Senior ITSS, Ernst & Young Global ServicesI am currently a Senior IT Consultant at Ernst and Young, managing a team of eight people. We work with leading financial banks across London and all over the world, as well as with companies like BP and BT, helping them to improve their technology and advising them on how to make their technology more efficient and effective.
I got this job while I was doing my Master’s dissertation at Middlesex, and I love it. I have been in this role now for six years, which is a testament to how much I have enjoyed it. I believe that everyone should do something that they love.
I had some experience in this sector before I did my Master’s, but I wanted to further develop my skills, so I decided to go back to University. It came down to a decision between Middlesex and Lancaster, and it was the Network Security specialism at Middlesex that swayed me in the end.
What I liked about studying at Middlesex was that you weren’t ‘spoon-fed’ the course, it was about getting you to understand the underlying concepts and about teaching you to work and learn for yourself. I can now do more than just what is available in books, and that’s what helped me get into consulting. I could answer questions in interviews which heavily relied on knowing the fundamentals, rather than book knowledge. It also enabled me to explain and provide creative solutions in my present job in an easy and understandable way.
At Middlesex it’s not just about getting you a job, it’s about educating you so that you really understand your subject.
My Middlesex graduation ceremony. It was great to come to the graduation ceremony of a degree that I enjoyed studying, to meet friends that I made in that very campus and it gave me great pride to be there and know that I found a career and not just a job thanks to Middlesex University. My master’s degree gave me a huge amount of confidence in what I was doing when I left Middlesex.
I did three and a half years of work experience after my undergraduate degree, before I decided to pursue a postgraduate degree. Postgraduate study takes your knowledge to the next level, and I personally believe there’s nothing better than having a Master’s. Many other IT qualifications expire in five years or so, but a Master’s degree and the expertise you learn will last forever.
It can be scary to go back to study especially when you already have a job, but anyone can do it, and it’s truly worth it.
I was able to learn and understand concepts, rather than just studying to pass an exam. It prepared me for working in a broad sector rather than for a specific job, which opened up a wider spectrum of employment opportunities.
The friendships that I made at Middlesex were a real highlight for me, and they were friendships I would never have hoped to achieve elsewhere.
Middlesex University has a very diverse environment, so you feel like you’re in a truly global classroom. I had friends from China, Argentina and Turkey, and we all learned from each other. They have now taken what they learnt here to jobs around the world and are spreading that knowledge across the globe.
Don’t just jump into studying a course because you think you like the sound of it. Take your time and really look at what modules you’ll be taking, and what they involve.
Make sure you’re passionate about the subject you’re studying. You’re spending both your time and money on this course so it’s best to make sure it’s worth it.
Enjoy your time at university. A master’s gives you a second chance to experience university now that you’re more mature and know yourself better than you probably did during your undergraduate degree.
