MSC BUSINESS ANALYTICS

Creating Business Impact With Data: Justin Huang’s Journey From MSBA to TikTok

With over one billion active users across the world, TikTok runs on a sophisticated technical infrastructure behind the scenes. To support its ever-changing business and technical needs, it takes dedicated and motivated teams to collect operational data, draw out useful insights, and optimise the platform’s efficiency.

Justin Huang is one of them. With an MSc Business Analytics (MSBA) from Nanyang Business School (NBS) under his belt, he is now six months into his new role as a Cloud Infrastructure Site Reliability Engineer at TikTok.

We sat down with him to get a peek into his work, and how his MSBA helped to kickstart an exciting career at one of the world’s fastest-growing social media platforms.

From billions of data points to insights

As a Site Reliability Engineer, Justin helps to maintain the storage infrastructure that powers TikTok’s systems. Beyond day-to-day monitoring and troubleshooting of system performance, he’s responsible for leveraging data insights to optimise processes and manage costs.

“Every day, the system generates billions of data points, each capturing crucial information such as stability and system health. Effectively leveraging this operational data is important to identify opportunities for optimisation and uncover system risks,” he explained. “I utilised my programming expertise to develop functions for each feature, which were subsequently integrated into our system and rigorously tested to confirm their functionality.”

To turn vast amounts of data into insights, Justin draws on key skill sets learnt from his MSBA journey. His advanced programming classes equipped him with the programming know-how to build functions, while modules such as Storytelling Through Data Visualisation and Design Thinking & Technology Management prepared him to collect and interpret data from a comprehensive perspective.

As business needs change at lightning speed, big data tools are evolving just as quickly. This dynamic environment makes Justin’s role challenging, but it also inspires him to sharpen his problem-solving skills.

“TikTok’s working culture is fast-paced, but the supportive environment encourages us to share learning experiences,” he said. “I enjoy the problem-solving opportunities of my role, and I have endless chances to learn new techniques and technologies.”

Problem-solving with the power of data

Indeed, it was this passion for problem-solving that first kickstarted Justin’s MSBA journey. During his bachelor’s degree in Information and Computer Science, he had hands-on experience in basic data-driven projects and became fascinated by the power of data analytics to solve problems.

“Pursuing an MSc in Business Analytics felt like a natural progression for me,” he shared. “This would allow me to build on my existing skills and carve out a career where I could leverage data to create business impact.”

As an IT enthusiast, Justin was keen on a career in Singapore – a global hub for business and technology which could offer rich opportunities for growth. NBS’s MSBA programme stood out to him for its comprehensive curriculum, hands-on approach, and diverse alumni network.

“I liked the comprehensive curriculum that combined analytic techniques with strategic business planning,” he explained. “These are transferable skills in any industry, giving me a robust foundation to tackle complex business challenges.”

Unlocking a data-driven career

Justin’s MSBA experience proved to be a stepping stone for his career goals in more ways than one. Not only did it pave the way to his full-time position at TikTok, it also armed him with valuable skill sets for success in his role.

NBS’s Graduate Studies Career Development Office (GSCDO) and the MSBA alumni network supported Justin in securing his initial internship at TikTok Singapore as a Site Reliability Engineer Intern.

“Our programme career advisor, Timothy, encouraged my career aspirations and suggested opportunities in various industries,” he recalled.

His MSBA experience equipped him with the big data skill sets he needed to excel in his internship and beyond, including database optimisation techniques and the essentials of big data architecture. Most importantly, it sharpened his data-oriented mindset – enabling him to approach real-world problems in novel ways.

“A data-oriented mindset is crucial to my daily work,” Justin said. “It helps me to think quantitatively and critically, allowing me to provide insights and come up with practical solutions.”

Beyond technical skills, Justin gained a strong understanding of how data technology could drive business strategy and enhance business outcomes. This has helped him to take charge of critical business projects for TikTok and deliver impressive results.

In one memorable project, he contributed to a cross-team cloud infrastructure deployment project. As a technical project manager, he faced the challenge of coordinating teams spread across different time zones and scheduling technical tasks for maximum efficiency.

“My business analytics skills proved invaluable in standardising progress and task synchronisation,” Justin shared. “Using project management tools, I was able to visualise an effective schedule that kept us aligned with the project timeline, while reducing communication costs and enhancing coordination.”

This project proved to align with the industry’s best practices. “By collecting and visualising operational data on project progress and team performance, I digitalised the previous project and gained valuable insights for future projects,” he explained.

“High-quality data is the foundation for overall improvement. I hope I have helped the team to lay the groundwork for more efficient technical project management in the future.”

Closing the gap between technical and business skills

With new technologies rapidly reshaping the business world, every day brings new challenges and learnings in Justin’s role. “TikTok’s company motto, ‘Always Day 1’, resonates with me,” he said. “It reminds me of my journey from knowing so little about computer science to my current role.”

Whatever the challenge, Justin believes his MSBA journey has given him the confidence and tools to tackle it.

“My MSBA experience provided me with the courage to master both technical and business skills,” he summed up. “Even though I’m new, I’m confident I have the capability to understand work requirements, develop solutions to complex problems, and contribute meaningfully to my role.”

Find out more about our MSBA programme here.

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