MIM Students and Alumni Discuss their Experiences
This page features MIM students and alumni talking about their experience with the programme, and how it has made an impact on their careers.
Congratulations to our MIM alumni who graduated in the December 2011 ceremonies, including Antony Zogg pictured here parading through Wellington with his fellow MIM graduands Renato Herrera (left) and Dick Muller (right).
Julio Figueroa
I have been involved in the IT industry for five years, and came into the MIM Programme with a Bachelor in Computer Sciences. The programme is very time consuming, especially when you study and work, so you need have to have your family's support. However, I am enjoying it a lot as the topics studied are very exciting. You not only learn from the lecturers and literature, but from classmates' experiences as well.
The lecturers are very experienced in their fields with both practical and theoretical background, and the teaching emphasis is on producing knowledge rather than "depositing" knowledge, which is very helpful for gaining insights from theories. I have been working mainly in the technical side of the industry, so the MIM programme has helped me gain a broader view of IT issues. My critical thinking and communication skills have been improved, along with my research skills, and I am able to explain ideas in a clearer way and build more constructive arguments. Being more confident about expressing my ideas has allowed me to make better contributions in my workplace.
Postgraduate studies are radically different than undergraduate studies; there is greater freedom in the sense that each student has the flexibility to shape their own studies and is able to choose what they want to specialise in. An international student could fear studying in a different language, with different methodologies and postgraduate standards. Fortunately, Victoria University has plenty of support for international students such as Student Learning Support Service. In addition, the lecturers are genuinely interested in helping students, which significantly contributes to the learning process.
Bee Tungngern
After graduating with a Bachelor of Information Technology (with distinction), I worked in different roles within the IT industry in Wellington. I was a Solution Architect when I started the MIM and had a strong technical background, but lacked the management skills and experience necessary to progress towards my career aspiration of an IS management role.
The MIM programme has made tremendous positive impact in my career. After my first year I gained recognition as a high performer and was promoted to Senior Solution Architect. As well as opportunities to perform IS management tasks and develop capabilities for my next role, I have also made recommendations that contributed to organisational improvement. The experience gained through the programme is valuable. Staff are friendly, supportive, and treat me with respect; class discussion stimulates knowledge sharing between class members.
Another good aspect of the MIM programme is that I have been able to choose papers that I am interested in and most relevant to my career. MIM requires strong commitment and dedication to succeed, and is hard work but very rewarding. I work full time and study part-time, and although this has reduced the time I spend with my family it has not been an issue. My kids sit next to me doing their home work, reading books, or writing stories when I study at home, and I am proud that I'm setting a good example.
Studying on the MIM programme has advanced my career and contributed to a better family lifestyle. It has increased my confidence and job security, and looking for opportunities to apply and share new knowledge keeps me competitive in the current employment climate. Students with English as a second language should work twice as hard in the first year reading academic journals to get familiar with new words and terms, which will help in the following years. You will not feel lonely or alienated, because the classes are typically comprised of students from different ethnic backgrounds who you will get to know by working together in class or group work -- just relax, and don't feel stupid about asking any questions if you don't know!
Gabrielle Appleton
I began my working life as Registered Comprehensive Nurse and following children and family relocations, I found myself involved in IT, primarily in Business Analysis. For the past five years, I have worked as a Senior Business Analyst in an outsourcing company where I have been involved in a myriad of different projects and challenges for a cross section of NZ organisations. I took on the MIM as a way to provide a framework for the work that I do, and to give me a foundation of strategies and knowledge with which to tackle the issues organisations face when IT and business are brought together. I was encouraged in this by a work colleague who had completed the programme, and their wisdom and experience gave me the confidence to embark on study.
The people I have met on the programme are a real highlight -- the MIM extends your network of colleagues enormously, and the benefit you receive from their experiences and ideas can't be overstated. The single biggest effect for me has been one of personal confidence. The MIM has validated for me how much I know and the real skills that I have. The opportunity to delve into topics that are relevant to the entire IT sector has been very satisfying especially the exposure to a wide range of reading and critical thought. The critical thinking skills that are a focus of the MIM are things I use knowledgably every day and I know that I am using them to full advantage in the work that I do.
Simplify your life before you start! Be prepared to put things on hold not because you begrudgingly have to, but because the experience is life changing and you won't want to miss out on the deep sense of accomplishment that it brings. It is hard work and you need to be self disciplined to juggle the commitments of work and study. But those skills are invaluable in and of themselves and I have found that I can actually achieve a great deal more in life as a result. Buy in from the family is critical to post graduate success. Teenage children are inspired by what you do and I've found that helpful in my own family life. Learning and achieving are great skills to role model to kids.
Victoria is a world class university with great facilities and by studying here you will be exposed to some of the sharpest minds you'll ever meet, both in terms of the lecturing staff and your fellow students. The calibre of the people studying on the MIM is truly outstanding, and much of what you will gain will come from learning from others experiences opinions and ideas. The highlight of the programme for me was definitely the research project. Granted, it is a major undertaking, but the preparation and support you receive is fantastic. I have immense satisfaction in knowing that research that I did has been of real and material benefit to not only myself, but to the wider organisation I work within.
