Business analyst Review

Business analyst using latest technology in IBM Cognos to understand big data and compile it into an easy to understand dashboard for senior management of external clients to understand information and key metrics in their business. This included client calls, requests for access to their data and systems, extraction of this data and distilling it down to the key metrics, and presenting it back to them so they can understand and use the online dashboards.

Gained a qualification in IBM Cognos report studio which was to design and produce the online dashboards, and in IBM Framework manager which was used to integrate with their systems to extract the data. I also gained a qualification in project management - PRINCE2 foundation - which described the importance of timelines, responsibilities of the vendor and external client and team structure.

I enjoyed the work as it was challenging and it varied by client. It was new to me so it was very useful to learn how to approach these tasks. The team were kind and helpful, and the company culture was relaxed and flexible. They regularly organised events for the staff to attend for free. Overall the programme taught me a lot and I would recommend it.

The staff were always interested in your work which motivated you to the best you could. They would push you to do things differently or more efficiently which made you feel like they cared about your development. We were allocated into small teams so you felt a key role, and that you had a lot of responsibility. Staff were recognised by handing out vouchers if they were nominated by colleagues or management for doing a good job.

The programme was well structured and organised. It was clear on a weekly basis what you would be doing or learning; and the way it was split up made sense as you might need to learn Access before going into advanced database work. We were allocated a staff member who we could go to if we had any questions or issues. Tasks were clearly split up between the team according to our strengths.

The advisor was on hand to answer questions we had, as well as doing their own work which made it feel like they cared. They would have come over and sat and worked through the issues you were having in real-time so it was easy to learn from what they were doing by observing them. They seemed like nothing was too much trouble and were always very friendly in offering advice.

The employer was very welcoming into the work place. They made us feel at home and had everything ready for us to use when we arrived e.g. laptops, log ins to systems etc. We were assigned a mentor we could go to if we had any issues. If there were any issues they were easy to get hold of and more than willing to help us.

The salary was good for the job. It easily met living costs. The travel costs were quite substantial by public transport however this was also adequately covered. In terms of the location, it was quite expensive to go out for coffee or lunch however the location was reflected in the pay was slightly higher than expected.

They would have arranged regular monthly events where food and drinks were provided free of charge. Away days were organised for staff to get to know each other and team building activities regularly occurred. There were regular volunteering initiatives submitted round in an email newsletter and the company were good at giving you time off to help with these. They had an internal club website so you could get involved with hobbies that interest you.

Yes

It was a place where you learn a lot of skills and get good training to prepare you for your career. It had a friendly, relaxed environment and a lot of varied work which let you interact with top class clients all over the world. There was a career progression pathway in place for those who want to stay for life, and the opportunity to travel and switch between departments if you want a change.

The application process included aptitude tests on numeracy and verbal reasoning so prepare for these by doing practice ones. Deloitte have a competency framework so look these up online and prepare examples for the interview. If possible, try and attend career days and fairs to get as much information on the company and area you are applying for, which will sound like you are really interested in the interview.