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Careers Support for Students from Diverse Backgrounds

By skye.aitken, on 19 January 2021

Read time: 6 minutes

Written by Lee Pike, Careers Consultant at UCL Careers.

Why diversity matters

It is widely recognised that having a diverse workforce helps organisations operate more efficiently and creatively. A diverse workforce is one that includes people from different backgrounds, cultures, personalities and viewpoints.  In addition, organisations are increasingly becoming more global so diversity in terms of understanding different cultures, different ways of working and being relatable to clients from different backgrounds is a definite advantage.  

What does this mean for recruitment?

Recruiters are increasingly looking at ways to increase recruitment of underrepresented groups including women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), LGBTQIA+ people, those with a visible or non-visible disability, and students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. In the ISE Student Recruitment Survey 2020 by the Institute of Student Employers, they found that 62% of 179 ISE employer members said they had ‘formal targets around attraction of different cohorts of candidates’ and 82% of respondents said they were taking actions to maximise the diversity of candidates they attract. However, this article from the Institute of Student Employers recognises that employers still have some way to go between their intentions and their actions.

What does this mean for you?

With issues surrounding diversity in the workplace becoming more prominent, there’s a growing number of opportunities available for those from a diverse background. Here’s a list of some current initiatives open to applicants from a range of diverse backgrounds:

  1. 100BlackInterns

100blackinterns offer internships to Black students from all academic backgrounds looking to get into investment banking with over 200 employers almost exclusively in London.  As with the Goldman Sachs above, although closed for 2020 entry, it’s certainly worth exploring for applying in 2021.

  1. Blind In Business

The Blind in Business Employment Service is designed to help blind and partially sighted students and graduates prepare for and find jobs within their chosen careers.  They provide support, advice and training, including how to talk to an employer about your visual impairment.

  1. Creative Access

Creative Access was set up to offer opportunities in the creative industries for young people from underrepresented groups. They work with global brands such as Apple, Tate, ITV and National Theatre.  A number of opportunities are advertised on the site.  A few of the current opportunities include:

  • Producer or Studio Researcher or Production Co-ordinator, CPL Productions (closing date 15 Jan 2021);
  • Young Board Members, Creative UK (closing date 18 Jan 2021); and
  • Collaborative Doctoral Awards, National Theatre (closing date 5 Feb 2021).

Visit the Creative Access Opportunities webpage for the full list.

  1. EmployAbility 

EmployAbility is a career management resource for disabled students and graduate. They run first year, internship, and graduate programmes, as well as vacation schemes and training contract opportunities, with inclusive employer partners.

Visit the EmployAbility Students and Universities webpage for a full list of opportunities.

  1. Exceptional Individuals

Exceptional Individuals provides recruitment and employment support to individuals with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and autism. Their resources include job boards advertising inclusive companies’ jobs specifically for neurodivergent people.

  1. Goldman Sachs Student Possibility Programme

Goldman Sachs Student Possibility Programme is an interactive multi-day program for students from low socio-economic backgrounds*.  The programme is open to students from all degree backgrounds and is designed to introduce students to the financial world through hands on experience. Although closed for 2020 entry, it’s certainly worth exploring for applying in 2021.

*Candidates who identify as first generation in their family to go to university, attended a state school (non-fee paying), or were eligible for free school meals.

  1. SEO London

If you are from a low socio-economic background or an underrepresented ethnicity group, SEO London‘s SEO Careers initiative prepares you for career success in the sectors of corporate law, consulting, engineering and technology.

SEO London partner with over 50 sponsor firms across eight leading industries and have supported several thousand alumni into internships and graduate roles since 2000. You can find help with preparing for interviews, as well as securing internships or a full-time job.  They also provide training on CVs, psychometric tests, commercial awareness, tech skills, presentation skills, assessment centres and interviews.

Find out more about SEO Careers on the SEO London webpage.

How can UCL Careers help?

Careers Extra

UCL Careers Extra is a programme of additional activities and support for UK undergraduate students (home fee status) from any of the following groups who are currently studying at UCL:

  • Neither parent went to university and you went to a UK state school
  • Care leaver
  • Carer
  • Disabled
  • Household income below £25,000 (as declared to Student Finance England)
  • Black African, Black Caribbean or mixed Black African/White or Black Caribbean/White
  • Received an Access UCL offer

Students who sign up to UCL Careers Extra will be added to a circulation list for targeted employer events and programmes. They can also apply for bursaries to help cover the cost of undertaking internships and can access preferential booking for some UCL Careers events, longer careers appointments and extra careers events that are exclusive to UCL Careers Extra students.

Support for students with disabilities/long-term health conditions

If you have a disability or long-term health condition you can do the following:

  • Request an extended one to one appointment with a careers consultant.
  • Request adjustments to enable you to access a one to one careers appointment (which all currently take place via MS Teams).
  • Request reasonable adjustments for an event or workshop you will be attending (please email at least 48 hours in advance).
  • Receive careers information for students with disabilities or long-term health conditions.

Where can I find out more?

UCL Careers has gathered information about a variety of organisations working to support different groups – you can find this in the Diversity and Inclusion section of our website.

Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority

This UCL Careers Extra web page for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students provides numerous careers-related resources relevant to students from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

Find information about sector-specific resources, non-sector specific resources, students’ union UCL clubs and societies and BAME mentoring.

Disability and Health Conditions

This resource provides careers-related information for students with disabilities on a wide range of topics including

  • Organisations providing advice and support;
  • Disability positive employers;
  • Legal rights;
  • Neurodiversity and autism;
  • Job listings;
  • Internships,
  • Work experience and graduate schemes;
  • Finding work opportunities through UCL
  • Funding

Other sections on the UCL Careers Disability webpage include discussing disabilities or long-term health conditions with employers; list of appropriate blogs; and, disability support at UCL.  UCL works in partnership with MyPlus, giving you access to MyPlus Students’ Club.

Careers Extra Resources

Visit the UCL Careers Extra webpage to find out more.

Next steps

Step 1

Why not set aside some time within the next week or so to take a look at the wealth of resources available highlighted in this blog.  It’s impossible to cover everything in this article so some exploration of the links and resources mentioned will help you, whether that’s understanding your rights or finding organisations that proactively engage with, support and assist students from diverse backgrounds.

Step 2

This article ‘The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace’ on getsling.com focuses on why diversity in the workplace is essential for success. It provides 13 reasons why diversity is important to a company and helps you to understand the importance of diversity in the workplace.

Step 3

If you’re a UK (home fee status) student and meet the criteria described for Careers Extra, why not register and book an extended 1-to-1 with a careers consultant?

Whatever your background and wherever you’re from, UCL Careers is here to help you on your career journey.

