Chloe Jung has found her feet in Queenstown, after moving there to study in 2016. She discovered what she was good at, and after qualifying at SIT Queenstown, a career opening followed in quick succession.
Chloe is from South Korea; after completing high school she did a gap year and worked there, while researching study options abroad. The Southern Institute of Technology came recommended through her education agent – the fees were cheaper than other tertiary training institutes – and as she had an interest in IT, she enrolled and came to New Zealand.
It was quite by accident (or good fortune), that Chloe ended up studying her course at SIT’s Queenstown campus – originally she had planned to go to Invercargill, however the Queenstown semester start dates were better suited to her, so after attending English language classes in Invercargill to gain her IELTS rating, she moved to Queenstown to commence her studies in late 2016, completing in succession, Diploma’s in Information Technology, Levels 5 and 6, graduating mid-2018.
Chloe said her programmes covered a broad range of topics, from networking and hardware through to web and game development. It contained a good balance of theory and practical, and she particularly liked the individual project they were required to do.
“By finishing this project I learnt how to build components in IT” Chloe says. “It really helped me a lot, because I then knew how to do these things.”
Also learning how to present their work was memorable, Chloe mentions she gained more confidence in public speaking and speaking to people in general, as the students prepared and gave presentations to the class. “It’s a practical skill to know how to confidently speak and promote your own ideas” she said.
When she thinks back on the highlights from her time studying, Chloe says she liked the friendly, helpful tutors. There were around ten students in her class and she said because of the small class numbers, the tutors were able to spend time with each student, and focus more on individual students if they needed help.
“Queenstown campus is small, I made a few friends in my class... it had everything we needed to successfully complete the course.”
Chloe’s choice to study at SIT Queenstown turned out to be master stroke – it led directly to her current job as a web developer with a Queenstown company, a role she has been in for more than three years. After working part-time in the last semester, she had a full-time job secured before graduating.
Chloe’s goal is to continue learning more new skills in her field, and improving them. “I might do more study in the future” she added.
She is settled in Queenstown and likes her life here. “I like living in Queenstown – it’s not too big or too small, I love the beautiful scenery,” and although she’s not an adrenaline junkie, Chloe does enjoy getting out and about and trying the available activities on her doorstep every now and then. She also loves that “there are tons of walking tracks to choose from”.
For someone who hadn’t studied IT prior to choosing SIT, Chloe has found her niche in Queenstown. “SIT did help me to start out in my career – I’ve learned a lot more since then, but it was the important first step and it gave me a base to begin from. All the right doors have definitely opened for me,” she said with a smile.