Jarrod Dickinson
BCMS(Hons) in Computer Science
ASB Start Me Up Graduate Program
“I spent my first three semesters at university studying towards a management degree, but I always had a keen interest in technology and after taking a Computer Science paper as an elective, which ended up being my favourite paper, I made the decision to study Computer Science instead. I decided to stay at Waikato because it has a reputation of having the best university Computer Science department in the country, and I had enjoyed all of my experiences studying so far.
My personal highlight during my time at Waikato was the Police internship, which I was able to do over the summer break. Working with the police was an awesome experience, and I was also able to put the skills I had gained over three years of university into practice.
”Straight out of University Jarrod joined ASB’s Start Me Up graduate program, specifically designed for technology graduates. “During the interview process I was surprised by how many of my university experiences I could draw on to provide answers to interview questions. My honours project and different group assignments proved extremely useful in preparing me to work in a team on large projects. The internship I completed through the police also helped me, as I was able to talk about the experience of working on a real-world project.”
“As part of the graduate programme I spend 18 months rotating through different areas of ASB’s Technology, Innovation and Payments division. I am currently in my first rotation working in Integration Services. Integration is responsible for developing and maintaining middleware services and APIs used by the bank. I am still quite early on in my rotation so a typical day for me involves a lot of learning, figuring out how the different parts of the bank work together, and development/debugging of code.
”When asked about his experience of studying at Waikato and if he would recommend it to future students, Jarrod had this to say, “Go for it! If you have a passion for technology then definitely study at Waikato. They have an amazing faculty with expert lecturers who will help set you up for a career in the technology sector. Waikato also has an amazing culture! There were always different events going that cater for a diverse range people, and it made Waikato an exciting place to study at.”