5 things to gain from International Development Week

By skye.aitken, on 18 January 2021

Read time: 3 minutes

Written by Glyn Jones, Careers Consultant at UCL Careers.

UCL Careers will be running a series of online events between 1 – 4 February focusing on careers within International Development. The week will kick off with an introductory session, followed by panel discussions throughout the week, giving you the opportunity to hear from professionals working in the industry. These panel events are an excellent opportunity to hear about new career pathways, as well as giving you the opportunity to gain sector insights from people working in the industry.

Below we’ve highlighted 5 things that you will gain from attending events run during the International Development Themed Week.

  1. An introduction to International Development

Throughout the themed week you’ll learn about what working in International Development means and find out what opportunities there are for graduates.

On Monday 1 February, the week will start with an introductory session run by a UCL Careers Consultant. This will provide an overview of International Development as a work sector, and offer advice on how to get the most out of the week. Registration for this talk is now open and bookings can be made through the event page.

  1. Hear from UCL Alumni working in the industry

When thinking about your own career prospects, it can often be beneficial to hear from others and see what pathway they have undertaken. By hearing from UCL Alumni you’ll be getting insights from those who have been in the same position as you and have the opportunity to gain any tips that they may share from their own experiences.

We have numerous UCL Alumni joining us throughout the week, and on Thursday 4 February we have our ‘Connecting with UCL Alumni’ event, which will focus solely on UCL Alumni. To find out more about the event take a look at the event page.

  1. Learn about different career pathways

Our events will offer insights into the range of careers and employers who work in the sector. As well as hearing these first-hand accounts, we will have a session focusing on the different career pathways within the sector. This event will enable attendees to hear about the variety of routes available to graduates, whether these are specific programmes associated with International Development, graduate vacancies or alternative career pathways that can lead to working in the industry.

For further information about our ‘Pathways into International Development’ event, take a look at the event page.

  1. Learn about how the sector has been impacted by Covid 19

Throughout all the events we’ll hear about how the pandemic has changed the work of our panellists and the sector as a whole. Given the huge impact of Covid 19, we’ll also have a dedicated session that will look into how the sector has had to adapt as a result.

Our event on Tuesday 2nd February focuses on International Economic Development and the impact of Covid-19 on the sector. For more information on the event, visit the event page.

  1. Grow your professional network

Throughout our events, you’ll have the opportunity to put your own questions to the experts. Furthermore, for some panellists we will set up individual rooms for speakers at the end of the session, giving you the opportunity to speak directly with panellists. Not only are these opportunities a unique way to learn first-hand about what working in International Development is really like, but you’ll also have the chance to grow your professional network.

For full details of all event hosted throughout the week and how to register for events, please visit the International Development Themed Week webpage.

Bookings Open for Charities & NGOs Week 2021

By skye.aitken, on 11 January 2021

Read time: 3 minutes

Written by Sarah Sirrell, Information Officer at UCL Careers.

This year’s Charities and NGOs Week kicks off on Monday 25 January 2021. The main focus this year is on getting into the sector and making a difference. Whether you are committed to pursuing a career in a Charity or NGO, or just exploring your options; join our virtual panel sessions and workshops to hear from professionals working in the sector who are keen to share their experience and tips with you. This year we are excited to welcome speakers from Save the Children International, Unicef UK, British Heart Foundation, WWF-UK, The National Trust, and many more.

View the Charities & NGOs Week event schedule for more information and booking links.

Want to hear from someone with firsthand experience of working with a charity?

We heard from Sam Huddlestone, a UCL student who recently volunteered remotely with Age UK offering virtual poetry classes for older adults. Sam told us about his experience of volunteering and the impact that volunteering had on his career aspirations.

Please provide a little further information on your background; what are you currently studying and when did you do your internship/work experience?

I am currently a third year BA English Literature student and I volunteered with Age UK Kensington and Chelsea over the course of the summer of 2020.

Why did you choose to work for this organisation?

The combination of the COVID-19 lockdown, my having nothing to do over summer, and the advertisement of the volunteering position on the Student’s Union website all sort of directed me towards the placement. Age UK Kensington and Chelsea are also my local branch of Age UK and so I wanted to help out the best I could, in any way that I could – volunteering for them seemed the best way for me to be able to do that.

How did you get the job with the company? Is there anything that you would recommend to any students should they wish to get into this Sector?

I applied for the position via the Student’s Union volunteering webpage – I would recommend that students at UCL who want to volunteer consult this facility as it has some excellent opportunities available.

What were the main project(s) that you were working on during your time with the company?

I hosted weekly online poetry sessions for thirteen weeks via Zoom for Age UK Kensington and Chelsea. This involved choosing several individual poems or poets to discuss with the group every session, much like a book club. My session was part of a whole host of others that Age UK had been providing their members with over the course of the COVID-19 lockdown, during spring and into the summer, ranging from Yoga classes to Spanish classes.

What were the biggest challenges?

I think the biggest challenge was attempting to overcome my own technical ineptitude and lack of Zoom expertise (turns out not all young people are good with technology). Getting the chance to join other sessions before hosting my own was certainly a good introduction.

How did this affect you personally, working within the Charity/NGO Sector?

I think it affected me a great deal. I developed a real connection with the members in the sessions, I think because we had all been brought together by two very disparate and yet somehow conducive entities: a passion for poetry and a global pandemic. And yet, for an hour a week, we were able to forget about the latter and just enjoy reading poetry, and I must say, for the time that I hosted those sessions, they were the thing that I looked forward to most in my week.

What measurable benefits have you seen within the Company, or within the certain areas of the business that you were working in?

I can’t speak to the overall running of Age UK, or even to the Kensington and Chelsea branch thereof, but I do know that as an organization they relied, and still rely, on volunteers to help out with the running of these sessions for their members. I would hope that my volunteering with them meant that they were able to offer one more session than they had before and that by documenting my fantastic experience with them – in a way such as this – will help to encourage other students to get involved and volunteer with organisations like Age UK, and by doing so benefit organisations such as Age UK by, perhaps more importantly, benefitting its members.

What was the most rewarding element of your experience?

The most rewarding element was – as clichéd as it sounds – the feeling of making a difference, even if that difference felt infinitesimal in the grand scheme of this horrible pandemic. It seems to me that I’ve unduly gained more out of the experience than all the work I put in during my time as a volunteer, which is testament to the experience itself, and to the people I’ve met over the course of doing it.

How has this experience affected your career aspirations/plans?

There’s no doubting that my being able to lead weekly classes on poetry, fairly independently, certainly honed my teaching skills and led me to consider academia as a career option to a greater extent than I had done before. However, it has also opened my eyes to how a charity like Age UK operates and, having now seen the fantastic work they do first-hand, I would happily work for them again in the future.

