Morten Hyllekilde Andersen

MSc in Software Development (renamed Computer Science). Junior Consultant at NNIT.

WHO?

Morten, 27 years old. I lived in Funen until I went off to university. In my spare time, I play a lot of different sports. I just took up spearfishing – which involves swimming around with a harpoon trying to catch fish!

WHERE?

I’m in the Graduate programme at NNIT. It was hard to get into, but I had good recommendations from my student job, which was also at NNIT. My education was broad, so I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do. I figured that a Graduate position could help me explore different areas in practice. As a graduate, you get into a fast lane. There is a steep learning curve, and you get broad experience and a network throughout the organization.

WHAT?

As a Graduate you work in three different departments for six months at a time. At the same time, you take various courses. I have been making applications for four months now, and soon I will switch to a position as Solution Architect, where I will experience a different side of the organization. We get to choose where where we work, so I’m determined to challenge my particular interests.

There were courses at ITU that I didn’t see the point of while I was taking them. But now I see that I have a broader knowledge than those who have only worked with one technology or are self-taught. That means I can help out anywhere, not just in one particular area.

WHY?

I have always been interested in IT. In high school, I had a teacher who offered an elective in computer science. We got to code and create websites, databases and other stuff. We also visited startups and larger IT companies. It was really exciting.

I first studied IT and communications technology at DTU, but I switched to ITU, mostly because I wanted more practical knowledge. At ITU, you do many projects and I liked that better than hardcore theory. Already at the end of the first semester, we had to program a car rental system with a user interface, database and all. It was inspiring to make everything work together, and I liked the connection to everyday life.

BEST ADVICE

For me it was really great to have a student job throughout my studies. Of course you can also create your own startup. But it's important to get a realistic angle on the curriculum, so you can use it in practice.