Successful Students
United Nations, New York
Masters of Logistics and Supply Chain Management student Zhong Sheng is well on the way to a successful career after being awarded a two-month internship at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York. Competition for UN internships is tough, and only the top 5% of applications are accepted. Getting to and living in New York is expensive, but fortunately Sheng also received a $4,000 grant from Curtin Business School to cover his expenses.
Sheng’s internship is within the Logistics and Transportation Section of the UN’s Procurement Division. His team is responsible for aircraft charter services for UN peacekeeping operations. Sheng’s responsibilities include:
- Conducting the Vendor Outreach Project
- Conduct market research for sourcing potential suppliers
- Evaluate and recommend potential supply sources and incorporate research results into the procurement program for registration purposes
- Assist in the implementation of the recommendations of the consultancy for Long Term Air Charter
Sheng is justifiably pleased with this success and is really enjoying his time in New York. “I miss Perth’s clean air, though,” he joked.
Nurhazrina Binti Haji Abdullah
Technical Support Consultant, Westnet, Perth
While completing her IS Dissertation, Rina gained work experience at a private IT company. Her primary role within the company was to ensure their intellectual properties are adequately managed, ensured consistency and accuracy of all IT documentation, and reviewed consulting processes to ensure they met the in-house practice standard.
After completing her studies, Rina commenced full-time employment with Westnet as a Technical Support Consultant. She provides technical troubleshooting advice to first-time Internet users and small-medium businesses customers. “I have learned a lot from working within this company especially when I put my understanding of internet and networking into practice. My job also helps me to improve my communication and customer-relationship skills, and allows me to gain an in-depth understanding of the telecommunication industry.”
After being with the company for two months, Rina has been asked to train new employees. She is building on previous tutoring experience in her home country of Brunei.
Rina wishes to send her deepest gratitude and appreciation to her lecturers and university colleagues. "I have learned and grown significantly during my studies through the guidance from my lecturers and the support from my colleagues. I especially would like to thank Tomayess Issa, my supervisor, who has continually supported and encouraged my achievements throughout my Master studies. This has improved my confidence and inspired a motivation to work harder. I thank you."
Eric Chong
Information Systems Engineer, Startronics (WA)
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Eric achieved a Bachelor of Electronic Commerce and Information Technology degree in 2003. During his Bachelor study, he was already given the opportunity to accomplish great strides to join Sanmina-SCI in Perth.
Eric's major job responsibility is to develop, implement, maintain and support the manufacturing data systems for global electronic manufacturing facilities. In addition, he had been involved in regional network migration project and remodeled the supply chain practices in this company. "I am glad I can apply technical, managerial, interpersonal, and communication skills from my learning and practical experiences in CBS to a realistic and moderately industrial complex system development project run on a global team basis that is integrated with corporate objectives."
"I am a firm believer in working hard and believing in yourself. You can achieve your goals if you put your mind to it and dedicate yourself to achieve it. Therefore looking ahead to the future, I am aiming to demonstrate my knowledge in IT strategies and plans that support my company business objectives."
Lastly, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the lecturers for each of your kindly assistance and feedbacks during my study at CBS. I will never forget my experience of learning and sharing at CBS which is one of my most important assets in my personal life and professional pursuit. Thank you!"
Takuto Fujioka
TDK, Tokyo
Takuto Fujioka studied Information Technology at the School of Information Systems and completed his degree in second semester 2006. Before he had even finished the semester Takuto had been offered a position at TDK in Tokyo, Japan.
Like many large companies in Japan, TDK has a rigorous recruitment process that tests applicants to make sure they have the right skills. When asked what it was about his degree that helped him get the job, Takuto believed problem-solving skills were very important. Fortunately, developing these skills played a big part in his degree.
"Yes, I think it was very important so I was able to pass the tests and get the job. Snd it was really good knowing I had a job to go to as soon as I finished."
Communication skills were also extremely important winning the job at TDK, and Tak really appreciates the way they were emphasised in his course. "In class assignments we had to think like customers - see things from the customer perspective - so I had to learn how to communicate with them [customers] really well." Of course, Tak also had to work well with his group members. "Yes, we had to work as a team a lot".
Finally, Tak also really appreciated his lecturers. "My lecturers were ready to listen to the questions we had then they helped us to solve real problems." The School of Information Systems recognises that this is important, and several staff members have won teaching awards.
Ahmed Aseeri
Regional VTM Engineer, Citibank, Bahrain
Ahmed's department is responsible for the security of Citibank networks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It is a highly responsible positon but Ahmed is enjoying the challenge. "You have to stay one step ahead of the hackers," he said. "If anything went wrong it could be a really major problem, so obviously you have to stay on top."
Continually learning new things is an important skill for Ahmed. "You are learning all the time," he notes. "In computer security there are always new threats evolving, so this department itself is like a school, always learning new things."
It's not just technical skills that are important, though. The international flavour of CBS has been of real benefit to Ahmed. "It's great also to have an international view - I work with people from all over Europe, Africa and the Middle East."
Having an international perspective is also important for another reason, "Citibank is a great opportunity to travel and work all over the world." If his travels bring him back to Australia, will Ahmed visit the School of Information Systems? "Definitely, I'll be back ".