My role is Lead Reporting Engineer, working within data and analytics. My typical day involves project work which can be quite varied. Working in an IT consultancy, I work with multiple different clients, which can vary from small to large global organisations, understanding their requirements and translating them into technical solutions. The solutions I build are interactive reports, or dashboards, which automate the company’s reporting, such as financial and sales reports. The reports I build help people in the business to make informed decisions, often leading to improved efficiency. As well as the visual aspect of the reports, I also need to understand the data and the best way to model it to lead to good performance in the reports, and a reusable model that can serve multiple reports if required. The flow of data is automated so the users will see the latest data on a regular basis, rather than having to manually pull the data each month.  

What were the best things about your course?

I really enjoyed learning a lot of the theory side of maths, and also getting the opportunity to learn different areas and then focus on the ones that interested me the most. I have always loved problem solving, and the course involved plenty of that! I always felt well supported at the University of Birmingham within the maths department by the lecturers, PhD students and my tutor, which really encouraged me to keep learning and contributed to me deciding to switch to the integrated masters course to further my learning.

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

While I don't currently directly use any of the in-depth mathematical content I learnt during my degree, it is the skills I gained during my degree that have been extremely valuable in my current job. Having an understanding of numbers and data is crucial, as well as having strong problem solving skills, which developed a lot during my degree. A lot of my job involves translating logic into calculations, which is really helped by having a strong mathematical background. 

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

I was well-equipped from my degree when going into a graduate role, which I have then progressed up to a lead role over the past four years. I was required to train on the job when I started, but this is very normal and few people go into such graduate roles already having the specific technical skills. My job doesn’t require formal exams, however I have taken four Microsoft certifications to supplement and consolidate my learnings. Working in data and analytics there is always something new to learn – whether it’s a new technology or different aspects of existing technologies. 

What advice would you give to current and prospective students looking to work in your sector?

If you are interested in working in data and analytics, it can be quite a competitive market to get into initially. If you can gain any work experience or internships in this sector while you are studying then this could definitely help. I would suggest doing some research into specific areas, such as data analysis, data engineering and data science, to understand what skills are required for each of these and what the differences are. Some roles are more technical and code-focused, whereas others are less code-heavy, so it’s a good idea going into the industry with some idea of where your interests lie. Don’t let this put you off though, you don’t usually need prior experience to enter a graduate role in the field, and even if you start in one particular area, there are usually plenty of opportunities to branch out and expand your skills into other technologies and areas.

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

One thing I think is extremely valuable is trying to get a summer internship (or equivalent work experience) in a career you are interested in during the summer before your final year of university. This is very helpful, partly for you to get a taster of the job to see if it is something you can see yourself working in long term, and also to give you a potential opportunity to secure a graduate role early or put yourself in a strong position for applying to similar roles. 

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

My fondest memories involve living and studying alongside a great group of friends who I am still good friends with four years later. I met a lot of my friends at uni through my course, as it was very social and friendly and the course had a lot of likeminded people on it. We really enjoyed attending the MathSoc Ball each year in particular. 

What extracurricular activities did you get involved in as a student?

My favourite extracurricular activity as a student was playing in the MathSoc netball team. It was a great way to socialise with my course mates, including those in other years, and was also a bit more relaxed than the main netball teams at the uni. I also played table tennis during my first year. There were so many extracurricular activities on offer which made it very difficult to choose. 

Why did you originally apply to Birmingham?

I applied to Birmingham because I had heard great things from other people I knew who were studying there. I had visited for an Open Day and was really impressed with the maths department, especially with how helpful and approachable the lecturers and other departmental staff were. I felt the course provided here would interest me and was pleased by all of the support available during my degree.