During her undergraduate degree, Sofiaa Rajasegaram had the opportunity to learn about research methodologies. After graduation, Raj felt she lacked an in-depth understanding of the field of research and wanted to get a foot in the professional world, so she enrolled in Humber’s Research Analyst graduate certificate program.   

“I’m a very logical person,” said Rajasegaram. “Research is something I’ve always aligned with.”   

The Research Analyst graduate certificate program focuses on the theoretical, practical and ethical underpinnings of research while equipping students with the statistical, technical and professional skills necessary to do applied research in a variety of different settings. In the second semester of the program, students must complete a twelve-week work-integrated learning (WIL) experience allowing them to gain valuable practical and professional experience.   

During her studies, Rajasegaram came across an opportunity to travel abroad to Denmark for her WIL placement.   

“I always wanted to travel, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity for me,” said Rajasegaram.   

Rajasegaram spent several weeks at the KEA – Copenhagen School of Design and Technology in Denmark, completing her placement. The opportunity was inspiring for Rajasegaram because Copenhagen is well known as an environmentally-friendly city – an area that interested Rajasegaram.   

“In my day-to-day life, I always try to be sustainable,” said Rajasegaram. “For example, I watch my clothing consumption, so I tend not to shop in fast fashion stores.”   

Rajasegaram combined her passion for sustainability with a new topic she explored during her placement: the Internet of Things (IoT).   

“I wasn’t familiar with IoT, so it was a great opportunity to learn more about it,” said Rajasegaram. “One of the projects I worked on was with a high fashion brand that collaborated with a blockchain technology company to track the journey of their clothes – from production to retail,”   

“The technology could show consumers where the clothes come from, what they’re made of and what production strategies were used to see how sustainable the item of clothing really is,” she said.  

Rajasegaram completed several research projects during her time in Denmark, all of which she’s proud to showcase on her resume.   

“I think the best part about this experience was that it opened my eyes to all the possible career opportunities,” said Rajasegaram. “Working at the School of Design and Technology was quite interesting because I’m not an artist or a designer, but they still have a research and development department. It made me realize there are a lot of different areas I can conduct research in.”   

Rajasegaram credits the Research Analyst program with helping her gain more confidence in her role as a researcher.   

“What’s great about Humber is they teach you how to apply real-life skills in the workforce. I’m starting my career confident that I can efficiently do my job.”