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Business degree leads alumna to Forensic Technology graduate scheme

Business degree leads alumna to Forensic Technology graduate scheme

Published: 13 Mar 2023

Melanija Kirillova

Brunel offers such a wide range of extra-curricular activities and the staff here at the Business School are so involved in making sure you are receiving the best experience.

Melanija, Undergraduate, Alumni

Forensic Technology Associate, Deloitte

Accounting and Business Management BSc - 2019

From Italy

Tell us about your career journey since you graduated…

After my graduation in July 2019 I started my graduate scheme at Deloitte as an Associate in Forensic Technology. I started with a month-long orientation that included a soft-skills boot camp, a forensic skills boot camp and a general orientation to the firm. My graduate scheme will last 2 years and will include several rotations within the Forensic Technology department.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

My day usually includes a lot of client interaction, making sure they have no issues in using our forensic platforms and their ad hoc requests are met. When my team receive new digital evidence, I usually take on the processing and/or review management workflow, ensuring the evidence is processed in a sound manner, our clients' confidentiality is protected and we facilitate them in finding the relevant files to their investigations in a timely manner. I also get involved in business development, volunteering and in the upkeep of our forensic laboratory, so no day is the same!

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

The highlight for me was learning to use tools that I would have never expected to learn. This includes forensic tools and software, but also more general technology tools, as well as some basic coding in Python and SQL. The company offers a lot of tech qualifications to those who are interested in expanding their knowledge further.

How would you say Brunel helped you to get where you are today?

Brunel offers such a wide range of extra-curricular activities and the staff here at the Business School are so involved in making sure you are receiving the best experience. This helped me develop soft skills, team-working and generally always looking beyond and being curious. Already coming out of University I have a strong network of people across all industries, and I am grateful to Brunel for that.

Why did you choose to study at Brunel and why would you recommend Brunel to others?

Brunel is a great community where you can achieve so much more than just your degree. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great undergraduate experience. I personally made great use of the facilities, of the extra-curricular courses such as the language school, the Business Life events and much more.

What is your best memory of studying here?

The summer evenings spent on the Quad, my first Varsity day, my language courses and of course my graduation day. To this day, I like to go back to Uxbridge from time to time, as it is a place that still holds a lot of great memories for me.

If you could give one piece of advice to new students, what would that be?

Try not to think about your goals and your tasks all the time. Yes, goals should take priority, but try to take some time every day and enjoy the process - you are a student and the world is your oyster. If I could go back in time I would take this advice myself.

What would be your top tip or advice for new graduates as they begin their career journey?

Remember a career is not a straight path. You might think you are interested in something now, but life might take you on a whole other journey when you least expect it. Try to collect experiences, soft skills that can be transferred across multiple industries and most importantly, grow a solid network of professional connections!

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