Previous Institution
Wembley High Technology College - A Levels
Additional Brunel qualifications
BSc Financial Mathematics, class of 2017
Which country do you currently live in?
UK
Tell us about your educational and/or career journey since you graduated from Brunel?
Studying at Brunel has equipped me with transferrable skills to start my career as a Commercial Finance Analyst at an e-commerce business. I was able to use my research and IT skills, mainly R and Excel on a day-to-day basis. Currently, I am working as an Insight Analyst at a Fintech company. Topics I learned at university have boosted my critical thinking. I have further developed in areas such as python, SQL, metabase and other customer segmentation tools.
What does a typical day at work involve for you?
It is usually not always the same but typically it will involve the following:
- Raw data -> Clean and organise-> visualise -> work on analysis -> provide useful insights
- Automate and data governance in any ongoing reporting
- Develop customer segmentation / personas so other departments can target the right customers
- Identify any missing data points and roadmap to collect those
- Learn and suggest potential important key performing indicators (KPIs) to the business which would support in making important business decisions
- Communicate and presentation of insights
What’s been the highlight of your career journey so far?
- Continuous learning to fit in with the tremendous growth in technology
- Clear communication and opportunity to work with really talented professionals
- Able to creativity share innovative ideas and make it come to life and see improvements in the business
How would you say your Brunel experience has helped you to get where you are today?
- Improved my organisation and research skills
- Be a great team player as well as able to lead a project confidently
- Adapt to challenging environments and solve problems
Why did you choose to study at Brunel and why would you recommend Brunel to others?
- Top class education, the modules were interesting to me, and it was practical and well researched
- Great pride in diversity and equality. There are wide range of societies, clubs and extra education courses, for example, you can learn a different language for free
- High support from the University and provided useful facilities to enhance my career
What is your best memory of studying here?
I loved my university life as I was able to balance both my studies as well as my social life. I have gained amazing lifelong friends,
If you could give one piece of advice to current Brunel students, what would that be?
Do not be afraid to explore opportunities and be true to yourself. You are the driver of your life, so you know what decision is best for you.
What would be your top tip or key advice for new graduates as they begin their career journey after leaving Brunel?
Continue to keep in touch with the career advisors, lectures and friends you met in university as they will give full support and help with future networking. Explore your opportunities and build your networks. Do not be disheartened if you get rejected, and continue to learn and brush-up your skillsets. It just means that you need to pick yourself up again and keep on trying. There is a dream job/career waiting for you to be a reality. So, do not give up.
Finally, wishing you best of luck with your upcoming exciting journey. If you have more questions or just want to connect then feel free to add me on my LinkedIn: Samiksha Rana.
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