Graduate Studies Blog

MSC BUSINESS ANALYTICS

A Singaporean’s Journey to Upskill Locally Through a Globally Recognised Analytics Programme

If knowledge is power, data is undoubtedly the beating heart of this knowledge. Today’s businesses are increasingly relying on data to boost efficiency and drive growth. In fact, close to 90% of larger firms in Singapore have already adopted data analytics, fuelling demand for data skills across all kinds of industries.

At the same time, recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping data workflows. By chatting to AI-powered assistants in natural language, you can generate database queries, automate reports, and even build data pipelines. With such tools at our fingertips, how important is it to develop deep expertise in data skills?

Very important, according to MSc Business Analytics (MSBA) alumnus Kerk Jun Gang. Having embarked on his MSBA journey in 2021, Jun Gang saw the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT during his studies.

This has given him unique insight into what he dubs the “pre-GPT” and “post-GPT” eras – especially as someone with a non-technical background. With new tools and trends emerging all the time, Jun Gang shares how his MSBA experience has given him the grounding to learn fast and add value.

Upskilling from operations to analytics

Jun Gang first became interested in analytics when working alongside business analysts in his first job. In Singapore’s CPF Board, his duties included streamlining operational processes and improving workstream efficiency.

When his department embarked on a major system modernisation, he took charge of translating operational needs into business requirements for the revamp. He spent long hours collaborating with business analysts to align user needs with transformation efforts, which opened his eyes to the insights that data skills could unlock.

“I realised that in order to better appreciate the work we were doing, I would need a better understanding of these technologies,” Jun Gang recalled. “So, I told myself I needed to do some upskilling.”

Although Jun Gang had completed his undergraduate studies at another Singapore university, he was keen to explore a fresh perspective beyond his alma mater. The MSBA curriculum at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) offered the innovative lens and broad foundation that he was looking for.

“Coming from a non-tech background – political science – to tech, that broader perspective helps a lot,” he explained. “At that time, I was looking to broaden my understanding in tech, and NTU’s core modules met that need. If I developed an interest in certain areas later on, I could use the electives to focus on them.”

Putting classroom learning into action

For professionals making a career change like Jun Gang, one major concern is how useful their classroom knowledge will be in the workplace. But he soon found that the programme’s hands-on approach, backed by real-world data and case studies, helped him turn theory into impact easily.

“One memorable class for me was the Operations Analytics elective, where we worked on case studies on how organisations were failing because their processes weren’t optimal,” he shared.

“In my role, I could see some of these problems first-hand, and hence could appreciate their real-world impact. I could clearly see how using analytics to make operations more efficient would be useful to my company.”

Jun Gang also enjoyed his classes in core skills like database management – to the point that he decided to challenge himself further. To put his classroom lessons into action, he made a career move to a Senior Analyst in Data Analytics and Visualisation at Great Eastern.

Armed with newfound data analytics skills, Jun Gang was able to combine datasets from customers’ digital footprints and buying patterns. This enabled him to analyse how consumers were purchasing products and create smoother customer journeys.

“I could directly apply my studies to my work in many areas,” he added. “I was able to grasp how the data engineers were putting pipelines together, and I had the backend programming knowledge to understand why systems were structured a certain way. All this helped with better understanding customers and driving sales.”

The value of deep expertise in a post-AI world

Jun Gang was halfway through his MSBA journey when ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late-2022. Over the next few years, generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot rapidly rolled out, offering the potential to automate everything from writing SQL queries to solving programming problems.

“My batch was lucky in the sense that we had hands-on experience in both the pre-GPT and post-GPT eras,” Jun Gang reflected. “For example, I’ve gone through the painful process of going through pages of Stack Overflow to find the perfect solution to a problem. But I also know how to use GPTs efficiently to assist my research.”

Having that hard-won expertise in problem-solving has made him better at thinking, analysing, and innovating – rather than simply relying on AI. He cites his experience at Great Eastern, where he had to write SQL queries every day.

“These days, you can type “SQL query to _____” and AI would largely give you the answer,” he shared. “But through the MSBA programme, I gained a deep understanding of how execution logic works and why it works this way. Without this understanding, I wouldn’t have been able to write queries as fluently and comfortably. Being able to actually understand what I’m writing helped me to perform the job better.”

Building a dynamic career on a strong foundation

After graduating from the MSBA programme, Jun Gang quickly landed a role with Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). As a Manager in Digitalisation and Business Excellence, he describes his job as “doing it all”.

“Day-to-day, I do everything from automation to analytics, dashboard creation, and data engineering. Right now, I’m also supervising projects on AI model optimisation,” he shared. “It’s like the organised chaos of a startup.”

Every week brings something new, but his MSBA experience has given him the broad foundation of data skills to adapt quickly.

“I wouldn’t say I do everything well, but MSBA has indeed given me a strong knowledge base to build on,” Jun Gang said. “It’s a foundation on which I can build new capabilities, rather than just following what ChatGPT tells me without understanding what goes on behind the scenes.”

From his early days of writing SQL queries, Jun Gang has come a long way in his data analytics journey. In one memorable project, he led the building of modern databases for his department, paving the way to shift their data management from Excel to the cloud.

“I started out using basic SQL, but today I can build databases and data pipelines – pretty much what a data engineer does,” he reflected. “Without the fundamentals I gained from the programme, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today.”

The enduring value of the MSBA programme

For Jun Gang, a career move from operations to data analytics paid off with a salary boost. But beyond the monetary returns, his investment in upskilling also led him to greater career fulfilment.

“When I was in operations, the day-to-day got a bit mundane,” he revealed. “But with technology changing so fast, I’m never short of new advances to surprise me.”

Even as technology evolves, Jun Gang is confident he has the right grounding to stay competitive in the long run. “The MSBA training isn’t just one-and-done,” he pointed out. “It has provided an analytical lens that I apply to everything I do to drive progress.”