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Hardika's journey to an IT Career with ACU

Hardika Pareek

Hardika travelled from India to Australia to study the ACU Master of Information Technology. Already, she can see that the degree will open doors to a vibrant IT career.

What led you to study the Master of Information Technology at ACU?

I chose ACU because it has a strong reputation for providing a holistic education that combines academic excellence as well as a focus on ethical and social responsibilities.

I think ACU’s IT program is well regarded. The curriculum and the teaching activities are very comprehensive, and the teaching methods are very diverse, incorporating lectures, hands on labs and workshops and everything. 

ACU’s IT course content is known for being very practical and related to the real world. What sort of practical learning have you experienced during your studies?

My course is full of work-integrated learning opportunities that will really boost my employability. I’ve applied up for the Cisco MentorMe program, which is a mentoring program specifically for female IT students, and for a cybersecurity internship. If I get into both of them, it’s going to work wonders for my first job.

As well as IT skills, you’ve also developed valuable professional capabilities. Can you give some examples?

In one of my classes, I worked with a team to design a real estate app. It helped me get better at teamwork, communications and presentation skills, because I had to present the final product in front of everyone. I’m normally quite shy when it comes to presenting, so I think that was a win for me.

What do you do in your leisure time? Have you been involved in any activities on campus?

I’m always looking for opportunities to enhance my learning, even when I’m not in class. Recently, ACU organised an event with an expert in eInvoicing, which is a new topic that’s emerging in the IT field right now. eInvoicing is where the client and supplier’s software systems exchange invoices without humans having to get involved. I want to go into AI, so events like this are directly relevant to the field I want to work in.

On a more personal note, how has ACU supported you as an international student?

The university's commitment to supporting international students has been wonderful. There are a wide range of supports and services — tutoring workshops are one example; another one is mental health services, which have been very important to me. International students often need support when they first start their studies, and ACU has numerous resources to help.