CLASS OF 2021: Sterling Master’s the Art of HR
Sterling Anthony Hall, 34 from Halesowen, has shown that he’s mastered the art of HR by graduating with a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management in the University of Wolverhampton Business School.
He said: “It feels a bit surreal being here at last after having studied during the pandemic mostly online. It’s great to be back on campus and it’s a relief to finally be graduating. I feel really confident and it feels positive. It’s a great day to be here with my family, too, and I have a real sense of achievement for all the hard work I’ve put in.”
Sterling studied for one year part-time while he was working full-time in his current job in HR at Halesowen based firm Sandvik Materials Technology in Halesowen.
“The University was very welcoming. I studied during lockdown so it was very different but I enjoyed the interaction. The lecturers offered me a lot of support and I felt that the societies were very useful also. I joined a Christian society and it really helped me grow as a person – both personally and as a student. It was my first time at University so it was important that I could meet people and join other communities.
“We spoke a lot online and had a lot of meetings which was helpful during lockdown as people were quite isolated.”
Sterling aims to become a Senior HR Professional, hoping to apply for Director level roles and eventually taking a step up, and he is boosting his skills with another Master’s degree at the University covering Business Administration (MBA).
“I chose the University of Wolverhampton because they had a good choice of the type of courses I wanted to study and it was close to home, it was a better fit for me in terms of travel.”
Sterling also has a Diploma in HR Management. He began to be interested in Human Resources as a potential career role after working for a recruitment company and he spent some time in the Army working in a HR role. “I’ve been on a bit of a journey with my career aspirations but my next Master’s course should give me that broad range of knowledge I need to step up.
“The University is very supportive and my advice to applicants would be go for it, if I can do it, you certainly can and it will help you progress to anything you aspire to do in the future. I’d never thought of studying for a Master’s degree, but I’m really glad I decided to do it.”
Graduates are encouraged to keep in touch with the Alumni team and take advantage of a range of benefits and support on offer to them including a discount for Postgraduate study and opportunities to benefit from mentoring, volunteering and career advice.
For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.