Nic is a Mathematics and Statistics student from University of Warwick. They secured a Graduate Data Analyst role at Admiral Insurance Group in Cardiff, through Bright Network. 
First, please tell us a little about yourself.
“I’ve always been interested in maths and numbers – for as long as I can remember maths has been my thing. I always knew I wanted to do something involving numbers but when I was younger, I didn't know what was available to me.
We had to do a project in Sixth Form called a Destination Passport, where we had to research career options and figure out where to take from there. I discovered the actuarial career path and saw that Morse or Mathematics and Statistics gave a lot of exam exemptions, so that’s what I set my sights on.
However, being here has helped me truly understand where my passion in this subject lies, I love working with data; modelling, making predictions and inferences and really understanding a data set and how it can be useful in so many contexts.”
What motivated you to apply for the role?
"This was the first job description I read in my search for a graduate role and the way the role was described felt like it was bullet pointing my exact interests; running models, finding value in data and using data to inform decisions, so I spent time updating my CV and getting it sent off.
The location was also perfect, I’m from North Wales, where there aren’t many job opportunities in my field, so being able to stay in Wales is a great bonus for me.”
What was the application process like?
“The application process involved submitting your CV, a maths assessment and then an interview. I was surprised that there was no psychometric or job simulation testing, as this meant the first time they were hearing from me was in the interview.
This made the interview feel more important as it was my first chance to really make an impression – but I did like the fact there was no video or one-way interview, as that has always been my least favourite part of the recruitment process of any jobs so far.”
How did Bright Network help you secure your role?
“I found the job and applied via the Bright Network website.”
What are you most proud of about your journey?
“It was the first interview I was offered for any graduate role and the first time I've ever felt confident coming out of an interview.
I felt I demonstrated my knowledge and skills very well throughout the interview and even when I didn't know an answer I didn't let that derail or distract me.”
What have you learned from going through the process?
"I learnt I am a lot more comfortable thinking on the spot than I thought. This was tested quite rigorously by an exercise in the interview, where you had to keep giving more answers to the same question and I was proud of how many answers I could give.
I think I could have researched the company in more depth before the interview. I felt I knew a lot, but there was some things brought up that I was unaware of, such as sectors of the business I didn’t know much about.”
What are your tips for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
“I applied to too many positions at once, making it quite difficult to balance all the job assessments on top of usual university work.
I would suggest spreading out applications and doing assessments as soon as you're invited to them, so you always know where you're at and don't miss anything.”
Tell us about the future. What’s next?
“In the job description they highlighted opportunities for career progression and explained that people in the role often go on to take positions in management. Lots of people that I spoke to at the company have also been there happily for a long time.
I could definitely see myself staying at the company for a long career and progressing through the ranks.”
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