Check out the UCLU Volunteering Service for volunteering opportunities big and small and don’t forget to sign up for the exciting events at UCL Careers Charities and NGOs Week 2021.

Coming Soon… UCL Careers Themed Weeks – Spring Term

By skye.aitken, on 7 January 2021

Written by Victoria Abbott, Recruitment & Selection Advisor at UCL Careers.

Read Time: 1 minute

With the festive break now over, and the Spring Term well underway, it can be easy to forget about career planning. With a mix of panel discussions, presentations, and skills workshops, UCL Careers Themed Weeks are therefore an ideal opportunity for you to learn more about specific sectors you might be interested in. Hear from industry professionals, UCL alumni and Careers Consultants to develop your understanding of what you need to succeed in the areas of work we’ll be featuring this term.

Which sectors will feature during the Themed Week series this term?

Charities & NGOs week – 25-29 January 2021

Join a selection of panel discussions and an interactive workshop to find out more about opportunities across this exciting sector. Gain tips on routes into charities and NGOs from experienced professionals and learn what you can start doing now to increase your chances of success!

Bookings now open for Charities & NGOs week!

International Development Week – 1-5 February 2021

A week of different events showcasing different roles and career paths in the international development sector.

Careers in Health Week – 8-12 February 2021

Explore a week of career forums and networking opportunities designed to help you learn more about the diverse array of opportunities in the health sector.

Sustainability Week  –  1-5 March 2021

UCL Careers is partnering with Sustainable UCL to put on a week of activities designed to help you find out more about this popular sector.

Careers in the Life Science Industry Week – 8-12 March 2021

Explore a week of career forums, networking opportunities and experiential hands-on sessions designed to help you learn more about the diverse array of opportunities in the Life Science Industry.

How can I prepare for a Themed Week?

Speaker profiles will be provided for each online event, allowing you to do some initial research before attending. This will help you ask insightful questions during the events themselves.

We also run a regular series of lunchtime talks on effective networking at events as part of our Career Essentials programme which provide tips and advice on building your professional networks.

How can I book or register my interest for an event?

Full programmes are published two weeks before the start of each Themed Week and can be found on our website.

Bookings will also open at this time.

All events must be booked in advance through your myUCLCareers account.

To receive email alerts about upcoming events you should update your myUCLCareers ’email preferences’ to register for ‘Event update‘ emails.

I missed last term’s themed week. What can I do?

We have a Themed Week Archive where you’ll find resources such as panel recordings and blogs from previous themed weeks. Make sure to check in regularly for updates!

We look forward to ‘meeting’ you at an event soon!

What I learned from… Roles in Nutrition Case Studies

By skye.aitken, on 4 January 2021

Read time: 5 minutes

Written by Glyn Jones, Careers Consultant at UCL Careers.

Recently I revisited some case studies that I had collected from those working in the nutrition industry. Here I summarise some of the key skills and take home messages that came from the Roles within Nutrition Case Studies.

Communication

A large proportion of the roles in the case studies deal with people, therefore communication skills are key in this line of work. This could be in the form of presenting skills when delivering workshops or training; writing skills when preparing content to be circulated in written form (e.g. blogs, news articles or mailings); or interpersonal skills when building relationships or gathering information from clients. The extent to which you will use these skills depends on the specific role, however the need for clear communication between you and the client will always be crucial.

Compassion

Many of the roles in nutrition mention how they involve helping clients with their diet, welfare or general health. As a result, understanding a clients’ needs and demonstrating compassion for this is essential. Through demonstrating an understanding of this, you will be able to relate to clients and support them in their situation. Some clients may be in a particularly vulnerable situation or some may have a misinformed idea of what course of action they need to take. It’s important to be able to understand a client’s thought processes whilst working with them in order to come up with a plan of action to overcome their challenges.

Passion for the cause

Passion for a subject or cause was something that many of our case study contributors mentioned as being important in their line of work. This could be a passion for nutrition itself, the health and wellbeing that stems from this, or perhaps a drive to help people and make a difference. This passion may have developed from research carried out during your studies, or through keeping up to date with the latest developments in your particular field of interest. You might find yourself discussing these topics during an interview or as part of an application process.

Applying your expertise

Postgraduate qualifications are mentioned in many of the case studies. This won’t be the only way to work in the industry, however it does seem to be a well-trodden path. Further study provides knowledge and understanding of how theories can be applied when working in the industry. Through gaining these insights, you’ll equip yourself with practical information that can be used when interacting with clients, a skill that is particularly useful in this industry.

In addition to this maintaining an awareness of the latest trends of nutrition is important. With new initiatives regularly being featured in the media, it is key that nutrition professionals have sound knowledge and expertise of these latest developments. It is important to be able to navigate these different approaches in order to discuss the most suitable treatment for clients. This is also useful to rectify any misinformation that clients may have received.

Networking

Another aspect of a postgraduate study that can prove valuable is the networks that you create. These could be lecturers, tutors or guest speakers that you come into contact with during the course. One of the case studies mentions the importance of staying in in touch with your lecturers after graduating, as it can lead to further connections or being notified of possible future opportunities.

Many of the case study contributors mentioned how they sourced volunteering or work experience either as part of their course or by proactively approaching suitable organisations. Due to current restrictions, there will be limitations on how much of this is currently possible. However, reaching out to professionals working in the industry could still provide valuable insights and information that can help with future job hunting and applications. This could be within the NHS, or at private clinics, charities or commercial businesses that offer nutrition support. You may even find that these networks can lead to longer term professional relationships and the possibility of future employment.

Demonstrate your skillset

Relevant study or experience are both great ways of equipping yourself with skills that will help you get into your future roles associated with nutrition. However the case studies do mention other ways you can hone your skills and make yourself a suitable candidate for certain roles. With such emphasis on communication, it may be that you aren’t required to have direct experience speaking with clients about topics related to nutrition. Your communication skills could be demonstrated through a more general role associated with health or offering support, through an online customer service role or even through producing your own written content (e.g. writing a blog). In any industry, it’s useful to be able to clearly demonstrate your skillset with sound examples. If you’re able to add demonstrable passion and enthusiasm for the cause on top of that, you’re likely to be a strong candidate for future roles.

To find out more about a range of different roles associated with nutrition amongst other industries, please take a look at the UCL Careers Case Studies. For information on how to develop your skills, be sure to visit the UCL Careers Skills Hub and if you wish to discuss your career options or possible next steps, you’re able to do so by booking an appointment with UCL Careers.

Student Interview – Aliza Ayaz (Part 2)

By skye.aitken, on 10 December 2020

Read time: 5 minutes

Written by Joe O’Brien, Marketing Communications Assistant at UCL Careers.

