Jing Gong is an MBA and master of science in information systems and technology management dual degree candidate at the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. Gong, who plans to graduate in 2020, shared her experience choosing Lerner graduate programs and how it has impacted her both personally and professionally.
Q: Why did you go back to school to pursue your graduate degree? Why did you choose the Lerner College for your studies?
Gong: I wanted to change my career. Lerner College offered a dual degree program allowing me to study business administration and information science at the same time.
Q: What did you learn through this opportunity that you wouldn’t have learned anywhere else?
Gong: Improving soft interaction skills is the best one I enjoyed developing. I came to know who I really am and what I want to pursue in the future. It has been a great opportunity to explore a new career path benefiting from all the fundamentals and skills I learned from Lerner’s education.
Q: What is an example of a course or concept that you were able to apply directly to your life and/or career?
Gong: I learned that to “brand yourself” is important for my career. That shows my unique professional identity. I applied this concept in my resume and updated my personal professional profile.
Q: Can you describe an important connection you have made through your graduate program?
Gong: I’ve been making very important connections with professors at UD and researchers at Christiana Care Health Service for a joint research program through the UD internship program. I got a lot of career advice as well as developing my technical and communication skills.
Q: If you were to describe your classmates in one word, what would that be?
Gong: I would describe my classmates as “enthusiastic.” All of them are very passionate about learning and share their opinions in the class.
Q: How do you balance your career with your studies?
Gong: Through my study, I thought about what I really want to do in the future. I became confident about my professional career. This is the most valuable thing to me.
Q: Fill in this sentence: “My graduate program helped me become…”
Gong: a data enthusiast with very sharp technical skills and soft skills in communication.
Q: What was the most impactful hands-on project or case competition that you were able to participate in?
Gong: Participating in the internship project really motivated me to think about the future. The data analysis techniques are evolving with innovation. It was a fruitful experience to see how the technology is actually utilized in the real world and changing our lifestyle.
Q: What are your plans or next steps for the future?
Gong: I think information science will play a very important role in the future. Data will change the way we understand human activities in every sector and reshape our lives. I would like to be a leader of this new wave.