Business solutions manager

Studying in the Faculty of Arts gave James David (Ngāpuhi) the people and negotiation skills that led to his role as a solutions manager with Datacom.

Key facts

Career: Business solutions manager at Datacom New Zealand
Programme
: Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Commerce conjoint; Master of Arts
Subjects: History

"I manage a number of large enterprise customers for Datacom, providing IT solutions, services and personnel across a vast range of different technologies. My role involves managing our clients, coordinating responses to new business opportunities, and working with internal teams to provide new services to market.

"I love working with different people on a daily basis in a fast and fun environment. I get to lead presentations and negotiations with our customers, as well as help some seriously talented people get what they have created out into the market. I love being around the innovation and change that IT is bringing to the world currently.

"I never thought I would end up in IT. However, the negotiation and business writing skills I learnt in my degree have proven invaluable in my job.

The ability to clearly and concisely sum up information in a format that people can easily consume is a genuinely important skill that I have taken from university.

"The wide-ranging knowledge I learnt during my degrees has also been really beneficial as my career has progressed.

"I chose an Arts degree as I love understanding people and having the knowledge to explain why they do things. History was always a passion of mine as it gives a wider perspective on people's motivations and beliefs. Arts was something I took as I knew it would be enjoyable. However, as I move further into my career I realise that it has given me a knowledge base and skill set.

"Arts gives you a greater perspective on the world. Not only is it interesting, but it helps to build relevant skills that can be applied anywhere. Arts teaches you how to communicate and share information effectively, which is something that is hard to do in the workplace."