Arushad Ahmed (BSc in Computer Science, 2016), Director and Chief technology Officer (CTO) of Javaabu, a software development firm based in the Maldives, shares his career journey with us.
Having had no prior experience with business, co-founding a software development firm was challenging for Arushad. However, determined to make his idea work, he spent four years learning everything that came along with running a business such as management, human resources, administration and finances.
Despite the challenges, Arushad finds his work rewarding. Having had several opportunities to work on national level software projects in his country, he saw first-hand how his work made a positive impact on the community around him. One of his recent projects, an online job centre his firm developed for the Economic Ministry was used to disperse income support benefits to over 70,000 people who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
His very first job after graduation from UNM was as an Application Development Architect at a telecommunications company. This led him to realise that while his current job was wonderful, he was still dissatisfied and thus, he set forth to establishing Javaabu. Quitting his job to start from scratch was a risk, but it has been one that has paid off after years of hard work.
His future plans for Javaabu are to expand it to the international market as well as introduce their software products to the market. Arushad also hopes to continue with his studies to acquire a master’s and a doctorate in Computer Science.
Choosing to study at UNM built the foundation he needed for his software development career and experiencing life with a multinational student body also gave him many opportunities for international project collaborations. Arushad also recounts how some of the fondest memories are during his time as a student in UNM.
For those who want to set up their own firms and be their own boss, Arushad has the following advice:
“Develop your skills through self-learning and start building your portfolio. You can volunteer by building websites or apps for clubs & societies at university or for your friends and family. You can also look out for some freelance work. But always make sure to obtain some form of reference for your work, so you can use it as proof in the future when you go looking for a job or want to start your own business.”
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Posted on 6th April 2021