Associate Consultant
Qualification: Master of Data Science
Year of Graduation: 2022
Education Provider: The University of Western Australia
Job Title: Associate Consultant
Employer: Servian
Country of Origin: India
Are there any notable experiences from your time studying you’d like to share?
During my studies, I excelled in a unit and so I applied for a lab demonstrator position for the same unit. It was here that I made a couple of really good friends and found myself enjoying teaching. The experience also encouraged me to take up part-time employment as a casual educator.
If you could tell your graduate self one piece of career advice what would it be and why?
The advice I would like to give myself would be to not be too hard on myself. Things may not always go the way you want them to but that does not mean you failed. Take your time to recover from setbacks because you need to heal but once you’ve recovered, look back on the actions you took, learn what worked and what didn't, and then when you are ready, try again. I would recommend reading the poem, “If” by Rudyard Kipling.
Tell us about your experience since leaving UWA. How has your career progressed to date? Any professional achievements you’d like to share?
During my last semester at UWA, I was offered a graduate role at Servian, one of Australia's leading data and tech consultancies. While it was a challenge to balance both my university studies and responsibilities at work, it has been an amazing experience. I have continued working there post my graduation as Servian offers me a lot of opportunities to grow and the support provided by my colleagues is unparalleled. Since joining the company, I have been promoted to Associate Consultant. I have completed the fundamental cloud certification in GCP, Azure, and AWS and have recently also received the GCP Professional Data Engineer Certification.
What are some of your passions and interests?
I have always been a sports enthusiast. I was a good swimmer back home and represented my state at many meets. I had planned on swimming here, but have been exposed to so many other kinds of sports that I haven’t had the time to get back to swimming. I have fallen in love with indoor beach volleyball (IBV), and I just can’t get enough of it. You may find me at Fremantle, playing IBV on most days and if I am not there then, I might be playing pool with my friends.
What are the top 3 skills you need in your role as an Associate Consultant?
The top 3 skills to have in any consulting role would be:
- Communication: Creating and maintaining relationships that can be achieved through clear communication. The art of actively listening needs to be developed as well.
- Ability to learn: In the tech world, tools and software get replaced or go obsolete quickly and the only way to keep up with everything around you is to have the ability to research and learn fast.
- Problem-solving: As consultants, you will be called upon to help solve a variety of issues and hence having an aptitude for problem-solving is a must. These skills will help in identifying bottlenecks and optimising existing solutions too.
What was your main reason(s) to select Perth as your study destination?
I chose to study in Perth as it is the perfect blend between the city and the countryside. It was a big decision for me to make and having offers from universities around Australia so was a difficult decision to make. Given my love for sports and being outdoors, Perth’s climate suited me more than the other cities which was another reason for choosing Perth.
What have you enjoyed the most about living and studying in Perth?
I love beaches and being in Perth, I found myself walking around beaches a lot. Other than that, Perth being a smaller city makes it very convenient to stay in touch with friends because you are very likely to bump into one of them every now and then and I prefer face-to-face conversations. This has also helped in building connections and networks.
What would you say to students thinking of coming to Perth to study?
There is a lot to do in Perth so don’t just come here with the intention of only studying and getting good grades. While studying is important, it's not everything. Explore places, try a new activity and see what you like. Who knows, during your stay here you might end up discovering a new you.