Studied: MMath Mathematics with Spanish at the University of Sheffield.
"During my time studying at university, I covered a wide range of mathematical topics. However, the one module that stood out to me the most was Machine Learning. I enjoyed the module so much that I ended up writing my dissertation on Machine Learning!
This was my first real exposure to coding, and I was surprised at how much I had taken to it. I also liked the module so much as it didn’t take away from the analysis aspect that had drawn me to maths in the first place. Therefore, once my degree was completed, I knew that I wanted to find a job that encompassed both analysis and coding – data analytics was a perfect fit!"
"My day-to-day role typically involves working on the project I have most recently been assigned to. While the intricacies of each project varies a lot, the structure of each project tend to follow a similar pattern. Firstly, data preparation, coding and analysis, report making and final documentation. A typical day involves communicating with my team about each step of the project and also working independently on project work.
I have worked on an array of projects during my first year at Experian and can safely say that no two projects are the same. This is especially true because as part of my graduate scheme I rotate around different teams within the company every 6 months.
This has been extremely beneficial to me as it has given me the opportunity to see what area of work I am most interested in as well as the ability to develop a plethora of skills in distinct capacities. For example, my last team mainly focussed on internal projects which each lasted for a few months whereas the team I am in now is more client facing and therefore, more fast paced.
Non-project work is also a big part of my role at Experian. I am a community champion which means that I help to encourage volunteering and fundraising within the wider early careers cohort and I am a point of contact for anyone looking to get involved in volunteering opportunities. There is also time for you to work on soft skills and further your professional development through extracurricular training and meetings."
"One thing that stood out to me about Experian is hearing other people talking positively about the company. Talking with relatives it became clear to me that Experian truly values their employees and really looks after them.
When applying for jobs, an inclusive and positive work environment was really important to me as I had heard stories about corporate companies not valuing their employees’ time or wellbeing. Furthermore, the graduate scheme appealed to me as it offered additional training and support in comparison to an entry level job."
"The Early Careers Development Programme has helped a lot with my learning journey. It is refreshing to have time allocated to improving soft skills as it can often be difficult to dedicate time to this during the working day.
Some examples of the workshops I have done have focussed on working best practices, resilience and personality types. I have found the Early Careers training days to be very engaging and I always feel that I have taken something useful away from them that I can implement into my daily working life.
For example, I am now more aware that other people learn and respond to information or instructions in a different way to me which means I often need to alter the way I communicate with different people.
This is especially true as I rotate through different teams as I am constantly working with new people. Additionally, from the ‘working best practices’ workshop I am planning to implement the ‘Eisenhower matrix’ which will aid me in prioritising my work and organising my day in a more efficient way.
"A key achievement for me so far is when I started working on my second project within my first team at Experian. It was very similar to the first project I completed and I realised that I immediately knew what I was doing. I was asking less questions and I was more comfortable during the data preparation, despite using an entirely new programme. I was able to draw more conclusions myself and lead the analysis which was incredibly fulfilling. It was very motivating as I could tangibly see how far I had come and how much I had learnt in such little time."
"One thing I like about Experian is the work culture in general. Experian operate a flexible working policy and trust you to complete your work throughout the day rather than keeping strict tabs on you. It demonstrates that the company values a good work/life balance which has been extremely refreshing and solidifies what I had heard about Experian prior to applying."