Antony Zogg
I come from a background in IT and HR, having held a number of roles over a 14 year period for the South African division of US multinational. On arrival in New Zealand I became a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and trained Network Engineers in preparation for their MCSE exams. In more recent times I have taken a break from the world of technology and have been involved in management and leadership development. While my technology skills will need updating as I progress beyond the MIM, I brought to this course my experience and knowledge of management, human behaviour and psychology. The MIM has been an amazing experience for me and I highly recommend this course to prospective students. The mix of different cultures, ages, skill sets, education and experience made for some very interesting group discussions, with lively debate in both the classroom and the messaging boards. I learned to justify my thinking, challenge the thinking of others, and to begin thinking more critically.
The course structure and facilitated sessions were very conducive to study, and I valued the fact that most courses didn't have prescribed reading and it was left to the individual to search for and critique journal articles on topics being discussed in the classroom. For me the group assignments and class presentations were the most challenging and yet the most rewarding part of the MIM. I joined the MIM course with a view to making a career change and to commence working in a managerial or project management role in the IT department of an organisation, or an IT vendor.
Now that my research into social networking in the business context is complete, another possibility for me is to work as a consultant or contractor to organisations looking to harness the power of social networks to engage with their clients. Whatever path I ultimately follow, the MIM has created possibilities and opportunities that I have never been able to consider in the past. My advice to prospective graduates who decide to do the MIM part-time is simple: be prepared to work really hard, but try to compartmentalise your day, allowing time for family, study, work, and leisure. I believe that this course provides greatest value to those who do more than just the minimum requirements.
MIM Alumni Stories
This year the Programme celebrates its 10-year Anniversary, which provided an opportunity to catch up with our alumni and hear about "life after MIM". Two of our graduates agreed to be "faces of the Anniversary event" -- James Thomson, who was part of the inaugural Programme, and Lanoi Maloiy, who graduated in 2010.
James Thomson
James Thomson never intended to get a Masters degree in Information Management. In fact, when he started doing papers through the School of Information Management the MIM did not yet exist. His initial plan was to get up to speed with the language of the computing industry, which had changed considerably in the 10 years he had been away from it. However, 'a couple of papers' turned into a certificate, then became a diploma, and finally the University introduced the MIM degree and he decided to keep going and complete the Masters. James, at that point a Colonel in the Army, completed his degree over several years while working as Head of Information Systems for the Ministry of Defence.
"When my kids were younger they were my number one priority, so it suited me to be able to attend two night classes in a row just one night a week, on my way to the railway station," he says. "Also, what was really valuable for me was that all the papers I did related to my job -- when I had an issue at work I would take it to the University and use it as a case study.
"For instance, when I was peacekeeping in Timor some violence erupted unexpectedly and an interesting information problem came to light that I was able to use as my thesis topic. The solution I discovered with the help of my lecturer eventually became a part of UN policy."
James appreciated the broad understanding of technology the programme offered, which equipped him with the appropriate 'tools of the trade' to be able to communicate effectively with technical people as well as upper management. He also made some lifelong friends on the programme.
"At Masters level you discuss problems and get new views on different issues, and your classmates challenge your ideas. We'd often visit each other out of class time to go through problems together, and I still catch up with some of them today". James is now working in a senior role in the public sector.
Lanoi Maloiy
Lanoi Maloiy was initially attracted to the MIM because it was a degree she could do in the evenings while working full-time, and she also wanted the opportunity to have face-to-face contact with students and lecturers. Her ultimate goal is to return to her native Kenya with enough knowledge and work experience to benefit her country.
"Information management is where the future of communication is -- and I can see Kenya starting to adopt new technologies such as Facebook and Twitter and other web-based communications."
Lanoi says the MIM taught her how to become a critical thinker: "That was my biggest challenge -- shifting from the book-based learning of Kenya and being told and fed ideas, to challenging ideas, thinking critically and presenting ideas in a credible way. In particular, a paper called 'Critical Communication and Critical Thinking for IT Managers' gave me an excellent foundation for learning to think in this new way, and my marks improved because of it.
"During the course I took a really great MBA paper called 'Creative Leadership' with Dr Paul McDonald, and that's how I got really interested in leadership. From there I was able to co-write a paper with him and present it in South Africa at the University of Pretoria last year in May."
Since graduating in 2010, Lanoi has been doing fixed-term contracts, including web-based marketing and public relations. "The knowledge I gained from my MIM studies helped me when I was working for a software design company as I could understand a bit about what the software designers were doing, and was therefore able to promote their products more effectively."
She is now working for Ministry of Education as a Publications Coordinator and is planning to undertake a PhD to extend on her on Masters thesis about how young people can use online channels to boost their leadership skills.