UCL Careers had a great chat with Aliza Ayaz, UCL student and founder of UCL Climate Action Society, about her experiences as a student, personally and professionally. She has interned for McKinsey, KPMG, the UK Government, the NHS and the UN. We asked followers on our Instagram to send in their questions for Aliza and we got so many, we’ve had to split this blog into parts! If you haven’t already, make sure to read part 1!

1. How did you manage to secure an internship for the Department of BEIS?

This was through the main Civil Service recruitment process – no shortcuts. The process was as follows:

  • Numerical, personality and critical reasoning test. Warning: very long. 30% of the candidates are filtered at this stage alone.
  • The application: It was one of the longest applications where they want every detail of what you have studied and what you hope to gain. 60% of the candidates are filtered here.
  • Competency based interviews with 2 exercises lasting 3 hours. The exercises depend on which role you are applying to, or which role they plan to offer based on interests expressed in your application. Questions could be about modelling, economics or literature depending on your internship stream.

2. I want to go into a career that helps the climate! How did you land the UN internship?

I wrote a research paper for the United Nations Development Programme whilst in high school when I was 16. This wasn’t planned at all by the way and happened due to a series of random events/interests. Since then, I have been in touch with a number of UN officials while participating in various projects. One of the secretaries to the Regional Director told the recruiter I would be a good fit so they got in touch to share this specific internship opportunity. I interviewed with them. They saw my passion and thought I could do the job so I got it! It was a thrilling experience.

3. Can a second year with an empty CV still manage to get an internship?

Yes, for sure. I know of people who did not even have a proper, updated resume until third year. Point is, there is always a worst case scenario and there is always a way to tackle it. You probably don’t have an “empty” CV to begin with – you must have done something. Perhaps not in a professional capacity, but extracurricular, or taking up interests in your personal life. The trick is knowing how to articulate those skills and interests in your resume. To help you do this, attend CV workshops, read online blogs regarding resumes, or hit up UCL Careers! I am also happy to help your draft a resume.

You might also want to look at it as a positive: it is really hard to trim down a resume to one length when you have a lot of experiences. I was horrified when a friend first told me that my three-page resume had to be trimmed down to one. A lot of it was extracurricular stuff or small projects, but it mattered to me and conveyed my interests. In the end, I had to get rid of it and only a limited few things are on my resume at the moment. It kind of broke my heart but it had to be done and that’s completely fine. The entire point of recruitment processes is to get to know the candidate beyond their resume.

Lastly, it’s never too late to get started. Start applying to places. Get in touch with NGOs about how you could help them. Look for working opportunities within your department or your local authority, may be even your local hospital, café, restaurant or grocery shop. You can find roles in a number of areas from customer relationships to commercial traction. You will then have plenty to write in your resume!

4. What if someone doesn’t have all the skills necessary for an internship they’re applying for?

Firstly, speak to their HR department about your concern. Bear in mind, the bigger the company, the more swamped their HR is, hence the less likely you will get a response. If HR isn’t available to discuss your suitability, then reach out to an employee who’s doing the very job you are applying for. You can find them on LinkedIn or the official company website under “Who we are” or their project examples.

Secondly, the decision to invest the time and energy in applying to an internship depends on the extent to which the skills you do not have are needed in an internship. If you don’t have X skill that is required in 60% of the work you would do as an intern, that is unfortunately a clear answer – that internship is not the right fit for you.

Thirdly, what is the room for gaining those skills on the go during the internship? Remember, internships themselves are learning opportunities. So, if they have pre-requisites then it is probably not the industry for you unless you feel very much willing to put effort into learning that skill from scratch prior, independently. This comes with passion or a role of high interest. It is double the effort but it is doable.

5. Do you have any advice for recent grads looking for internships/grad roles?

We are in a recession. The job market has shrunk by 70%. The roles are more niche than ever. You might be thinking there are too many graduates and not enough opportunities, or that competition is going to be tougher than ever for the companies that are still recruiting.

  1. Take time to find what’s right for you: Research for yourself. Which industry? What kind of a role? Start up or established companies? Mid-tier versus large corporates? Be authentic to yourself and trust yourself. I learnt that one from my dad. Speak to as many people as you need to to get an idea of what you are looking for. Then apply strategically to the firms that are still advertising any positions. Because you are interested in the role, you will likely produce a good quality application. You might have read a blog by a current employee or spoken to a student who interned there and these insights will help you work on a stronger application. Overall, my point is that this research will give you a head start in your hunt for internships/grad schemes because you would know which roles you adequately provide the skillset for.
  2. Get in touch with start-ups: They are always in need for more hands but you have to be willing to offer your time without big expectations for the money you are paid.

6. I will be doing an MSc in Public Policy from Sep 2020, how does one get an internship with the UN?

Masters students have a greater likelihood of securing an internship at the UN than undergraduates because of their knowledge and skills reservoir. For 60% UN internships, a masters is compulsory. Public Policy is also a great MSc that fills in gaps for UN projects. Keep an eye on their vacancy page and do thorough research on the role(s) you find interesting. Pay attention to the skills they need and the job description. 80% of being able to secure a UN internship is applying to the right one. If you apply to one that you do not have the experience/skills for, it’s just not going to happen (unless you have a source of course). The applications generally ask you to demonstrate how you meet the criteria and what exact examples you have that showcase your ability to get the job done. Choose the right perosnal example and tailor it to the competency they require.

7. How was your policy experience? What did you do on a day to day basis and did you enjoy?

Growing up, I thought of policy as one of my potential career routes. My role at BEIS offered a very unique opportunity and insight into working as a Social Researcher for the UK Government. I was allocated to the Social Research Fast Stream. I also had a mentor from another team that gave me further exposure across teams in the department.

I was primarily responsible for a literature review drawing together the available evidence on the home retrofit market. The literature review fed into policy development for the Buildings Mission ambition to halve the cost of retrofit by 2050. This is one of the Grand Challenges and a key area for the Energy Efficiency and Local (EEL) policy team. My review was added to the evidence base for EELs work on home retrofit as part of their action plan, drawn up in response to the responses to the ‘Building a Market for Energy Efficiency ‘ consultation. I also identified evidence gaps and helped to scope out future research into home retrofit, in particular the UK retrofit supply chain. I was interpreting data, developing a narrative around the key findings, designing and delivering presentations to senior colleagues and MPs – I loved it all.

8. Where should I start if i feel like I don’t have the network to get opportunities?

You have three options.

