From finance foundations to business analytics impact

How Amy Ding combined her background in economics with her passion for data-driven problem-solving to transform her career.

Name: Amy Ding

Current Role: Commercial Insights Coordinator

Program: Master of Business Analytics, Melbourne Business School

Cohort: 2025–2026

Notables: 6-week REA Internship Program

Planning a Career pivot

For Amy Ding, turning uncertainty into opportunity has been the catalyst for building a career in business analytics.

After moving to Melbourne from northeast China in 2018 to complete high school, Amy looked all set for a career in finance after completing a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne.

But the concept-heavy world of finance and economics left her wanting more hands-on technical skills to work directly with the data she was analysing.

“I only studied finance and economics, so I didn’t know how to actually deal with data,” she says.

“I really wanted to know everything about it: where it (the data) came from, how it was made available, and how I could leverage it for useful insights. I wanted to know everything.”

Wary of being limited to one professional pathway and increasingly drawn to Python programming, machine learning, and AI, Amy planned a career pivot that would combine her background in economics with her passion for data-driven problem-solving.

“I wanted to expand my skills. If you study only one subject, you can sometimes limit yourself,” she said.

“If I had only studied finance, then maybe that would have been it, and finance is all I would have known.”

Why Melbourne Business School

Access to real-world industry experience was a key factor in Amy’s decision to continue her learning journey with Melbourne Business School and undertake a Master of Business Administration (MBusA)

“MBS has a rich network of business links and offers a range of internship opportunities, which is so important for students who need to experience different workplace environments to gain more confidence as well as new skills,” she said. For Amy, timing was also important because she wanted to complete her postgraduate degree as quickly as possible before returning to the world of work.

“Other programs were 18 months or two years in length, but the course at Melbourne Business School offered a 12-month program, which was intense, but I wanted to challenge myself,” she said.

Inside the MBusA experience

The MBusA not only equipped Amy with all the latest tools and techniques in business analysis but also helped her reconnect with a sense of community.

“I studied Monday to Friday, nine to five, so my classmates were there every step of the way,” she said.

“I completed part of my bachelor’s degree during COVID, which, to be honest, was a lonely experience for me. But at MBS I felt safe, and I felt like I belonged to a community again.”

The program's strong emphasis on collaboration and group work also empowered Amy with crucial workplace-ready skills in communication, leadership, and project management.

“There was such a big focus on group-based projects,” she said.

“We were always collaborating and learning off of each other, there was a really big emphasis on the practical side, which is what I really wanted.”

Learning applied instantly

Her experience on the MBusA left Amy confident and ready to step straight into work after graduating, accepting a role with Vicinity Centres as a Commercial Insights Coordinator.

“My last exam was on a Friday, and then I was straight into work the following Monday,” she said.

“They really needed someone who could step up and start as soon as possible.”

Amy applies her expertise in data analysis and commercial strategy to help businesses secure the perfect spot in retail centres operated by Vicinity Centres.

Building better decision-making skills

The broader problem-solving toolkit she developed through her studies has strengthened Amy’s commercial judgement and has given her a comprehensive understanding of data analysis, both strategically and practically.

“On the course, I learned how to analyse complicated business problems properly. How to clearly define their scope, identify the core issues and work through a structured, logical process to solve them,” she said.

Gaining a more disciplined, methodical approach has enabled her to make better decisions and recommendations in her workplace, avoiding jumping straight to conclusions and instead stepping back, reflecting, and confidently making evidence-based decisions.

For future Students

Amy’s message to future students is “MBS is the best choice.”

“If you want access to world-class support and resources, and if you want to challenge yourself and get the most out of it, then study at MBS,” Amy said.

Her advice is to commit fully to the program and take advantage of the school’s strong ties to the Australian business community by networking and making the most of the industry internships on offer.

She also encourages students to step outside their comfort zones, engage actively in class discussions, and build meaningful relationships with both their peers and course lecturers.

According to Amy, the more you invest in your MBS experience, the more rewarding it will become.

Made. Not born.– Amy’s interpretation

For Amy, Made. Not Born means that success is shaped by struggle, rather than natural talent alone.

Through continuous practice, learning, and persistence, you build the skills and resilience needed to succeed.

“Some people have natural talent, but you still need to learn and develop those skills. You stand up, you fail, you get back up and try again, and you keep going,” she said.

For her, success stems from showing up consistently, embracing setbacks, and understanding that expertise is earned over time, not something you’re born with.