Master of Information Technology

The thing that got me excited about the Master of Information Technology (MInfoTech) was the chance to gain exposure in an NZ based company through an internship during the last semester of the degree.

For my internship, I developed a Geographical Information System to analyse risk exposure in Hazard Prone areas for Tower Insurance. I believe the internship was the best part of the entire programme as it gave me an opportunity to apply what I have learnt through the coursework. Also, it helped me built my soft skills that are as important, if not more, than technical skills in the IT industry.

I have received tremendous support from the Faculty of Science. They supported the research as well as the industry experience I had and helped me evolve as a professional. The incredible effort that the ICT Graduate School put in getting all the students internships relevant to their skill set and goals made all the difference between being IT students and industry-ready IT professionals.

The qualification led me to a permanent role at Tower Insurance as a Business Intelligence Analyst where I get to do what I absolutely love – crunch numbers (data). I am doing advanced analytics for the oldest insurance company in NZ. I see myself heading towards a flourishing career in the tech industry.

I hope to inspire the next generation of people choosing a career in data science. I want to motivate them to be able to work on technologies such that it pushes humankind forward and not in the opposite direction. I want to help them in their struggles to make the right choices and uplift them by sharing my story. I have been involved in the data science and machine learning community on @ml.newzealand (Instagram) where around 500+ artificial intelligence enthusiasts help each other by sharing their learning and doing various challenges to upskill themselves. I hope to keep sharing my story and bring value to the society by working on one data set at a time.

I recently worked on a project to determine a strategy for the reopening of super spreader businesses and risk of COVID-19 transmission during a datathon organised by MIT Critical Data. Our project won the datathon and received a lot of media attention.

The University of Auckland has given me a professional network that would have been impossible to attain at any other institution. My time at the University has given me friends that have become my family and I will always be grateful for them.

I believe my time at The University of Auckland has transformed me into a version of myself that I and my family are proud of.