  1. Build one! However, this obviously takes a lot of work, networking and professional experience. At the age of an undergraduate, it’s trickier to meet as many industry experts as you would need to qualify for having a “good network.” It is definitely possible but you would probably want to jump to an easier, quicker option.
  2. Tap into an exisitng network: UCL Careers, UCL Alumni, SEO, Bright Network, Black Heart Foundation, EY Foundation – these are all examples of existing networks you can dive into. And they are GREAT networks. Equally, you might have a friend who has a “network”. Ask them for help. Have a conversation about what it is that you want to do and they can put you in touch with the right people. Remember, don’t try to bypass them by using their network behind their back! That doesn’t end up well with the potential employer nor the friend.
  3. Don’t use a network at all and just apply to schemes. Everything is advertised on company websites and their HR teams are more than happy to answer any of your questions. This is the standard procedure and pretty straight-forward.

9. What is the work/life balance like in Consulting?

I have to admit, one must keep their expectations in check: consultants find it very difficult to create a good work-life balance. At the big firms, this will never be just 40 hours a week. It can go up to 80 hours a week. Be mentally prepared for a full workload on a day and to do overtime when results for a task don’t go to plan. In terms or priorities, you will start questioning quality versus quantity.

The key, I imagine is a broader understanding of the balance needed: this differs from person to person and day to day. A challenging career, an active social life, the time to train for marathons, to cook and get eight hour sleep all are important but very difficult to achieve at the same time in consulting. So an awareness of this dilemma will help you cope or enjoy better. For example, block out certain hours on the weekends for yourself or speak to your manager about scheduling you on projects that vary from intensive for some months and not so intensive some other months.

*My answer is based on internship experience and conversations with senior consultants as well as recent graduate friends in consulting.

Student Interview – Aliza Ayaz (Part 1)

By skye.aitken, on 1 December 2020

Read time: 5 minutes

Written by Joe O’Brien, Marketing Communications Assistant at UCL Careers.

UCL Careers had a great chat with Aliza Ayaz, UCL student and founder of UCL Climate Action Society, about her experiences as a student, personally and professionally. She has interned for McKinsey, KPMG, the UK Government, the NHS and the UN. We asked followers on our Instagram to send in their questions for Aliza and we got so many, we’ve had to split this blog into parts!

  1. Which was your favourite internship and why?

Uh, tricky one! It’s really difficult to pick because I had different but equally enjoyable or insightful experiences during each internship. However, there is a clear answer when it comes to the steepest learning curve and the ability to create direct impact in real time. This was with a start-up in healthcare. As a Population Health student, it became clear that insight driven health is the foundation of any innovation-led approach to more effective, efficient and affordable healthcare. At this start-up, I was operating at the intersection of business and technology to combine real-world experience, clinical and business insights and new, enabling intelligent technologies to deliver the power of Insight Driven Health in this demanding new digital world. At this internship, I saw why the world’s leading healthcare payers, providers and public health entities are ready to pay for services that help them become the intelligent healthcare enterprises of the future – from the back office to the doctor’s office.

  1. How did you get your internship opportunities?

I applied as all are expected to. Details regarding internships are always advertised on a company’s website including opening dates, deadlines, recruitment process and candidate criteria. In some cases, I was recommended for an opportunity and contacted to discuss the role. I am very lucky to have a rich network of industry experts who see the potential in youth and are ready to give them a chance to do their magic.

3. How much time did you spend researching internship opportunities?

This may be a shock given my background but I wasn’t very efficient. I didn’t really have any idea about the scope of companies, who the major players were in a specific industry or why knowing the difference between industries or companies really mattered. So, I didn’t do any research the first time round. I was too busy enjoying student clubs – debating, horse riding, acting etc and so naturally had limited time anyway. I kind of applied anywhere and everywhere my friends were telling me to. This made sense because what mattered to me was gaining exposure across the public and private sector. I didn’t have a set career path in mind – I still don’t.

If I had better researched prior, I could have probably quantified a fewer number of companies I knew I wanted to apply to. Research definitely saves time and energy, allowing you to better focus on quality applications so I would recommend that you do that. But at the same time, I knew what I wanted at that point was to accurately compare how public versus private sector operates, how their work differed and how they impacted businesses, society and the environment. I gained this insight through the variety of places I applied to. You can tell a lot about an organisation just from its recruitment process. Their interview and application questions as well as HR conduct convey what the company values in its employees and what their culture is. This could be a perfect fit or a complete mismatch with your personality and work ethic. In two places, after submitting my application and moving onto the first informal chat, I knew I couldn’t thrive in that company’s culture and withdrew my application. At other times, I asked as many questions as I had during the interview stage to truly gauge whether the role is what I wanted or if I was the right fit for them.

4. How did you prepare for interviews?

Depends.

Is this designed to test my numerical or critical reasoning skills? Then I like to go with a fresh mind and that means 8 hour sleep plus a good breakfast. This helps me more than anything to focus and perform my best during the interview. Often, these tests cover areas you would have already studied over school life so it isn’t anything new. You might need a refresher, so practising some tests prior could help. But this isn’t always necessary and depends on how confident you feel.

If this is designed to get to know me better, I make sure they know I am very happy to do that. I listen to their questions and answer genuinely. The conversation tells me how much they want me just as much as it tells them how much I want them.

The company website almost always clarifies the aim of the interview so you can anticipate the kind of questions you will be asked. If this isn’t clear, then email the recruiter.

5. How do you balance your own hobbies and passions at the same time as your career goals?

I mean honestly, in the earliest days, I didn’t. I was very okay with that. I learned to not feel guilty about it. I missed friends’ birthday parties, I was MIA for a while. I think all my friends knew I had this dream of something I wanted to build. I am a really mission-oriented person. Nothing over-rides mission to me. I truly believe people in your life should understand that.

In social and environmental advocacy, my role is continuous and this is so intense. For me, there’s no better way to end the day than with the people who bring the greatest sense of calm and perspective to my life. It’s ideal to see my family in real life, obviously, but given their work & travel, video call has to do.

Also, I live by my calendar. I put everything in it — not just meetings, but thinking time and brainstorming time, even when the only person I’m brainstorming with is myself. It is unified across all elements of my life: personal, professional and everything in between.

So try to work smart because you have to make sure you arrange time. Fitness is also a big factor as it keeps you energetic which is really important.

6. How to stay true to your goal in a world focusing mostly on profit and career development?

I think this question explains why it’s important to not just set goals, but to ensure you set the right ones. Think what’s important for you – this could be launching a product, growing a brand, creating awareness, finding your soulmate, earning a crazy amount to live a luxurious life or making your parents proud– the list is never ending and there is no self-judgement. The more you want it, the more motivated you will be. Create a game plan for each of your goals and make sure your goal is measurable: hours with family and hours at work, revenue in business and income for supporting yourself, number of activities to unwind and the research amount for your career – again the list doesn’t end. Next, give yourself a deadline: by when do you want to achieve your personal and professional goals? Also, make little, tangible goals that lead to big ones. Get real about what’s holding you back. Be open to change and to inspiration. This might not work for everyone – there’s no perfect recipe – but it works well for many people that I have met.

