“The industry-focused approach means you leave with the full package, ready to take on the job market!” UL alumni James tells us how his MSc in Project Management boosted his career in auditing
Since gaining his first degree in Information Technology in 2010, James has continued to gain qualifications and work towards an exciting role at the Office of the Attorney General in Kenya.
Name: James
University: University of Limerick
Course studied: MSc Project Management
Current role: Information Systems Auditor
Fun fact: James is very proud of his country and shares some Kenyan culture with us below!
The low-down on working in auditing…
“I’m working in the systems audit department at the Office of the Auditor-General in Nairobi. My work entails reviewing the controls that are in place in areas of accounting or procurement systems across the government departments. It’s a good career to have; in face auditing in general is good because you tend to learn a lot. For example, if you work in accounting, you’re quite tied to maths. In auditing, you get to review HR policies, IT, finance and gain a broad view of the organisation. Working at governance level is a key part of the management of the organisation.
I really enjoy the job because it’s not repetitive, so everything I do is a new learning curve. Having to work on different tasks keeps it exciting. The challenging part is that it takes a lot of time and effort to learn new systems for new clients, which is essential before you can review them. You really have to burn the midnight oil to learn processes in two or three weeks when others have been using them for a year!”
Studying Project Management at UL…
“I chose to do this master’s to advance my career and get experience at a global level, along with meeting people from new cultures. The course has a very practical approach: we’re grouped into teams and given a task to handle and present. The uni would also organise for experienced professionals to come in and talk to us about what it’s like. This means it’s less notetaking and more working on the key skills such as leadership, time management, communication and interpersonal skills. I really enjoyed the intensity of the course too.
When I first arrived in Ireland, I found the language quite difficult and couldn’t communicate very well as I didn’t understand the phrases the locals used. However, after a month or two, there was a lot of improvement.. I started to really enjoy meeting new people and immersing myself in the new culture. Coming from a developing nation, studying in a developed country was a significantly different learning process. There was a more industry-focussed approach where you learn how to work within your market, so you leave with the full package and ready to take on the job market!
I loved studying in Limerick: the simplicity of life and how everything was within reach. The city has great accessibility too. What’s more, the Irish government allows international students to stay back for 2 years, which gives people like me a great chance to develop my experience.”
Kenya: A culturally rich nation…
"I’m really proud of my country and its huge cultural diversity. One of the most well-known tribes in Kenya and around the world is the Masai people. It has its traditional clothing, which is also considered to be the national attire. The Masaiare dress usually consists of red kanga and a lot of bright decorations: necklaces, bracelets, and bead headdresses. Masai men wear a red-checked Shuka (a classic Masai blanket) and carry a distinctive ball-ended club (called a rungu).
This photo was taken in the Maasai Mara game reserve. Maasai Mara Game Reserve is widely regarded to be the cradle of mankind as well as Africa's Greatest Wildlife Reserve and was voted as the eighth wonder of the world in 2007. It has also been voted among the best safari destinations! I’d encourage everyone to make a point of visiting Kenya. It’s a naturally wonderful place to be and with the most welcoming people you will ever meet. We say “Jambo”, “Karibu Sana and Hakuna Matata" which translates to “hello”, "most welcome and “no worries” respectively.
James has big ambitions for the future, aiming for a “senior government position when I can have a direct impact on taking things in right direction.” He believes this is important for his country: “as a developing nation, we’re doing a lot that requires project management, from roads to airports. Thanks to my course, I believe I’ll achieve this in the next 10 years or so.”
Want to ask James about his career? Connect with him on LinkedIn