Daniel de la Cruz

Media Studies helped Daniel build critical thinking, user experience, and technology skills—all must-haves for his career in IT.

In my first year at university I was unsure which majors I wanted to pursue, so I picked a broad range of courses across Commerce and Humanities. I eventually decided on Media Studies because I found it fascinating seeing the connection between the media I consumed every day and the media theories I was learning about in class. I also struggled a bit with written communication initially, and Media Studies really helped me build my confidence in this area.

I was particularly interested in digital media and the role technology has played throughout history in shaping the way media texts are produced, distributed, and consumed. From the three-minute format of contemporary pop songs as a manifestation of the phonograph’s three-minute capacity, to the algorithm that dictates which YouTube video you watch next, it is undeniable that technology plays a key role in how we engage with the media. I think this is partially what drew me to working in IT, as the concepts I learned around digital media translate very well to this industry.

There are several skills I picked up studying media that have helped in my work as a software tester. The ability to not only perform critical analysis at a micro level, but also to take a step back and see the wider environmental context is hugely valuable in any area of testing. Research, report writing, and interviewing skills are also beneficial in many test disciplines such as test management and user experience testing. The most important thing is to maintain an understanding of the audience and how they think and behave, as, just like the media, software testing is ultimately about the end user.

At the start of my university journey I never would have expected that I’d end up working in IT, but I’ve since learned that your major doesn’t necessarily have to dictate the career path you end up on. In my time working in testing, I have met people with a broad range of backgrounds including Law, Psychology, and even Classics. If you think Media Studies is something you might be interested in, I would highly encourage you to give it a try. You will most likely pick up transferable skills that can be applied to many industries along the way.

Update: Daniel is now Engineer - Automation at Planit Testing.