While quickly rising through the ranks at the tech giant he then pursued a specialized master’s degree at his alma mater.
Find out how Neel leveraged his master’s degree to grow his career at Amazon, along with his top tips for landing internships at Amazon.
Studying for a master’s in IT alongside a career at Amazon
Neel was no stranger to Singapore Management University (SMU) when he decided to embark on a master’s in IT. He had already completed his bachelor’s degree in business management at the business school.
As Neel started working at Amazon immediately after his undergraduate degree, it was important for him to find a part-time master’s program that could help him build the relevant skills to succeed while working.
This led him to the Master of IT in Business (MITB) at SMU School of Computing and Information Systems—a 12- to 24-month specialized master’s program that focuses on four tracks: Financial Technology and Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation, and Analytics.
Neel was attracted to the program as it’s well suited to people from non-technical backgrounds.
“I had heard that the MITB program was very highly regarded in the industry, and many of its alumni have gone on to find great roles in their companies or have managed to grow in their careers even further,” he says.
Some of the companies hiring MITB grads include Apple, Google, and PayPal.
He adds that studying for his master’s alongside his full-time career at Amazon meant he was able to immediately apply the skills and knowledge learned in the MITB program to his work as a data analyst at AWS.
“I was suddenly able to provide a lot more insight and value to my team,” he says, adding that the MITB program didn’t come without some sacrifices, as he had to miss occasional work meetings and study late on certain evenings to stay on track with his studies.
Gaining the 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 familiar with coding at a basic level, but it was really helpful to learn more advanced skills, such as designing good algorithms and machine learning,” 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 valued the experiential learning aspect of the master’s in IT and business, with the opportunity to apply the coursework in projects that had real-life applications.
For example, one of the group projects in the Recommender Systems course considered how to use images or text descriptions of games on a digital storefront to recommend games to like-minded users, helping to boost sales.
“SMU did a great job of injecting that business-oriented flavor into the coursework,” he says.
“It also helped us understand that it's important to be able to communicate the value of your technical knowledge and activities to the business side because, ultimately, that's what matters.”
With a blended skill set, thanks to his master’s in IT, Neel successfully made the leap from data analyst to senior data analyst at AWS.
Tips for landing internships at Amazon
Neel started his journey at AWS as a cloud intelligence and insight intern, so he knows how to stand out in the Amazon interview process.
"I would encourage anyone aspiring to work at Amazon to look up the company's 16 leadership principles before the interview process, identifying those that resonate most with you as a prospective employee."
He also recommends thinking carefully about how to answer the common question, ‘Why do you want to work at Amazon?’, making sure your answer is well-researched and specific to Amazon.
“Do your research—maybe there is a product or program that interests you. Also, focus on what you can bring to the role, what you hope to get out of it, and where you see yourself growing in that role or at the company,” he advises.
Having a top master’s degree can also help grads stand out from the crowd, not to mention the opportunities provided by building a solid business network with your peers and professors.
“For anyone considering the MITB program, try to form good relationships within the community and invest time in building connections with those around you.
The 2023 MITB cohort has an average of five years of work experience, with 42% international students. nine in 10 of their graduates have accepted job offers within six months upon graduation.
“After you graduate, you’re all in the same boat—you might be looking for a job, or someone might have an opportunity for you, so it’s useful to form strong connections and keep them alive after graduation,” concludes Neel.
