of ecosystem restoration
A major new report outlines how experts can better place Indigenous Peoples and local communities at the heart of decision-making in ecosystem restoration efforts.
Read more
Inequalities grow in cities as heat and daylight patterns transform urban life
Changing patterns of heat and daylight in urban environments are creating growing inequalities, with climate-related shifts reshaping daily life and disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities.
Read more
Indigenous knowledge key to building healthier and more sustainable food systems
Traditional and Indigenous knowledge could play a vital role in addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and poor health and nutrition, according to a new review of current research.
Read more