Kyle Cardoso da Silva – Research and Data Support Officer
Kyle da Silva’s current role involves a wide range of work, including undertaking and co-ordinating research projects, analysing quantitative and qualitative data, translating complex evidence into clear, distributable materials for ministers of government, all of which are aided by things he learned during his Master of Public Policy (MPP).
Graduate: BA - Sociology and Politics and International Relations, Master of Public Policy
Current role: Research and data support officer, The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ
The most enjoyable part of his job?
“The impact of the work and the passion the people around me have! The team we have in NZ and the teams throughout the Pacific have such an amazing passion for this mahi, and you can feel it in the camaraderie we all have, and in the willingness of all the doctors and nurses in the Pacific ready to lend a hand to their neighbours whenever they need.”
While completing his masters, Kyle also worked part-time.
“When I began my masters, I had the privilege of working in the Ministry of Health’s Suicide Prevention Office. This was an amazing team where I learned a lot about the inner workings of government and public services. During this time, I further had the opportunity to intern at The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ as part of my programme. Allowing me to now also get an insight into how the non-governmental sector operates.
“I found the MPP to be incredibly practical in how it framed policy and the courses available in the programme. This framing really helped ground many of the lessons I was learning in the work I wanted to undertake after I left. Sometimes when I am presented with a challenge, I remember one of my courses or conversations with a lecturer, so I have made more than one visit back to my Canvas or University email accounts!”
During his undergraduate studies, Kyle knew he wanted to be involved in the hands-on work of the public service or not-for-profit sectors.
I wanted more from my postgraduate studies than pure academics but rather something that would enhance my learnings and best prepare me for my goals. I felt the MPP programme touched on a lot of different components of what policy development was and its realities.
"I saw that I would be learning everything from economics to raw data analysis, these were skills that I knew were valuable and would help to further develop not only my own skills but also my attractiveness as a kind of one-man policy expert.”
Kyle counts his lecturers and the opportunities they presented as one of his highlights of postgraduate study.
“They were all such amazing supports throughout my studies and were full of so much diverse experience in this field. I found myself learning a lot in conversations with them that guided how I approached my professional career. During the programme itself, they were also always presenting us with opportunities at all levels in the sector and were willing to support us in going for these.
“Postgraduate study really opened my eyes to more opportunities than I thought I was going to have. In my undergrad, I was very one-track-minded in how I wanted my career to go, but after doing my masters I found that there was so much more. I was studying alongside such different people from completely different majors or programmes before this one.”
Kyle’s advice to anyone thinking about postgraduate study is that there is no right way to do university or postgrad.
“There’s no such thing as too late or too long! Your postgraduate journey can be shaped around your life and how it best fits you. Whether you’re like me and decide to just gun it from high school to postgrad without a break, or if you’re someone who wants to work your studies around your professional life.
“I truly believe university education is an amazing opportunity and privilege. If you can do postgraduate study, you definitely should!”