Data Scientist Review

I am a part of a team responsible for creating data-related tools and projects for internal use in the company. Most days involve communication with my team in a daily standup meeting before working on (usually in the form of programming) whichever projects I feel could benefit the most from this on that particular day.

I've learnt how to apply my existing programming knowhow to a great variety of data-driven contexts, from tools previously familiar to me (for example Python and Flask), my experience of which has strengthened somewhat, as well as new ones (for example Alteryx and G.A.S.), which I have learnt from scratch.

Despite being initially very nervous about what sounded like a high-pressure and overwhelming environment that wasn't to my interests, I was surprised by not only the friendly, relaxed, and supportive atmosphere across my line of service but also the amount of control offered regarding vocational area, and this control allowed me to work with the things that I genuinely enjoyed doing, for which I feel very grateful.

The Induction process was comprehensive and of a sufficient length, and support never ended after this, with regular maintained practices and opportunities to grow offered often and to all. Support is maintained with regular contact with both informal "buddies" as well as career coaches, with whom updates are, vitally, regular. Upskilling is encouraged and opportunity to do so in whatever direction one wishes is often available. Team hierarchy depends on the area, however in my area there is a good balance between self-driven work and formal team delegation, although this line is often blurry.

I was surprised by how much support is on offer all of the time from the company, both in terms of atmosphere as well as the variety of more tangible paths. Access to support on a team and company level is always available through managers and HR, and for personal support, depending on the type needed, there are mentors, specialists, as well as, thanks to the friendly atmosphere, colleagues.

Support from the University of Leeds is rather laissez-faire while on placement, with most contact coming from the ten-minute triannual meetings between the apprentice, company, and University. Support is available if needed and proactively looked for, but I felt that the company is better equipped here and was a better place to go for support.

While a lot of my day-to-day skills in the placement, while relevant to my course, are those in which I was sufficiently proficient before starting it, a lot of my work is closer to the academic side--for example, researching new AI techniques by reading through papers. It is likely that I would greatly struggle with this had I not gained the relevant skills in my course. As well as this, the open encouragement towards upskilling within the company has equipped me with many tools of my own choosing that help me in my role.

While the quantity thereof has of course been reduced in the pandemic, there have been invites to many social events (from drinks and dinners to sports and more formal events) where and when safe. Additionally, there have been many efforts to reach out with online social events during the pandemic to help ease one another.

Yes

PwC has a warm and supportive culture that feels genuine and not just professional courtesy. It feels like each employee is given agency over where and how they work, and support is always offered to ensure that this can be done in a way that's healthy and worthwhile for both the employee and the company.

Let your enthusiasm for your field of choice shine through, and don't spend too much time worrying about the exact sub-role is best for you! There's lots of room for mobility within the company, and with the regular support offered, if you're willing to be open about what you want, I'm sure that you'll end up in the role that's best for you no matter where you start.