The Intersection of Tech and Business
A Career Head Start
Discovering how the skills that Riya Poudyal was learning in the classroom would translate to real-world problem solving that helped jump-start her career.
Riya Poudyal (CIS, M.S. BUSA 4th Year)Riya Poudyal (CIS, M.S. BUSA 4th Year) says that she feels that Illinois Tech’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems is at the intersection of the tech world and the rest of the world. While she also is pursuing a minor in business administration and master’s degree in business analytics, Riya says that she sits at an intersection of the tech and business worlds where she can bridge the two and make a meaningful impact.
“I feel like from our very first semester, we are prepared to go into the real world and solve problems,” she says. “I got to collaborate with Protiviti through P33, where we learned how to do end-to-end automation development to web scraping techniques and how they are used in the corporate world. This experience made me realize that I was not just getting an education here but also preparing to solve real-life problems.”
The experience was part of Riya’s Intro to the Profession course in her first semester, where each student is matched with a company and grouped with classmates to work on a semester-long project. It provides first-year students with an idea of what it would it is like to work in the real world.
Riya says that she found that the continuing coursework highlighted real-world problems that needed solutions. Her Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program course matched her with students from multiple academic backgrounds across campus with the goal of building something impactful. She worked on the Bronzeville Trail Task Force, helping to build multiple prototypes for the trail. This initiative was supervised by the vice chairperson of the Bronzeville Trail Task Force.
“Even though it wasn’t my area of expertise, I found myself working with people from different majors, teaching me collaboration, task delegation, and partnerships, all while making a positive impact in the community,” she says.
Multiple courses with team-based projects developed the skill that Riya needed to land an internship at McDonalds headquarters, which turned into to a full-time job as a business technical analyst in the deployment team. In her role, she supports cross-functional initiatives among product, engineering, and operations. These experiences helped prepare her for on-campus career fairs, where she developed the soft skills needed to find employment.
“I still remember running around in a corporate outfit after class to attend a career-fair, which encouraged students to meet multiple company representatives and stand out for internships and full-time roles,” she says. “I came in as someone just interested in tech but after a semester or two, I realized how important it is for me to go around and be involved, to open myself to many different opportunities.”
Her experience has helped her feel comfortable talking to people, explaining her projects in simpler ways, and understanding processes from a behind-the-scenes position. She also now recognizes that she isn’t just the person behind the keyboard, but also a social being who understands more than code.
“At Illinois Tech, I feel like I am at a powerful platform that I need to make the most out of,” she says. “I’m at a place where I’m learning to be equipped with knowledge and skills that’ll make a better impact in the community.”