Top tips from the world of AI and tech

In October, we ran our “How to get in AI and tech panel” event, which was for anyone with a non-technical degree, looking to enter the tech industry.

From Experience Design Leads to Senior Account Technology Leads, our panel provided anecdotal tips on applying for and flourishing within tech companies. All without an extensive understanding of technical practices. Below are a few of the keynotes that were particularly emphasised:

Pictures of all the speakers and their job titles: 

Caitlin Bloom 
Project Manager, Kinneir Dufort 

Cherry Lin 
Experience Design Lead, Accenture Song

Ian Gardner 
Senior Account Technology Leader 
IBM

Jessica Roussou 
Senior Specialist - Security Governance, Risk & Compliance, Wise 

Sarah Matesun 
Business Analyst, ClearBank

1. Don’t worry about your lack of technical knowledge

Lacking a tech background when working in the industry is no barrier. Most non-technical roles will involve some jargon that may mean nothing to you – and that’s okay!

Our speakers recommend getting comfortable with not knowing and asking questions.

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How to get into: business intelligence, data analytics, and artificial intelligence.

It’s no surprise that career opportunities within the business intelligence, data, and AI sectors have grown massively in recent years.

Data is everywhere, so data analytics is critical in helping businesses improve all types of decision outcomes.

Technology is constantly unearthing new ways to be innovative and efficient, making it an equally exciting and challenging area to work within.

On 14 March 2023, we were joined by three speakers who shared their experiences of internship, leadership, and entrepreneurship within these evolving areas of the technological industry, and how students from a range of academic backgrounds can go into them.

Our speakers were:

Teik Keat Tee
Finance Business Intelligence Intern  

Sam Haynes
Head of Risk Analytics  

Helen Tanner
Director at Data Cubed 


Here are our top 7 takeaways from the event:

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My SME Internship: Jemima – Vounder Analytics

Hi, I’m Jemima, a second-year computer science student. Last summer I completed a month-long SME Internship with Vounder Analytics

Vounder Analytics builds bespoke insurance data systems for other organisations and is moving the actuarial and insurance industry away from dated and unsuitable tools such as Excel.  

My experience 

A head and shoulders photo of Jemima, smiling

Before my internship, I did not think I would have been capable of the tasks I worked on. However, the workplace was a brilliant learning environment.

My tasks were clearly explained and presented to me in manageable chunks, with ample opportunity to ask questions. I also learnt a lot about insurance and actuaries (I didn’t even know what an actuary was before I started!). All in all, I was presented with fulfilling and diverse work, without being overwhelmed.

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3 reasons to make the most of the Faculty of Arts Careers Series this February

The pandemic has impacted so much, including the world of work. The ongoing uncertainty can feel de-motivating; it may feel easier to avoid thinking about careers right now and to put it off until later. However, it could be an ideal time for career thinking and looking at what the Faculty of Arts Careers Series has to offer, (more…)

Career profile: IT Consultancy

A University of Bristol graduate talks about their experience of IT consultancy: 

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It’s a fact that Computer Science students in general enjoy excellent job prospects after graduating, with University of Bristol graduates being particularly sought after in the industry. All modern businesses require staff who understand how to fully exploit technology. In fact, many businesses will pay a handsome sum to anyone who can prove that they have the skills to unlock potential in their organisation using technology. So why is it that so many Computer Science students choose to apply for ‘safe’ graduate jobs (a.k.a. coding and development) instead of exploring all the different opportunities out there?

 I graduated from the University of Bristol seven years ago. Unlike many of my peers, I was not looking forward to the prospect of sitting in a dark room cutting code all day. Instead, I opted for a career in IT consultancy. Consultancy firms essentially get paid by other organisations to take on their most difficult projects as they have the expertise to resource and deliver the most challenging IT programmes. As a consultant working for one of these firms, I am kept constantly on my toes. Engagements tend to be short, meaning the next challenge is always just around the corner, and I rarely wake up knowing what my day is going to be like or where in the country I am going to be working tomorrow.

After graduating and accepting a junior role in a large consultancy firm, I spent nearly four years as a consultant analyst working for the British intelligence services. Although the work I did is classified, I can say that working on the most complex projects these organisations had was both challenging and rewarding. More recently I have been able to adapt my skills to work in the private sector, where I have helped around forty different companies across a variety of sectors. I mention this to illustrate the sheer diversity of jobs out there for Computer Science graduates.

The one thing I have learnt in this time is that there is a desperate lack of graduates applying for the more niche, highly skilled technical roles that companies need, and an overwhelming abundance of graduate coders. I believe this is purely down to Computer Science graduates undervaluing their skill sets and focussing on what they believe they can do best – coding. However, the harsh reality is that coding is often done better, faster and more cheaply by teams of offshore developers. Outsourcing has changed the landscape of jobs available to Computer Science graduates and it’s time to adapt!

 UoB Graduate

 The University of Bristol Careers Service adds:

Our ‘My degree…where next’ pages offer an introduction to the many different options available to you with a Computer Science degree.  It is useful to consider the destinations of previous Computer Science graduates, and read other case studies.