Bridging the gap between academia and the consulting world
Sumit wanted to experience more in life. After scouring educational institutions around the world, he finally found the Masters program that clicked. Now he is giving guest lectures at the very school that opened the door for his consulting dreams in the hopes that he can provide value the students can benefit from.
Working in India, Sumit Sah only got to work on outsourcing projects, when his ambitions were focused elsewhere. He looked all around the world, searching for the right place to study, comparing courses as he did. That’s when he found the Master of Information Systems – Digital Business Systems at Kristiania University College.
– Since I was already working in the consulting industry back in India, I saw that this program had it narrowed down the right way. Compared to other programs, this was the only degree that provided the right course. So I took a chance and moved to Norway, Sumit recalls.
Sumit has been living in Norway for the better part of six years now. During his time at (then) Westerdals he used every possibility presented to him to reach his goal of getting the true consulting experience.
– I went to job fairs hosted by UiO and Westerdals at the time, seeing more and more interesting companies showing up. And I actually got my first unpaid internship there, where I got some valuable experience, Sumit says.
– It has been a unique and varied journey for me. At the time it was hard to see the actual progress, but I am very satisfied with the results of my endeavours.
The journey
Some time passed, and one day an employee from Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics held a guest lecture for Sumit and his class. Sumit decided to stay in touch with the lecturer, and it provided him with a new internship at the company he worked for.
– I had only been there for a few months, and then I got the chance to work with a start-up company called Asure AS. Working as a CRM consultant, I became a partner at the company, he says.
The company grew fast. Having solidified his position there as a capable CRM consultant, he was quickly headhunted by his, now, current employer.
– Sopra Steria contacted me for a position, and now I’ve been working there for around 2,5 years as a CRM consultant and solution architect, Sumit says and adds:
– It has been a unique and varied journey for me. At the time it was hard to see the actual progress, but I am very satisfied with the results of my endeavours.
Derfor burde du ta en master i IT
Real world value
Even before he had finished his degree, during the time Sumit was working in the start-up company Asure, his teacher Moutaz Haddara recognized Sumit’s experience in the consulting business. He told him that he could start giving guest lectures in CRM because of his experience in India, and in Norway.
– I started giving guest lectures in 2016 for the Bachelor of Information Technology – E-business, and I have been doing it ever since for students at both bachelor and master programs, he says.
Sumit wish to provide the students with some real-world value. He aims to give them a very close look at what possibilities exists for them in the consulting industry, and to teach them how to think to solve problems while presenting real cases from his own customers.
– I have gotten to explore more possibilities that exists within my capabilities during my time here.
– I want to bridge the gap between academia and real-world consulting. To give them something new and real, that they are not able to google online, he explains.
His last lecture provided the students with some insightful information about the tools used in pandemic times to provide remote service to their customers.
– I talked about mixed reality, and AI chatbots. With the goal of showing the students the possibilities that exists in the technology for them in the consulting industry today, and what will be available in the future, Sumit says.
– Get a mentor!
Having spent years in the business, Sumit is more than happy to share his experience and give advice to current and future students about the career path they are pursuing. And is not hesitant to praise his current employer.
– Sopra Steria has been a great place to grow and to get experience. It is a very good place to work. It has even been crowned the best place to work in our line of business for the fifth time in a row, he says.
Sopra Steria also has a graduate program where they take in master students, where students can get valuable experience in the field.
– I have gotten to explore more possibilities that exists within my capabilities during my time here. Like events, user training and workshops. And not to mention the chance to work with some big public sector customers, he adds.
Fikk fast jobb før masteroppgaven var levert
Sumit also shares some advice to students:
– Get a mentor! Ask them for help and connect with people in the industry that can help you find your sweet spot on what you want to work with. One of the things that worked well for me, was also having a good LinkedIn-profile, Sumit says.
– I would also apply for the Microsoft University and get some certifications. That way you’ll have a strong case to get a job, he finishes.
