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Would you shortly introduce yourself?

I am Sini Kovero, a first year Master’s student in the Business Analytics track of the Information and Service Management (ISM) programme. I was born and raised in Beijing, China, and later moved to Finland where I completed my Bachelor’s degree in International Business at Aalto University’s Mikkeli Campus.

What made you choose your programme? What are you specializing in?

The bachelors program provided a solid foundation in the study of international business and equipped me with analysis and business problem-solving skills, which opened doors to many different fields of studies for further specialization. I took an elective course during my Bachelor’s programme which gave a glimpse on how information technology is used and managed in international business.

This sparked my interest to explore the implications of emerging IT for organizations further. I really wanted to understand the process of how to utilize data in today’s data-driven business world. I also wanted to develop more hard skills, for example coding, in order to be more competitive in the job market.

The Business Analytics track aligns with my personal goals, since I am interested in practical hands on quantitative discovery, such as using data to find hidden trends that can be applied to improve business practices.

What skills have you learned in your programme that you find valuable?

The Information and Service Management programme offers a variety of courses, and it allowed me to choose the courses I am most interested in. Thus, I have been able to learn a desirable mix of both hard and soft skills. The hard skills I found most interesting are Python and MySQL, and the soft skills I’ve developed include managing consulting projects.

I had zero programming skills prior to starting my Master's. Learning Python and MySQL was challenging at first, but very rewarding once you realize the application potential they bring. In order to excel at business analytics, data manipulation and management skills are required, which I acquired while learning MySQL. The Python skills I acquired will become very handy when I need to perform data-driven decision making and conduct data analysis.

The programme ties the soft and hard skills together by not only teaching how to use practical tools, but also introduces how to manage consulting projects, where I developed my teamworking and critical problem-solving skills.

What inspires you at the moment?

As I just started my Master’s studies not long ago, the wide range of available courses inspires me. There are so many more data analytic tools and skills that I have yet to learn and improve on, which excites and motivates me. I especially look forward to my Master’s thesis, where I can independently combine everything I have learnt together. With the rapid technological development, I am inspired to see what the future of this field holds.

Why would you recommend your programme to prospective students?

I would highly recommend this programme to anyone who has an interest in combining data analysis and project management skills. The availability of courses allows you to tailor your course selection to match your interests in the field of ISM. Furthermore, the professors and staff are very knowledgeable in the field, and the quality of teaching has been high. Last but not least, the skills of ISM graduates are highly sought after by employers, and job opportunities are interesting and broad.