What led you to choose an IT education?
When I graduated high school, IT was not really on my radar. I knew I liked analytical subjects and was drawn to STEM, but I could not settle on a direction. Ultimately, I moved to Canada to pursue a bachelor’s in Cognitive Science, where I got to try a variety of subjects. That breadth was genuinely useful. I explored everything from neuroscience to statistics to computer science without having to narrow down too early, and those different perspectives gave me a much clearer sense of what actually interested me. A seminar on AI was where it finally clicked
After my bachelor’s, I wanted to test that interest in practice, so I took a gap year and did a few internships in IT and data roles. Convinced this was the right direction for me but wanting to stay in Europe for my further education, I chose a master’s program at CBS combining data science and business administration because the intersection of theory and real-life application drew me in most. I did have doubts about whether I was “technical enough,” but that mix of business and data turned out to be exactly what I needed.
What do you work with today, and why does your work feel meaningful to you?
I am a Senior Consultant in AI & Data at Deloitte, where I help clients understand what AI and data can actually do for their business and then work with them to build solutions that solve concrete problems, whether that is automating processes, improving decisions, or making better use of data they already have.
True to the stereotypes, every project is different as a consultant. One week I’m coding backend services in Python, the next I am doing data engineering, and then I am working on AI strategy. Some projects are hands-on technical, and others require stronger strategic work, and I genuinely enjoy both. What ties it together is problem-solving: taking something complex and messy and turning it into something actionable. A big part of my job is also translating that technical work into language that makes sense to non-technical people, and what feels meaningful is helping clients cut through the AI hype and use their data – and AI – responsibly and in genuinely helpful ways.
What would you sat to a young person who is considering an IT education but is unsure?
I would say you don’t need a perfectly clear plan to choose IT. I definitely did not have one. I followed my curiosity, tried different courses, and used internships to figure out what actually interested me, both in theory and in practice.
IT is also broader than most people realise. There is room for all kinds of profiles in IT – and I mean that both in terms of background and skillset, but also in terms of who you are. We often carry a pretty fixed image of what an “IT person”looks like, and when you do not fit that picture, it can be hard to imagine yourself in the field. But the reality is far more varied than the stereotype. You do not have to have been coding since you were twelve or come from a specific background to belong here. Some people love deep technical work, others care more about strategy and business, and some, like me, enjoy sitting in between.
My advice: treat your education as a chance to experiment. Pick a mix of subjects, say yes to internships and student jobs, and notice what energises you. It is fine if your path is not straight – a lot of us found our niche by trying things and adjusting. If you are curious and like solving problems, IT is worth exploring. The skills are concrete and transferable, and the perspective you bring with you is more of an asset than you might think.
