My career journey

My career journey

With a background in engineering, project management and business analysis, I have found the research fascinating during the early stages of my career where I had to investigate different libraries required for the execution of different pieces of code. I had also been honoured before that with certifications and awards from my institution for putting together reports following the research of an idea which might have been foreign to me at the start. Still, with my tenacity, I delivered a great piece of work.

Given my learning difficulties and the impact of technology on my education, I made it my mission to further shape education and learning through technology. With the rigidity of curricula in Indian schools, I was unable to study sciences alongside Computer Science during school hours. I, therefore, opted to take on a more substantial course in Computer Science & Engineering which enabled me and over the years, my passionate exposed me to facets of technology and theoretical computer science such as open-source software and concepts like functional programming and automata theory.

I began my career soon after the completion of my education to teach programming and system analysis & design. Driven by my desire to explore the intersection of the technology and I joined as a programmer to build an educational software. I was intrigued by our project manager at the time that had to oversee a team of 15 developers – all working on different parts of the code. I later moved to interact with various stakeholders before finally leaving the company after a year then following my delivery of an Insurance Management Solution for AXA Company.

I am incredibly passionate about project and strategy management as regards scope delivery. Where else can someone with no subject matter expertise, show up and flourish, by following specific basic techniques be able to deliver value. I have marvelled as I started as a software developer, rising to the role of PM focused on Insurance solutions. My current job, though a far departure from my days as a developer, involves a myriad activity, chief of which require interfacing with various stakeholders, managing budgets, clarification of requirement and ensuring adherence to the proposed scope. I have had to run feasibility studies involving market research of different oil and gas software during my current job requiring quantitative and conceptual skills. Several awards have been earned at this position for the timely and on-budget delivery of my projects. My largest project being worked on currently is on rationalizing our Incident Management System – a project with a budget of $5Million, which I am leading. It has involved interfacing with seven different departments within my organization and numerous stakeholders – each with their unique requirements which the new system should address. While the project is far from delivered, there is light at the end of the tunnel from glowing feedback received at the numerous steering committees organized. A recurring theme in these roles is the fast pace and multicultural/multi-region composition of the teams, which have expanded my breadth of experience dealing with diverse cultures and attitudes.

While I can deliver projects on time and within scope (accounting for countless change requests), the strategy seems to be a weakness of mine that needs to be fixed.

To move a step further in my career and fill the gaps, I have decided to pursue my Masters in Strategic Project Management. I am confident that this course would be valuable in helping me cover these gaps in my skills as a project manager.

Outside of my work life, I am involved in the local community here in Oman. I have volunteered at the local school for underprivileged children teaching English basics as well as coaching young graduates on introductory lessons on computer programming along with elicitation techniques for business analysis. I am not only a fan of cricket but participate in the local cricket club every weekend.

Filled with positivity, I have decided to pursue this course from the UK. It is no hidden fact the universities of UK are world-renowned for its reputation in higher education. I want to choose the best for my future, and hence, I have opted for your prestigious university. Moreover, I have always believed that research forms the basis of understanding real-world situations, unlike a strictly class-setting based course. I think this unique mix would enable me to upgrade my practical skills in managing business situations while opening up new opportunities in research.

With a broad mix of experience, positive attitude and a lot of energy, I believe that my academic background and 14 years of professional experience will enrich my learning process, and I could lend some out of the box perspective to my classmates who might not have had some of the skills I have been blessed with. I view a university as a place to exchange ideas, and I am continually looking to learn and grow as an individual – not only on an academic level but also on a personal level.

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In summary, I believe that my mix of technical and soft skills shall be enough to land me a coveted spot in your MSc program for Strategic Project Management.