After graduating in 2023 with a BSc Actuarial Science degree, Georgia Ashley was offered a permanent position as an Associate Analyst at Sainsbury’s, having previously completed a placement with the company through Kent’s Year in Industry programme
Tell us about your career path since graduation.
I was offered a permanent position an Associate Analyst at Sainsbury’s in August 2023, having completed my Year in Industry with the company as part of my degree.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
One of my favourite parts of my job is that there are so many versions of a “typical” day depending on the project I’m working on and what stage of the analysis I am completing. The variability of my workday and being able to manage my own time makes every day interesting!
Generally, I start my day by planning out my to-do list so I can keep on top of my tasks, and I meet with my team. The rest of my day is dictated by which day it is and what project I am working on. I usually schedule my meetings in the morning as this is when I am most energised and I find it best to catch up with any collaborative work earlier in the day so the afternoon can be spent working uninterrupted, without jumping from analysis to meetings.
I work on a variety of projects within the Business Protection area and produce outputs tailored to the project needs. This can range from standalone analysis with a slide deck of key points, tools that stakeholders can continue to use, and continuous analysis to name a few.
I also have a training day once every 3 weeks where I can choose what I would like to learn and take a whole day to do it – I have used this time to upskill both technical and softer skills as well as attending various seminars, my favourite ones being Women in Tech seminars.
Can you share a professional highlight from your career so far?
My professional highlight from my Year in Industry was presenting to around 200 people. This boosted my confidence and was a major step in my career as now I love presenting and it is one of my strongest skills.
Since returning, my highlight would be giving my first presentation being back at the company. It was great for me to use these skills again after finishing my degree and seeing how much I had improved since my first presentation during my placement year.
How did your time at Kent help you achieve your current career?
My time at Kent definitely helped me achieve my current career. I would not be in a job I love if I had not completed a placement year at Sainsbury’s as part of my degree though the Year in Industry option.
Although I am not working directly in the industry associated with my degree, the skills I gained were highly transferable to my current role. The Actuarial Science course not only taught me the financial, statistical, and mathematical skills that I will continue to use throughout my career, but also business skills such as writing a report, working with Excel and problem solving.
I also had two jobs throughout my time at Kent as a Student Ambassador and Front of House in Woody’s. Both jobs helped me to develop my softer skills such as communication, public speaking and working well under pressure.
I am especially grateful for the opportunities afforded to me as an Ambassador, which included speaking on panels, leading tours, and giving presentations. These working events allowed me to practice skills I had gained on placement year and also work in new ways and answer questions from prospective students and their parents.
What advice would you give to our current/prospective students who are looking to get into the same line of work?
Don’t be afraid to try something new! It sounds cliché, but I chose to try something new that I had no experience of for my Year in Industry and have ended up in a completely different role than I thought I would after leaving university. I never would have known that data analysis would be something I could be good at if I had never given it a go, even though it was scary.
My second piece of advice would be to always ask questions; in lectures, seminars, to careers support, in work, and anywhere else you may think of one. From experience I have learnt that asking the question is always worth it. It can be daunting, but you will get to the solution so much faster than if you didn’t.
Do you have a favourite memory from your time at Kent?
Picking just one favourite memory from five years is a difficult task as I made amazing friends and had great times along the way, but I was particularly proud to have won two awards at graduation.
I received The Mcvitte Prize for School contribution for my role as an ambassador and The School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science Employability and Placements Prize.
Receiving these awards was a special moment for me as the work I put in as an ambassador and speaking on my placement year were some of my favourite parts of my time at Kent and to be recognised for these contributions felt like a full circle moment.
Is there anything you would do differently if you could repeat your time at Kent?
I would throw myself into everything from the first day and not let nerves hold me back.
I’d definitely take my own advice and ask the questions I had at the time! I did myself a disservice by spending more time struggling on my own when I could have reached a conclusion easier and faster if I had just put myself in a position I found uncomfortable at the time.
Are you still in touch with other Kent alumni or academics?
I am still in touch with many friends I made during my time at the university both on my course and through work. I also keep up to date with academics and university updates through LinkedIn.
What are your future ambitions?
Right now, I am looking forward to continuing my career as an analyst, actively learning new skills and technological capabilities, and progressing my career upward over time!