7. What advice would you give a first year looking to get into the Sustainability field?

Join the Climate Action Society at UCL. We host a multitude of social events, educational workshops and conferences on all things sustainability that give you an idea of how you can pitch in, plus provide you with the opportunity to start delivering impact in real time immediately. Don’t worry about not having the knowledge area or the skill-set in climate advocacy, we are very happy to teach you this. Some of the ways we help you are also the advice I would give:

  • Try to shadow policy professionals in the sustainability area. Email people directly! You will learn how to interpret key policy needs and setting the scope of any sustainability reforms. It might also give you the opportunity to develop verbal and written skills in communicating climate evidence appropriately to different audiences. This is important for youth activism.
  • Take up the opportunity to interact with academics working on the sustainability key subject areas. We have plenty of experts at UCL.
  • Get in touch with NGOs in this field. We at the Climate Action Society help you do that! Look for opportunities to shadow NGO researchers in the teams working on commissioned research and gain an understanding of procuring and managing sustainability in a local council.

8. How was your experience in working in different student societies?

Each society has its own amazing reach, be it a cultural group, the coffee enthusiasts at the Coffee Society, the Lacrosse lovers or the Business-y bees. I attended numerous events by different societies throughout term-time and was a committee member at some. I was growing alongside: learning, joining teams, organising events, meeting people, having fun. Below, I summarise my experience:

UCL MUN Society: For those looking for a way to tackle their fear of public speaking, this is probably the best way to do so. You learn about world affairs, debates (present and past) and make new friends while engaging in contemporary intellectual conversation. And don’t worry, you have the support of the lovely committee to guide you throughout. I was part of the debating team at my high school and so it was natural for me to continue this hobby at UCL. Through this platform, I also had the pleasure to chair two of the largest MUN conferences: the UCLMUN and LIMUN.

UCL Pakistan Society (Vice President), UCL Afghan Society (Events): The small but frequent events are rich in culture. The food and dress-up events are beautiful ways to celebrate tradition. Having grown up all around the Middle East, I wasn’t exactly familiar with diversity in Pakistani or Afghan culture. But meeting a variety of different people at these societies took care of that and I came out with memorable friendships. It was the perfect mixture of laughter, warmth and new-found love for cultural history.

UCL Guild and UCL Business Society (BizSoz) (Vice President): I wanted to stick my hands into something-businessy, something-entrepreneurship and I was convinced cut-throat “corporate slavery” isn’t the only way to do so. Usama Yusuf, UCL Guild Founder, founded Guild because he believed there are truly so many pieces of the puzzle that is modern-day business: tech, consulting, finance, entrepreneurship, data science and so on. At the Guild, I found a place to gain exposure to industry leaders and students who were well-versed in the internship/job area. I learned a lot from their own experiences and bonded with students who shared the same entrepreneurial interests as me. It can be a bit daunting to join, and it really was for me; I still remember pitching my Vice Presidency 2 minute speech in an auditorium with 200+ people for the UCL BizSoc elections. Unlike other candidates, I had never really participated in BizSoc events so doubted I would be welcome, but I totally was. And that shows that the Business Society is for absolutely anyone.

Tip: What I see a lot is that students join a society then they sort of do it halfway. They don’t really focus on it because there are a hundred different societies to choose from and there is so much going on. There isn’t much harm in this except if you sign up to be a committee member. Explore to the extent you can pull your weight as a responsible team member – that then allows you to truly enjoy yourself at the society you become a part of.

9. Was it difficult to start your own society?

In order to start a society, the Students Union general procedure is super simple: fill in a short form, get 30 signatories and you can have your own society. Each term, the SU receives at least 20 different society proposals. That’s 60 proposals in one academic year. Starting a student club is designed to be easy because UCL promises an open space for initiatives. I know so many people who have started their own society for the sake of starting one. The difficult part is running it, staying true to the objectives and taking it to the next level to achieve the society’s goals.

While there will obviously be a number of struggles involved with putting in endless hours in addition to your academic responsibilities, raising capital, and working with a range of different members, the biggest challenge is often figuring out what the right end goal for your members is: what they will pay for, what they will enjoy, what they will dislike. I absolutely enjoyed all the challenges I faced at CAS; For one, they varied so much! My team and I all saw them as no more than hiccups and growing opportunities.

I know a lot of people note that CAS was mostly an instant success but that is because a lot of research went to it prior. For some of our other niches such as corporate sustainability and so on – that took us two years to perfect; we had to keep changing the “message” of our movement, going through numerous iterations, and moving forward so that the members were happy with the final product i.e our events. I placed a lot of focus on diversity & inclusion because welcoming everyone’s participation, not just their perspective was super important for the vision I had for CAS. We all loved this diversity and we bonded into the #CASfam. I also worked with the Under Secretary General for Recruitment Dhaval Nayi to revamp the structure of the society, discarding and adding roles each year, so I learnt that you shouldn’t be scared to fix what isn’t working. Always trust your instincts; it’s hard to shut things down but you have to keep moving. It’s great to have a dream, but you also need to make sure that what you’re offering is something that people need.

Stay tuned for part 2!

How to Prepare Yourself for a Fintech Job

By skye.aitken, on 26 November 2020

Read time: 4 minutes

Guest blog from Esme Loans

The term ‘fintech’ simply means ‘financial technology’. It describes a broad sector that includes businesses such as personal banking services, cash flow management apps, business finance lenders and more. Fintech companies can be exciting to work in. They’re fast moving (being driven by technology) and are constantly pushing each other to innovate and evolve – not to mention that the sector is growing quickly.

If you’re considering a career in fintech, though, where’s the best place to start? How can you, a budding marketer, accountant, or perhaps a developer, get ready to break into the fintech space and prepare yourself for an entry-level role? That’s exactly what we’ll cover in this blog post as we share our tips and insider-insights.

We are Esme Loans, an online business loans provider who are part of the NatWest group. Since 2016, we’ve lent over £149m to 2,210 business owners in the UK, and so we’re well-versed in how the fintech sector operates.

  1. Get the relevant qualifications

A degree that’s relevant to the type of job you’re interested in is a good place to start. Don’t narrow yourself down based on the specific title of your degree, though. Instead, think about the transferrable skills you’ve gained. With a business degree, you may be well-suited for a marketing role, or a maths degree could set you up to start a career in accounting. Fintech’s typically offer a diverse range of roles that revolve around supporting technology and financial management so take your time to explore all of the options.

What’s more, gaining additional qualifications such as enrolling in courses with Chartered Institutes, undertaking online courses, and evidencing your technical proficiencies (maybe developing a strong GitHub portfolio if you’re wanting to work in web development) could improve your chances of securing that first interview.

