From Co-op to Full-Time: How Northeastern Launched Malaviya’s Career in Cybersecurity
Jainil Malaviya portrait. Photo sourced from LinkedIn.
Jainil Malaviya is a current student in the MS in Information Systems program. With a bachelor’s degree in computer science, where he built a strong foundation in programming, data structures, algorithms, and software development, he shares how Northeastern’s co-op program, hands-on coursework, and dedicated mentors helped him land a full-time role as a Security Engineer at Nokia Canada Inc.—before even graduating.
Malaviya chose the MS in Information Systems program at Northeastern to strengthen his technical skills, study advanced topics, and improve his career prospects. Northeastern’s emphasis on experiential learning—especially the co-op program—aligned closely with his goals to gain real-world industry experience alongside academic study. He was also attracted by the program’s balance of theory and hands-on practice, and by the opportunity to learn from faculty active in both research and industry.
Malaviya next to Jeffrey Maddox, president of Nokia Canada. Courtesy photo.
He highlights courses such as Program Structures and Algorithms, Cloud Computing and Networking, and Smart Contracts and Cryptocurrency for giving him practical, industry-relevant experience. Malaviya credits Professor Zheng Zheng for fostering critical thinking and problem-solving in algorithms, and he names Professor Omar Badreldin and his co-op advisor Himadri Dave as important mentors who provided career guidance and personal development advice. Malaviya secured a co-op at Nokia Canada Inc., where he held two roles. As an Engineering Lab Technician with the Global Network Engineering Lab, he configured switches and routers, set up lab environments for testing, supported hardware installations, and troubleshot network issues. He later served as an Automation Engineer Intern on the Cloud & Network Services Security Team, where he scripted and automated internal security tasks using Jenkins and Groovy, built internal tools to streamline repetitive workflows, improved efficiency, supported security testing, and contributed to documentation and compliance processes.
His co-op began through a direct application on Nokia’s portal and was extended following strong performance. He transitioned into automation and security by proactively submitting an updated resume and expressing his interest to HR.
Projects and Innovation
As part of his coursework, Malaviya worked on a Java-based full-stack application that included user authentication, data management, and a simple UI. His team followed object-oriented principles and design patterns to ensure modularity and maintainability.
Malaviya and his colleagues from Nokia. Courtesy photo.
The project was not without its challenges. To address code integration and version conflicts, the team introduced a structured Git workflow, conducted regular code reviews, and established clearly assigned responsibilities. Concerns around scalability and modularity were resolved by applying solid architecture principles and incorporating feedback from instructors and peers during reviews.
The team believes the application has real-world potential for small businesses or organizations needing a customizable user and data management platform. With further development—including database persistence, cloud deployment, and advanced security—it could evolve into a robust enterprise solution.
Future Perspective
Malaviya has already secured a full-time position prior to graduation with Nokia Canada Inc. as a Security Engineer, marking a strong start to his professional career. He aspires to further develop his expertise in offensive security, with a focus on penetration testing and Red Team operations. Looking ahead, he is committed to continuous growth by deepening his technical skills through hands-on practice, including labs, CTFs, bug bounties, and open-source contributions, all aimed at building a strong, demonstrable portfolio. In the long term, he aims to lead Red Team operations, design adversary-emulation programs, and mentor junior offensive security engineers.