MSIT Graduate Talks About New Job at Expedia

Securing a job in the middle of a global pandemic is not easy, as Omjit Singh (MSIT '20) found out. Singh graduated from Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program in December and spent several months on the job hunt. 

"Many organizations froze their hiring or were reluctant to hire new people, and even getting an interview call was really tough," Singh said. "It became a really challenging time period and a lot of patience, effort, and perseverance were needed to overcome it."

Singh persevered, and today he is a software development engineer at Expedia, an online travel and booking site. In his role he onboards and manages hotel, room, and resort properties around the globe within the Expedia system, and he is responsible for synchronizing onboarded data across partner sites such as Vrbo, Travelocity, and Trivago.

Singh is also working to help modernize and streamline the company's existing services.

He has been in his new role since April but has already seen how lessons learned in MSIT are applied into his daily work. His time in Financial Management for IT Professionals helped him learn concepts related to investing and managing finances as well as understand market finances and trends. The Information Security and Assurance course clued him in to the best security-related practices in order to keep company data safe. 

MSIT’s appeal to Singh was twofold. He was drawn to the curriculum structure that blended technical competencies with managerial and leadership skills, and he was also excited by the opportunity to work alongside classmates with different backgrounds, ideas, and mindsets.  

"The most important lesson I learned at MSIT was how to coordinate with people of different nationalities and cultures and be able to incorporate their ideas into our weekly assignments," Singh said. "In addition, the fast-paced learning setup and problem-solving nature of assignments helped me learn to work in a time-bound manner without compromising quality." 

MSIT makes it possible for students to gain an in-depth understanding of diverse topics, with students also able to enroll in courses from other programs within Northwestern Engineering as well as the Kellogg School of Management. Singh believes anyone considering MSIT should think about what interests them and how MSIT might be able to support that interest. Also, recognize that the lessons learned in the program — and where the degree comes from — can be advantageous for years to come. 

"The strong base of technical expertise and business learnings in MSIT will help me quickly learn and understand new concepts and technologies in the future," Singh said. "The brand value that Northwestern carries will also give me an edge in the corporate world."