We caught up with Lily who shared how she landed a role at PwC after using her International Relations and Quantitative Method's degree to get her there!
Why did you apply for the role?
I applied for this role because my university degree of ‘International Relations with Quantitative Methods’ created an interest in data and how it can be used not just in decision making, but also how the findings from analysis can help people. I chose to apply to this data role in particular because it sounded interesting and I knew the project I was working on would be changing all the time, allowing for new experiences and opportunities to develop. Furthermore, while I enjoy working with data, I did not want to spend all of my time just looking over spreadsheets, and with this job, I have the opportunity to work with clients and come up with solutions to their problems.
What were the lows of the process?
I think one of the main struggles is finding time to apply. Graduate schemes, in particular, have many stages of their application process, and when you have to balance the application process with all of your university commitments, and others, you have, it can get tricky.
What were the best parts of the process?
I think the best part is the experience you get from applying. I applied for a few different jobs and even for the ones that I did not succeed, I still learned valuable lessons from, even if it’s as simple as making sure you have a good WIFI connection for video interviews! I know I’ll use all of these skills in future applications I make.
Top tips for members?
Start early! Many jobs open, and close, earlier than you think and being on top of it from the beginning can help to make the whole process less stressful. A lot of the schemes I applied to had deadlines around the same time, so starting early means that you won’t be rushing at the end to complete all of your various tests/interviews. I wish I had a spreadsheet of all the deadlines just to make it easier for myself.
How did BN help?
Bright Network helped me by sending me emails reminding me of upcoming deadlines. Also, the Bright Network website is where I found the advertisement for the job I will be starting in September. I also spent a lot of time looking over their graduate career advice page when preparing for various stages of the application process including the video interview and the assessment centre.