  1. Gain work experience

Undertaking a role that mirrors some of the skills you’ll need for your entry level job could help you prepare yourself for your first fintech role. That could mean an internship, or even working in a voluntary capacity – so long as you’re developing some essential skills you’ll need on the job.

For example, helping a local charity shop manage their finances could prove to be a be useful indicator to prospective employers that you’ll be willing to work hard and build your skillset within their company. Alternatively, a lot of fintechs work with start-ups and small-to-medium sized businesses, so gaining some general experience working within such a business (even part-time) could set you up for a client-management or business analyst role and ensure that you have plenty to talk about in your interviews.

  1. Research the fundamentals of your discipline

If you can see yourself managing a bank’s operations or developing a revolutionary mobile banking app one day, you may want to kickstart your journey right now by reading three foundational books that most professionals in the discipline will be aware of.

Having a decent understanding of some of the foundational concepts and theories associated with the discipline you’re looking to move into could give you a good base of knowledge that allows you to contribute to team meetings in your first few weeks on the job. With that core knowledge, you can even innovate and get creative with your colleagues, rather than worrying about feeling like ‘the new guy’ for too long.

Don’t stop at books, though. Join online forums, read popular industry blogs, immerse yourself in the latest news within your fintech discipline of choice and keep an eye on what may be cutting edge and potentially game-changing for your employer over the coming months. Hearing that you understand the upcoming pressure points they’ve identified for their businesses could stand you in good stead in an interview.

  1. Practice your interview technique

There are some interview tips that transcend job roles and disciplines, and it’s your job to master these to give yourself the best chance of securing a role. Key tactics and strategies that every applicant should have in their arsenal include:

  • Good eye contact and body posture. This can show that you’re confident, engaged in the conversation and willing to learn.
  • Deliberate non-verbal cues. By this we mean nodding softly to reassure your interviewer that you’re listening carefully to them, which can be a good indicator to employers that you’re genuinely interested in their work.
  • A natural curiosity. Do your research to understand what projects your prospective employer is currently working on, how their company functions, and who the people are behind the scenes. It will get you excited about the opportunity and will indicate that you’re prepared, have thought ahead and are a self-starter, all favourable qualities to prospective employers.

As an employer, we actively look for a sense of enthusiasm, commitment, and curiosity in those we interview for entry-level fintech roles. We hope that our tips and insights prove useful to you, and we wish you the best of luck with starting out your new journey.

Interview with an Alum: Sarah Fortais, PhD Fine Art, Slade School of Fine Art 2018

By skye.aitken, on 24 November 2020

Read time: 5 minutes

Interview with Sarah Fortais, PhD Fine Art, Slade School of Fine Art 2018

What is the core purpose of your role and what typical activities does it involve?

As a self-employed artist I create work for exhibitions, performances, private commissions, and public artworks. These include large-scale, permanent bronze works as well as ephemeral works made from found materials. I also teach, running courses during the Slade Summer School and giving lectures both across London and in Canada. My specialisation is sculpture and performance and so most of my teaching revolves around these subjects, but sometimes it also incorporates the study of creativity and ways of implementing creative methodologies, which relates to my PhD research.

I live and work in my studio and so a fair chunk of my time is spent ensuring that all my equipment is running safely and also coming up with new ways of storing more and more work.

Another important part of my day-to-day operation is organising logistics for installation and delivery of artworks, and keeping up to date with necessary safety training and licensing. This has at times involved learning to use different types of 3D rendering software, so as to ensure work can be approved before installation. Because I build and install most of my works by myself, staying physically active is extremely important to my job, and I try to take time away to hike and stay active. Most of the time however, I seem to get my exercise by wearing spacesuits or carrying giraffe parts across London.

What kind of people and clients do you work with?

I have worked with UCL on a number of projects including the UCL Donor Wall, which involved working with hundreds of different people including students, staff, volunteers, charities, private and corporate benefactors, and recipients of research scholarships or patients of medical procedures directly resulting from UCL’s research. I also work with artist groups such as London Sculpture Workshop and London Bronze Casting and institutions like the Pompidou Centre and the Victoria & Albert Museum. I have taught students aged 10 and upwards but primarily I focus on teaching University students completing a Bachelor’s degree in a creative subject. In addition to lecturing on fine art programmes, I have also lectured for London College of Fashion because my PhD research focused on defining cool, which also included defining concepts such as trend and copying. Through exhibiting and performing my work I have been able to travel across the UK as well as France and Canada, and have been able to work with local residents, tourists, refugees, and first-time gallery goers. Part of why I have chosen to be self-employed is because I enjoy working with continuously changing clients.

How did you get to where you are now?

I completed my PhD research in 2018 and so I have only been self-employed in the UK for the last year and a half. In order to gain contracts I first answered a lot of open calls for artworks and volunteered my time invigilating exhibitions for my peers, in order to gain a back-catalogue of work and experiences that I could draw from when applying for paid contracts. I still sometimes exhibit my work for free or for a small financial loss for the exposure which I feel has led to many groups independently contacting me with offers of commissions and performance opportunities. I also try to experiment with my performances in public and document them whenever possible. This means that even when I have a work-in-progress I can get public feedback and sometimes even free materials or meals!

What have been some challenges to your role due to Covid-19 and how have these been responded to/managed?

Seeing galleries and campuses close to the public has meant that many of my contracts/commissions have either been postponed or cancelled outright. I also lost a commission due to the fact that the client felt that they were no longer able to support an artwork that encouraged people to come together, which was a real shame because for me that’s what makes art-making worthwhile. As a result of losing these opportunities, I took on two key-worker roles in London, one as a part-time Art Technician at a public high school, and another at a bakery, to make ends meet. I have since left the bakery position as enough of my fine art contracts have picked up again, but I used the position as an opportunity to practice my fine motor skills, to increase my knowledge of health and safety in the public sector, and to divert/recycle food waste. I have found working as a technician with high school aged students to be very rewarding and it’s inspired me to begin private tutor sessions as well as revisit some mixed media projects that I did not resolve while on my BFA. Furthermore, as a key worker I have been able to commute without interruption and subsequently I produced a performance series with artist Emma Burdon to chronicle how London’s coffee shops have been adapting and changing over the past months.

How do you see your work, or that of the sector more generally, impacting on societal wellbeing as we learn to live with Covid, and do you see any signs that investment in the arts will increase as part of the health and wellbeing response? 

