Surabhi Deshpande - Exploring global businesses and their evolving needs

I studied MSc Information Systems Management & Innovation (now known as MSc Management of Information Systems & Digital Innovation) - a highly innovative course that gives a foundation in management practises and digital innovation to add business value using technology. I wanted to explore today’s global businesses and their evolving needs and understand how information systems can adapt to address them. After having worked in as a software engineer at Goldman Sachs, this course was very relevant for my career to get a macro-perspective of the interplay of business, management and technology.

Warwick Business School has consistently been a top-ranked school for management in the past years. Hence I had no doubts about the reputation of the school or the academic credentials of the faculty. When I visited the campus, the environment, the energy, and facilities like the learning grid, all sealed the deal so to speak!

Learning from the best minds in information systems theory
In the course of one year, I got to learn from some of the best minds in Information Systems theory and also hear guest lectures from IBM, Rolls Royce and KPMG. The best part about the course is the way it is structured – every module has group projects where we got to implement and apply the academics concepts to real case studies in the field. The group projects were challenging and interesting and offered great opportunities to try out different time, people and project management techniques in practise.

The classroom environment was another highlight of the course. Interacting with peers who are from totally different backgrounds bringing different perspectives and approaches to solving the same problem – it made the classroom sessions and debates very engaging and insightful. You learn from each other and really get to appreciate the importance of diversity.

Getting involved in student societies
There is a lot to explore in Warwick on the non-academic front as well. I was a core member of the Warwick Indian Music Ensemble (WIME) and performed on many platforms throughout the year. I was always passionate about music and this society helped me meet and interact with like-minded, creative people who shared that same passion. Jamming with the club after class was a welcome stress-reliever and performing with other musicians during Warwick FUSED-6 and Diwali events was a very unique experience.

Support from WBS CareersPlus
In my final semester, the CareersPlus and Programme teams at WBS did a great job sourcing consulting projects for the dissertation. This gave many students the opportunity to get first-hand experience of working in the industry. I interviewed with some of these companies and was offered projects, and more importantly I established networks and relationships in these companies that will be useful in my career in the future. However, the project I finally chose was sourced independently.

The Careers team was very active and useful to a lot of us during the year, including offering sessions on CV and interviewing techniques. I had a one-on-one session with a Careers team member who provided a lot of insights and tips on the job hunting process and pruned my CV to make it strong and professional.

What's next for Surabhi?
I am now joining IBM Design Studios as an Associate in the London Southbank Studio. My role is a blend of Development and Product Management and I am really looking forward to contributing my newly-learned skills from WBS at the workplace.

My biggest takeaway from the course was the attitude of not being afraid to try new things! The world is changing so fast and as young professionals, we need to constantly update our perspective on the industry, the market and discover more about yourself – strengths, weakness, passions and interests. My tips to subsequent batches would be to just give their 100% to the course, and look to gain, and add value in every class, meeting, assignment or industry visit you participate in. Raise your hand, there are no stupid questions!

Find out more about our MSc Management of Information Systems & Digital Innovation course.