Understanding the importance of cultivating relationships and letting people know where he wanted his career to head, helped Paul confidently pursue his career after graduating from UCOL.
It’s true that a love of numbers can take you anywhere, Paul Stewart grew up in Featherston nestled at the bottom of the Wairarapa, which is a long way from Seattle in the US where he now works as a Data Analyst.
In the late 90’s Paul was looking to study and after talking to a number of Bachelor of Applied Information Systems (now the
Bachelor of Information Communications Technology (Applied)) graduates who recommended the programme at UCOL, for being hands-on and competency-based he decided to enrol.
When Paul thinks back to his study “The most exciting part, and frequently also the most frustrating, was getting used to and familiar with new technology and software, learning how to create software. “
Paul didn’t go straight into study when he left college, instead choosing to spend many years in Japan working as a marriage celebrant, where he married more than 700 Japanese couples. Having experience overseas gave Paul more confidence when he left UCOL – he understood the importance of cultivating relationships and letting people know where he wanted his career to head.
After landing his first IT role at Massey University and spending a couple of years as an Analyst/Developer at MidCentral District Health Board, he now lives and works as a Data Analyst for
SanMar Corp in the USA.
“If I were to do it again, or the advice I’d give myself and others is to set specific goals for yourself, and find other students who have similar goals, and work together to share ideas and knowledge, and test new ideas. You learn and retain more when you share it and use it with others in projects and class time, in my opinion.”
With more than 1000 staff the US-based, family owned since 1971, SanMar is an award-winning supplier of 16 retail and private brands of imprintable apparel and accessories, including Port Authority, America’s No. 1 preferred private label.