Berke Muftuoglu

Tell us a bit about you. 

Hi, my name is Berke. I was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. I was always interested in solving complex problems, whatever the area. My strongest suit has always been maths and computer science, so that’s what I pursued in my higher education. 

I started at King’s College London where I finished with a degree in Computer Science. After my Bachelor’s I enrolled on the Emerging Digital Technologies MSc course at UCL. 

Along the way, I picked up experience in fields like software and DevOps engineering, which have prepared me for my current career path. Currently, I am working as a Data Automation Engineer at a startup called Nossa Data, which offers software to make the ESG reporting process smoother. 

How did you find your role? 

I applied through a platform called Welcome to the Jungle (my personal favourite), where the CTO reached out to me via the platform’s messaging system. It was much more straightforward than applying through company websites or LinkedIn Easy Apply. 

We had an informal chat about what my skills are, what I was looking for in this role, and whether I had any questions about the company. Then the company followed up with two technical rounds of interviews: one being a take-home task and a live interview asking me questions about the task, followed by some system design questions.  

After successful rounds of interviews, there was the final behavioural round where I met other members of the company. All went well, and a few days later I received a verbal offer to join the company. 

What does a typical day at work look like for you? 

We are an agile team, so I start my day with a daily stand-up where I talk about what I am going to do for the day and what I am hoping to achieve. After stand-up, I continue with my tasks that I have in the sprint.  

Throughout the day, I spare some time to review pull requests that I have received, handle some ad hoc tasks, and any related support tasks that are raised. 

What’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on recently?

One of the most interesting projects I have worked on at NossaData was an AI-powered engine to fill out the ESG questionnaire from existing reports, allowing users to have highly accurate answers and saving hours of manual work trying to find answers embedded in thousands of pages of PDF files. 

What skills or knowledge from Emerging Digital Technologies MSc have proven most applicable in your daily tasks at Nossa Data?

I would say the Product Management module COMP0201 because it provided me with a better understanding of product, which is what I was most curious about in the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). As a small startup with short deadlines and a rapid work environment, we sometimes have to take quick initiatives about product, design, and even QA. 

This module allowed me to fill in those gaps so well that now, when I am building software, it allows me to think like a “user” and use initiatives where needed. This means I am contributing to the company in more ways than just building software. 

With so many programmes to choose from, why did you decide to study Emerging Digital Technologies MSc? And why at UCL? 

This programme appealed to me because I studied Computer Science in my bachelor’s and I always wanted to explore the business side of engineering. Whilst enjoying technical modules, I never got the chance to learn more about the business side of technology. I was very good at the “how” of building software, but I wanted to know about how a product is managed and built, how a startup is formed, and explore areas like digital finance. 

Upon research, I found UCL to be a great fit for me because it offers unique modules taught by world-class lecturers that aren’t offered elsewhere. Another factor that drew me to UCL was the chance to collaborate with a company to write my dissertation. 

What was your favourite module and why?

My personal favourite was Tech Entrepreneurship COMP0039. I’ve always wanted to work for my own startup in the future, and I knew nothing about how entrepreneurship works. That module taught me what makes a successful startup and how to take risks. It was very useful and hopefully I can utilise that knowledge in the future. 

What did you do during your time with UCL Computer Science to maximise your employment prospects?  

It is definitely the people I met. Surrounded by elite professors, future startup founders, analysts, engineers and many more allowed me to get different perspectives. This helped me figure out what I wanted to do after my education and helped build me a global network. 

How would you describe the UCL student community?  

Diverse. There are thousands of people from different parts of the world with millions of different interests at UCL, and you get every chance to meet people that you can get along with. 

What advice do you have for incoming students?  

Talk to people. This isn’t necessarily networking but rather just talking to your classmates, professors, TAs; literally anyone. You might learn about an opportunity, a new strategy for making job applications, or even a new career path that you have never heard of. It is very important to just look out for what is out there. 

Try new things. A module you were always curious about? Take it. A faculty event with good keynote speakers? Attend it. You never know what door is going to open unless you try. Use your university time to try out new things you might not get the chance to later. Use it as a playground to shape who you want to be in the future and discover what path you want to go down. 
 

The information on this page reflects the graduate's status at the time of publication (October 2025).