Christopher Kevin Vijaya

Profile

Long before I joined Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (HWUM), I had a deep interest in data and finance. Since I was a child, I have seen data as a variable and powerful tool in every aspect of my life, and since then, I have always had a strong interest in statistics.

Experience at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia:

In my opinion, aside from all the courses that I have learnt in my Statistical Data Science (SDS) programme, I also joined numerous clubs and organisations, taking on pivotal roles that aligned with my interests and, of course, my future career goals. I believe both of these helped me to secure my valuable internship position, which eventually led to securing my full-time job.

How did you secure a job before your graduation:

The role I am involved in is called Professional Services Engineer (PSE). As a PSE, we have to build and gather requirements from our clients to develop the software they wish to build. We gather information from them, develop and build their systems, and also test and train the users on how to use the software we have developed for them. I think it is an interesting position because I was able to utilise all the skills I had learnt from my subjects, internship position, and also from the clubs and organisations I was involved in. To me, this role very much aligns with my interests because I was able to apply everything I had learnt from university, my class organisation, and my internship. It has actually helped me enhance both my soft and technical skills at the same time.

Advice for prospective students:

To all Indonesian students who are looking to further their studies in Malaysia, I encourage you to reflect on what you are genuinely interested in. For me, I was really interested in data and finance, which is why I enrolled in the Statistical Data Science programme at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia—because of the combination of courses it offered. If you have already enrolled, I suggest making the most of your university time. Don’t just attend classes and go home—build connections as much as you can. Join clubs and organisations that interest you, because this will give you more exposure and better opportunities to secure an internship. All of this can eventually help you to secure a full-time job—not just in Malaysia, but anywhere you wish.

In my case, many of my friends said that securing a job in Malaysia is nearly impossible because most companies only accept locals or Malaysians. However, at Juris Technologies, we hire a lot of expats from all over the world, especially Indonesian students, because we are gradually expanding our market to Indonesian companies. So, we can say that we highly anticipate foreign students to work at Juris, and possibly at other companies in similar sectors.

After my enrolment in the Statistical Data Science programme at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, I can confidently say that the data industry is still booming and in high demand. It gave me the confidence to continue developing and to make a significant impact in this industry.