Neel Modha has built a career at Amazon. Here’s how a Master’s in Business IT got him there
An internship at Amazon is a dream for many graduates. Neel Modha, from Singapore, landed a successful internship at Amazon Web Services (AWS) before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business.
He quickly rose through the ranks at the tech giant while pursuing a professional master’s degree at his alma mater.
Learn how Neel used his master’s degree to grow his career at Amazon and get top tips for landing an internship at Amazon.
Study for a master’s degree in IT alongside your career at Amazon
Neel was no stranger to Singapore Management University (SMU) when he decided to pursue a master’s degree in IT. He already had a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the business school.
Neil started working at Amazon right after earning his bachelor’s degree, so it was important for him to find a part-time master’s program that would help him develop the right skills to succeed while working.
This led him to earn a Master’s degree in IT in Business (MITB) from the SMU School of Computing and Information Systems. This is financial technology and analytics, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and analytics.
Neil was attracted to the program because it suited people from non-technical backgrounds.
“I had heard that the MITB program was highly regarded in the industry, with many of our graduates finding great roles in companies or furthering their careers,” he says.
Companies that hire MITB graduates include Apple, Google, and PayPal.
He added that studying for his master’s degree alongside his full-time career at Amazon allowed him to immediately apply the skills and knowledge he learned in the MITB program to his work as a data analyst at AWS. I did.
“Suddenly I was able to provide more insight and value to the team,” he says, adding that he sometimes had to miss work meetings or study late into the night to stay. He added that the MITB program did not come without some sacrifices. My studies are progressing smoothly.
Learn relevant skills to grow as a Senior Data Analyst at Amazon
Neel credits the MITB program with providing him with a wealth of technical and non-technical skills across IT and business.
“I was already comfortable with basic level coding, but learning more advanced skills like designing good algorithms and machine learning was really helpful,” he says.
The MITB track in AI offers courses in Applied Machine Learning, AI and Uncertainty Reasoning, and Natural Language Processing for Smart Assistants.
He also appreciated the experiential learning aspect of the IT and Business Master’s program, giving him the opportunity to apply that coursework to a project with real-world applications.
For example, one of our group projects in our Recommender Systems course looked at how images and text descriptions of games can be used on digital storefronts to recommend games to like-minded users and help increase sales. .
“SMU has done a great job of injecting a business-oriented flavor into the coursework,” he says.
“It also helped me understand that being able to communicate the value of your technical knowledge and activities to the business side is important because ultimately that is what matters.”
Armed with a well-rounded skillset thanks to his master’s degree in IT, Neel successfully made the leap from data analyst to senior data analyst at AWS.
Tips for landing an internship at Amazon
Neel started his career at AWS as a cloud intelligence and insights intern, so he knows how to stand out in the Amazon interview process.
“If you’re interested in working for Amazon, we encourage you to research the company’s 16 leadership principles before the interview process and identify which ones resonate most with you as a future employee.”
Also, think carefully about how you answer the frequently asked question “Why do you want to work for Amazon?” and make sure the answer is well-researched and Amazon-specific. I also recommend that.
“Do your research. There may be products or programs that interest you, and what you can bring to the role and what you hope to get out of it. Focus on where you feel you are growing,” he advises.
Having a top-notch master’s degree also helps graduates stand out from the crowd, not to mention the opportunities afforded by building a solid business network with colleagues and professors.
“Those considering the MITB program should strive to develop good relationships within the community and invest time in building connections with those around them.
The 2023 MITB cohort has an average of 5 years of work experience and 42% are international students. Nine out of ten graduates accepted a job offer within six months of graduation.
“After you graduate, you’ll be in the same position. You might be looking for a job, someone might give you a chance. So build strong connections and maintain those connections after graduation.” It is beneficial to do so,” Neil concludes.
