I’m Head of Product at an AI startup called TheAX.ai. On a typical day my roles are varied as we are such a small team and I have many responsibilities. These include managing the development team by keeping track of their responsibilities and working to remove blockers. I speak to potential clients on our pilot program and filter their feedback to become improvements to be implemented by the development team. I plan the development weeks and months in advance to ensure our long term strategy is achievable and in line with the CEO’s expectations.

What skills from your degree do you think you use most in your current job?

I studied Computer Science so my skills are extremely practical and relevant to my current job. Apart from coding skills, I’m using the soft skills from team modules which I thought at the time were the least valuable. These include a lot of planning (not pointless it turns out), communication and managing a team of different personalities. My degree has massively helped me to understand the technical depths of our AI application and to research further developments. In particular the NLP (Natural Language Processing) module has the most overlap with our current work.

How has your career developed since graduating from the University of Birmingham? Did you need to take additional training on top of your degree?

Once I finished university I worked in a corporate role at PwC as a Software Developer and AI Researcher. I didn’t take any extra training and had the philosophy that the best way to learn was on the job. While undertaking AI Research I spent a lot of time reading papers and solving theoretical challenges, which I had plenty of training on from my Computer Science Final Year Project.

After this, I founded my first startup, Teachify, before moving into the Consulting space with Theax.ai. The first startup was the perfect training for Theax.ai, for startups there’s nothing that can replace experience because the rate of change of the industry is so large. 

What would you recommend students should do at university, over and above their academic study, to make them more employable in the graduate market? 

Statistically large proportions of young people undertake a university degree, so it sometimes doesn’t help them stand out in job applications. In most cases a degree is seen simply as a first requirement to even be considered. Typical advice will tell you to take internships and get work experience as soon as possible which is also highly recommended. But the best exercise you can undertake is to put yourself in the shoes of a company hiring and you will see that most job openings are overwhelmed with applications, especially if the barrier to entry is simply a degree. Therefore, I’d advise you to take a punt on a career choice and try to do things which show a keen interest in that career. Whether that be volunteering, work experience or even starting a business in that field, it all depends on what you are applying for. The important thing is to just do something and don’t let the overwhelming amount of choice delay you too much. An imperfect decision is better than no decision and you can easily change your career down the line.

Did you take advantage of support services offered by the University for example Careers Network and Wellbeing, and if so, what impact did they have on you?

I studied a degree apprenticeship program so was very lucky to get internship opportunities with PwC throughout my studies. However, when I started Teachify, the Careers Network were extremely helpful and offered me the opportunity to sponsor interns working at Teachify. This gave me the opportunity to expand the team from product management to marketing.

What are your fondest memories of the University and what would you say to anyone currently considering studying at Birmingham? 

Living with your friends and being surrounded by people your age brings so much joy and opportunity. I would tell anyone looking to apply to go for it. While it is true there are some universities with higher rankings, the overall experience at University of Birmingham includes so many things that can’t be measured. The amount of young people in the city, mixed with the opportunity and the reasonable living costs make life at the University extremely enjoyable.