I think most people are aware that both making and experiencing artwork can have a profoundly positive impact on wellbeing. It’s also acutely apparent that there are many, many groups of people underrepresented in the arts and excitingly, I have seen a positive shift at the grassroots level toward supporting artists from a wider range of backgrounds. At the same time, I feel that most large institutions have yet to reflect these changes, and I also feel that overall, the arts industry places far too much emphasis on exclusivity both for its commercial viability, and for determining its conceptual and social value. What I would like to see is a large-scale reimagining of the fine arts sector and for artists to become employed across a wider range of disciplines, so as to more deeply integrate art-making into every sector. I have always preferred to find art in unexpected places and so I feel that personally, in order to make work that I feel is relevant to other people, it should take place in any setting that people are willing to constructively criticise, interact with, or enjoy it. In 2018, artist Zeinab Saleh curated an exhibition titled Widening the Gaze at UCL’s Slade Research Centre, which included an astounding array of works by artists whom I feel are already challenging and profoundly impacting the arts industry in ways that can only result in improved societal wellbeing.

How would you go about getting experience (placements, work experience, internship) in the industry you work in?

There are many online opportunities available on an international level that have recently become exclusively online. As for work experience, I would suggest that artists continue to answer open calls (many groups like A-N and Curator space have been posting calls consistently over the last few months) and asking for feedback whenever possible. I also have found it immensely helpful to look outside my industry for experience. For example, while completing my education I worked as an Assistant Foreman and Environmental Resource at Habitat for Humanity, and also was employed by my Students’ Union while studying at Central Saint Martins. As it might not be possible at the moment to gain experience invigilating or assisting other artists in their studio, I would instead suggest honing your skills on small, manageable projects or experiments and document them in a way to build up a portfolio for future assignments.

What is the one thing students can be doing right now to boost their career prospects at a time where opportunities in the arts may be limited?

As a sculptor, I would suggest focusing on resourcefulness and using any time that can be made available to develop new ways of sourcing materials, techniques, and ways of presenting, and then resolving a few artworks that can be used to showcase your adaptability to employers/clients/institutions. My advice is not to focus on self-reliance, but rather, to use the changing environment as part of the process of generating artwork and finding safe ways of being visible. For instance, I used the changing rules about travelling in London to my advantage and was able to produce a performance which took place completely masked on the London Underground. Prior to lockdown, the TFL told me I was not allowed to create such a performance but with the changing rules it actually meant that my performance became not only allowed, but became the safest way to travel. The only misstep at this time would be to stop producing artwork.

Do you have any top tips for current students who may be interested in your career area?

For any portfolio it is paramount that it includes what appears to be completed works. However, I want to stress that whether or not you as the artist thinking that the work is completed is irrelevant to whether it appears completed to others. Thus, my advice is to focus on how you frame or present your works so that each time you share them they can, for each client, uniquely and contextually be experienced as completed works. This will give you a competitive edge compared to other student portfolios that stress artworks as assignments or experiments, as they are not using their portfolio as an opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of the client’s needs or sensibilities.

Sector Insights: Data Science

By skye.aitken, on 17 November 2020

Read time: 3 minutes

Written by Susanne Stoddart, Recruitment & Selection Advice Manager

What is Data Science?

Data science is concerned with turning raw data into meaningful information that organisations can use to inform their decisions and improve their work. Data scientists work with huge datasets, such as online reviews of products and services or health care records. This big data is generally too large for analysis by using conventional statistical methods and analytical tools. Rather than data science being a sector in itself, there is need for data scientists across a wide range of sectors, including technology, transport, retail, finance, consulting, government, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and health care. Everyday activities are increasingly leaving digital footprints and employers seek workers who can help them make sense of it.

Meet the Data Scientists

I recently contacted Pooja Trivedi and Adam Davison on LinkedIn to find out about their experience in data science, and about their routes into this area of work. Pooja currently works as a Data Scientist at Curve and completed her MSc in Social Research Methods at UCL in 2019.

Adam is Head of Insight and Data Science at The Economist. Adam completed his MSci in Physics at UCL in 2006 and his PhD in High Energy Physics in 2010, also at UCL.

Did you do anything during your time at UCL or after you finished your degree that helped prepare you for your current job?

Pooja: I currently work at Curve as a Data Scientist, and I learned about them through the UCL Careers Fair in the summer of 2019. I started working at Curve as an intern while I was doing my course, so it was a very unique learning opportunity.

Adam: Not especially unfortunately. I was lucky in that my PhD research work was focussed on analysis of very large datasets coming from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. I never had a strong career plan to move to data science, and debated the merits of leaving vs. remaining in academia for a long time. Luckily when my moment to move came a lot of my skills were a good fit for what industry was looking for.

What are three key skills that you use in your current job?

Pooja: The three main skills involve: attention to detail, the ability to think about the customer and their needs, as well as working well with others, as there are many stakeholders who rely on data.

Adam: When I first moved to data science I was working hands-on problem solving myself so it would have been software engineering, data analysis and a knowledge of statistical modelling. Over time career progression means that now I spend much more time trying to connect what is possible with the data to the problems the business needs solving, so today the list would focus more on interpersonal skills and a broad knowledge of techniques and technologies.

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

Pooja: My role as a data scientist is unique because I don’t just work in quantitative areas. I also do a lot of qualitative research that involves customer interviews, research on consumer behaviours, and research on the field as a whole.

Adam: When I first transitioned to commercial data science I was surprised at how little my job differed from the research I was doing in academia. A typical day would have been discussing an issue the business was facing with my manager, then spending most of my day writing code (SQL/Python) to access and convert data into a form I could analyse or build a statistical model around.

What would be your top piece of advice for current students interested in a career in data science?

Pooja: It’s important to at least know SQL, and there are bonus points if you know Python. I’d also recommend that anyone looking to pursue data science finds a field that they are interested in, because they will be constantly looking at the data for that field.

Adam: Don’t assume you need to know everything about every technology or complex machine learning tool to apply for a job, everyone recognises that entry-level candidates will be lacking some skills. For someone applying for their first role I’m looking for someone that’s done some data analysis and statistical inference, and most importantly understands why they did it and how the tools they used work. I expect to find gaps where training will be needed, so if you need to get better at Python or learn about a machine learning technique that’s a secondary concern.

What Next?

If you’re feeling inspired by Pooja and Adam’s careers in data science, here are some ideas on what you can do right now to start developing your skills and building your network: · Become a member of the UCL Data Science Society to gain access to the Data Hub, offering workshops, articles, competitions, networking opportunities and more. · Sign up to Data Science Weekly, a free newsletter featuring curated news, articles and jobs.

· Develop your data science skills with online data science competitions hosted by organisations such as Kaggle and Topcoder.

· Build your network by reaching out to data science experts on platforms such as LinkedIn and UCL’s Alumni Online Community. You can find out more about using online platforms for networking in our recent blogpost on 5 Key Resources for Networking from Home.

· Remember that if you would like to explore your career in data science further you can book in with UCL Careers for a one-to-one guidance appointment.