Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration
Project Manager, Datacom, New Zealand
After 10 years owning a business as an education advisor, Ju, from Busan, Korea, wanted to go back to the IT field where she has 12 years of expertise in IT project management. But with new technology emerging every day, she realised she had to refresh her knowledge.
The Postgraduate Business Administration programme offered by UC caught her attention as this programme covers all the content that she was looking for.
"The course curriculum was highly appealing. From digital transformation, innovation, design thinking approach, agile leadership, sustainability, to data informed strategy, all the papers that I did helped me to develop skills that ICT employers were looking for."
Another reason why Ju chose to come to Christchurch is the convenience, being only 15 to 20 minutes' drive from everything and everywhere, such as beaches, parks, schools, hospitals, and shops. An ideal city for a family with children.
"My daughter has been studying at a high school in New Zealand as an international student since 2018. She loved her experience and wants to continue studying here after high school. I wanted to spend some time with her before she left for college. I also wanted to provide my two sons with the same opportunity that my daughter enjoyed. Most of all, I wanted to give myself a break, recharge, and study for professional development after 22 years of career."
For Ju, student support is one of the best things about UC.
"Student Support went way above and beyond my expectations. The support team was very caring while I studied through the COVID pandemic. The team helped us to stay healthy and focused on our studies."
She attended a lot of workshops offered by the Academic Skills Centre to brush up on key skills to succeed at university, as well as participated in the events organised by UC Careers centre to improve her CV and cover letter, develop strategies to find jobs, and prepare for interviews.
"Although I had work experience, I needed an insight to present it in a New Zealand context. At the same time, the centre advised that it wouldn't be easy to land a good job for the first time in New Zealand, but it'd come to me eventually if I kept trying. So, I reminded myself that it's not just me when I don't get a job. I carried on and did not give up until I got what I dreamed of."
"I cannot emphasise enough how helpful it was. I strongly recommend this to every international student, even to domestic students who are returning to university after a long break. It is a must-grab opportunity that UC offers. The workshops offered by the Academic Skills Centre taught me how to write academic essays, avoid plagiarism, and maximise my time both for my studies and family."
Her constant commitment and efforts were rewarded with the Dean's Award.
Currently, she is working as a Project Manager for the digital engineering team at Datacom, where she is responsible for software project delivery managing scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, risk, procurement, communications, and stakeholders.
Furthermore, she is enjoying the lifestyle that Christchurch and her job offer.
"I am enjoying an awesome balance of work and life. New Zealand, especially Datacom, values my life outside of work. I never spent this much time with my three children while I was working in Korea. Now it is different. I came back to the same IT sector, but my family life is also very much respected. I truly appreciate this aspect."
Her future plans are to go back to UC and undertake further required study which would allow her to complete an MBA degree, as well as upskill herself and lead projects to improve cyber security.
"I want to help people enjoy the benefits of technology in a safer way and make the world a better place," she says.
Her last advice is: "don't be afraid. It can be quite daunting for people like me, in their late forties with a family, to return to study, especially away from stable jobs and income. However, UC offers so much help for international students to succeed in their studies and careers. You just need to ask for help and keep trying. At the end, you will be amazed to learn how you can push your own boundaries. I am so pleased that I decided to study and try a new career in this unfamiliar country, which became my new home".
