Khizar Zafar

Management & Entrepreneurship MSc

After more than 16 years in the corporate world, Khizar made the bold decision to return to education to update and sharpen his leadership and business skills. His time at BCU not only reignited his passion for learning but also played a pivotal role in helping him transition into a new role as a Training Consultant at Prime Security Services.

“My journey to BCU did not begin with certainty, but with courage. Returning to full-time education after 16 years in the corporate world was not an easy decision, but something inside me knew it was time to sharpen my management and leadership skills.

I was specifically looking for a course that could challenge my old ways of thinking, enhance my entrepreneurial and management skills, refine my leadership approach, and be heavily backed by research. BCU’s MSc in Management & Entrepreneurship offered exactly that, and it felt like the right next step.

It was daunting for me, leaving behind a familiar routine and stepping into an academic environment after more than a decade. But once I started the course, I realised how much I had missed learning in a structured, research-led environment. The blended learning approach at BCU pushed me out of my comfort zone and exposed me to new, evidence-based models of leadership and management. It didn’t just provide knowledge, it reworked the way I thought and approached the work environment, not just as an employee but with an owner/businessman mindset.

Alongside my studies, I started training security officers on hard and soft skills for a company I was contracting with, Prime Security Services. That hands-on experience, together with what I was learning in real time, gave me a platform to showcase my evolved leadership style. It certainly paid off, as that same company hired me permanently as their Training Consultant. Today, I lead their employee training programmes, designing, developing, and delivering content that supports their growth and performance. Every single day, I apply principles I learned during my time at BCU.

One of my proudest moments came when I saw the team I trained achieving results with zero customer complaints. That feedback meant everything to me. It was both a professional win and personal validation because I had taken a risk by going back to school, and here was proof that it was worth it.

Now, I’m working towards building my own Training and Management Consultancy, with a focus on the security and corporate sectors. It’s a long-term vision, but BCU gave me the foundation to see it clearly and the tools to move towards it with confidence.

To anyone considering this course, do it. Do not hold back, engage fully, ask questions, build relationships with your lecturers, and use every resource available. And if you’re a graduate starting out, align your skills with the industries growing around you. The UK job market rewards relevance and initiative.”