MSc in IT – Web Communication
Complex IT systems turned out to be much more my thing
JN Data might not be a company most people have heard of — but it plays a crucial role in making sure people in Denmark can pay for things, transfer money and use online banking. Ida Panduro Cramer works there as an IT Operations Planner. With a background in library science and IT, she now works with operations, planning and coding in what you could call the technical engine room of the banking sector.
”I have a bachelor’s degree in library and information science, IT and Communication and a master’s degree in web communication. When I first started studying, I thought I’d end up working with books, but along the way I became much more interested in the technical side of things. I found it really exciting to understand what goes on behind systems, data and code.
Today, I work as an IT Operations Planner at JN Data, an operations company that works ‘behind the scenes’ running the banks’ IT systems — including online banking, payments and interest calculations. Basically, everything needed to keep the financial system running.
In my department, we work with operations through a mainframe — an older IBM system — and with what we call a scheduler, which controls when different programs and jobs run throughout the day. My job is partly about making sure the existing systems run reliably, and partly about putting new solutions into operation. Sometimes it also means reacting quickly if something goes wrong.
”When I first started studying, I thought I would end up working with books, but along the way I became increasingly interested in the technical side of things. I found it fascinating to understand what goes on behind systems, data and code.
At the moment, I’m working on a new EU directive that requires faster payment reporting. The banks develop the programs themselves, and then we create the code that allows those programs to run correctly in our systems. I help plan when and how often things should run, and how everything fits together with the rest of the system.
We code in JCL, among other languages — a programming language I’d never heard of before starting this job. My degree gave me a solid technical understanding, and I’d already learned other programming languages, which makes it easier for me to pick up new languages and systems. I can see loads of similarities between the coding I learned during my studies and the work I do today.
I wish I’d known from the beginning just how many different directions this degree could lead to. For a long time, I thought it was only about books. Now I can see that it can also lead to jobs working with complex systems and critical infrastructure — and that turned out to be much more my thing.”
Ida 's Path to Her Job
Ida holds:
- a Bachelor’s degree in in Library and Information Science, IT and Communication (University of Southern Denmark)
- a Master's degree in Web Communication (Cand.it.) (University of Southern Denmark)
Ida’s career path has been shaped by both academic and personal interests, as well as the choices she made during his studies. What will your path be?