What was the name of your course?

PhD program

When did you graduate?

2016

What was the name of your education provider?

Charles Sturt University

Student life

Why did you choose to study in this field?

After my first studies in business informatics, I wanted to further extend my knowledge in a specific subdomain. Choosing a rather scientific specialisation was important for me, because I already gave lectures in universities and wanted the flexibility for switching to an academic career at some point in the future. However, I remained in a business context afterwards and choose to focus myself on a data science and big data related working environment and did not regret it so far.

Why did you decide to study in NSW?

I did my whole study abroad and needed a cooperation university in order to get a fitting PhD program. Australia, and especially  Charles Sturt University based in NSW, provided a well composed study course which is fully approved in Germany. It gave me a lot of flexibility in doing my research whenever I wanted to as I was also working full time during my studies. Additionally, I had heard a lot of positive feedback from my local supervisor about the quality of the education program and the course as well.

Tell us about your experience studying in NSW

During my research I received a lot of support from both a professional and a human aspect.  Working abroad can bring struggles such as organisational, motivational or linguistical challenges. Due to the close and honest support of my supervisors I was able to achieve  great results in and  the reviewers approved my PhD thesis in the very first attempt with just a few complaints. Therefore, I can  recommend this model with two supervisors, at your local place, and abroad as well.

What was the highlight of your experience studying in NSW?

N/A

What opportunities has studying in NSW given to you?

Receiving my PhD through this program have really boosted my career possibilities . Beside the academic approval through different publications I received a lot of appreciation in my work environment. The option to study alongside my regular work gave me the advantages in receiving a full salary, getting the relevant work experience, and educating myself, all at once. I was able to find great job opportunities and recieve  leading positions in exciting companies.

Career goals and advice

What are you doing now in your career?

I am currently working as head of data intelligence for Germany’s largest digital medical platform Jameda. My team and I are responsible for a broad set of data related tasks such as web tracking, data analytics, machine learning, data warehousing, reporting, and data consultancy. Before I started working in my current company, I was responsible for other data related positions in Germany.

Why did you decide to follow your chosen career path? 

Working with data has aways fascinated me. After finishing my studies my first job role had a strong data related background.  I then had various opportunities to extend my knowledge through other jobs which increased my interest even more. I became interested in teaching what I learned and was offered different courses in universities and even thought to become a professor full time. However, switching to an academic career path never became a reality so far.

Can you share any career advice for current students or graduates?

Studying, writing a thesis or progressing in your career is rather like running a marathon then doing a sprint. Therefore, it is always important to keep your motivation up. Set yourself realistic subgoals and measure the milestones on a regular basis. Break down the subgoals into realistic subtasks for a day, no longer than 1-2 hours each, and include a lot of relaxing time in between. Write your progress down whenever possible. Looking back and realising what you have already achieved is the best intrinsic motivation you can get. Additionally, search for opportunities and tasks that you really like. There is always a chance to focus deeper on a specific subtask which has the potential to be your future specialisation.