Episode 19: Sláine Carey
MATHS - ACTUARIAL SCIENCE - AIRPORT SECURITY - DATA CONSULTANT - LEAD DATA ANALYST
This episode was a lovely trip down memory lane as I chatted to Sláine, who I met in college where we both did (suffered?) an undergrad in Financial Maths and Actuarial Science.
Sláine was very honest and open in her experience and struggles with parts of the degree and questioning her decisions over the time. From making quick 17 yr old life decisions to straying from the traditional paths, she happily shares it all!
Listen as she details the life of a data consultant at Accenture detecting fraud to now as a Lead Data Analyst at Toothpic.
I was especially excited about this episode as we have both lead fairly similar careers (maths, actuaries, data consulting) but interested to see how our experiences diverged.
While a lot of our feelings and memories were similar, it is amazing to see the vast difference even in such similar high level paths!
This short blurb really doesn’t do it her journey justice - listen/watch/read now!
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Below is the episode transcript. This is automated through Azure Cognitive Speech Services. There is more training and customisation work coming for improved accuracy.
In the meantime please bare with any missing words/grammar/typos - the AI is learning!
Transcript
Akanksha
Welcome back everyone to another episode of Paths Uncovered Podcasts where we get to. Talk through on traditional pathways. In technology and today's episode, I'm very excited. Because it's going to be. A walk down memory lane because I've. Got this fabulous Sláine Carey with me today!
Sláine
Hello. Everybody.
Akanksha
Sorry I always. Do this, I never know how to introduce people you're playing after God like I don't know how many episodes has. Like I would have figured this out happened, I'm like. Is there a better? Way, who knows, but here we are.
Sláine
No, I mean that was great. Nice intro. I've gotten in a while.
Akanksha
The intelligence may. I love it. No, it's not me. Went to college together and we became friends got. Back I don't know how many years. It's been it's been many now it's on iTunes. Two money orders and I'd like to. Think about it, yeah. Exactly, it's a while ago. But like not too long ago either. Let's put it that way. Oh yeah, very much. So I mean COVID has not happened in my life at all. At this stage, I'm like two years haven't done by its completely fine, so then it doesn't count and possibly I. Would but the two of us did study. Actuarial? Science and. We did struggle through the four years. Of math and. Great. Memories, but also. Traumatic memories at the same time, yeah.
Sláine
Trauma bonding is real. Yeah.
Akanksha
It really is about like right here was. Just so close, but honestly at this. Stage or just yeah we knew each other.
Sláine
Very well. But let's dig into this.
Akanksha
Let's go all the way. Back, let's see how we all actually ended up with the same way and darker parts of.
Sláine
Fairly.
Akanksha
Similar sounds really excited to see how your experience has. Been throughout the whole thing comparatively so. Take me back, go back to school secondary school. What was happening? How did you even get into it's Matt? Yeah. So I. Mean. I really liked secondary school mainly because I found it fairly easy. It was really good at this and you know the classic. Like you know I love things that I'm good at. So you know, I really enjoyed school I had. Like a nice, you know, close knit group of friends that I had kind of from primary school and got on really well with all my teachers. Got on really well so my subjects and I suppose then kind of around. You know the last year of school when we were looking at OK where do you want to go to college? What do you want to do? I really didn't know I really like had no idea, so I thought, OK, like what are my one of my favorite subjects and my favorite subjects were actually biology and French and I thought. I don't know. Really what I could do with those apart from like medicine or like? Languages and I was like. I don't love languages enough. To. Pursue that and I was like maybe I'll do medicine, you know, I was in my old Grey's Anatomy phase and then I really quickly realized that I'm not like a morning person and shift work would just. Really. You know, kill my soul so I like I, I think it's such a vacation. I was like if I'm not sure it's probably an old yeah. So then I thought OK, like I'm I'm. Pretty good at. Maths. I was like what can I do with that and I feel like I had no idea. I'm like our guidance counselor and school really like God. Bless her. It was just not helpful like her. Her suggestion to everybody was just go to Scotland because it was free. Had gone to Scotland. Yeah, but like. No, like do this in Scotland or you might be interested in this. It was just like go to Scotland with my seat happens. Yeah. Exactly, so it was actually my my parents brought me to kind of a guidance counselor external. To the school. Which really really helped like thank God they did that. So like she did like some little. Aptitude. Tests with me and kind of just talk me through like what do you like? What do you not like? You know, watch where do you see yourself in any of that 17 year old? You don't really know the answer to any of those questions, but I. Did. Like you know, I gave her my. Best and I was. Like I want to be rich base here. So she was like you're. Good at math and you want to be. Rich, she was like have you heard? Of an actuary. I was like no, not really. So she kind of explained what the job was and you know she was like oh it's one of the higher paying jobs in Ireland and I was like immediately just like dollar signs like in my eyes like you know, looking back now you know not the best, you know, motivation? Yeah, but you know like that was really at the time and so yeah I was like cool great I'm gonna be. And actually I'm going to be rich, that's amazing. Sorted career done. Then yeah, I put down. Now my CEO. I changed it the night before, like it was your signs. It was nanoscience. It was literally all the rotten random things I think goes but I put down math science. In in you see. The night before it closed and thank God got it 'cause the points went up like quite a bit the year we we went in. Yeah, so I thought I'd have like lots despair and then I didn't have that money. So I was like. Whoa. But yeah, so then I yeah, that was essentially it. That was like right now. I was like it sounds good. It sounds like I'm going to be employable. I'm going to be an actuary. Here we go. And I think. Context, just free like people are saying. I mean, a lot of people from Australia says it's interesting. Like points payout is basically just how we get into college points. Every study and work, good grades and stuff you get. But yeah, you can make the choices and if your points line up to cut offs and stuff you get into the degree. And that was like. I'm listen to this, I'm just. Like wow, we really have very. Similar like our. District our. Schools I've never had a unique experience. It sounds. Like I mean it's like. Treating that like.
Sláine
I was at that.
Akanksha
Stage of like I'm floating watching guys I was like. Yeah, no like monster nurse beds in the hospital.
Sláine
Like this could be. It.
Akanksha
Changed right, there was like so many times. It's so interesting hearing and like. At the end. Both sides. Up at the same place. Yeah, and my parents work for themselves, so like my dad is kind of like a performance consultant and my. Mom. Does like kinesiology so I knew. That those weren't really. Career path I wanted to go down but also like they couldn't really get me like work. Experience in those 'cause it was just. Them, you know in their. Office. So you know, I found that you know, very unhelpful, despite all their good. Advice and guidance. At the time, so they they killed me for saying that, but. I was like, well, I don't want to be. Any of your jobs? So that's not helpful. But yeah now. So yeah, then started in. DC. And immediately was like, Oh no like first first. Week was fine. 'cause it? Was all just about like you know, going out and making friends. And. Had great crack and like met people in the course and everyone was really nice and like you had a lot of fun. I then started going to lectures and like just blew my mind like it like I was just like Oh my God this is gibberish. Like straight away like I like after like the initial like this is the course lecture. For all of the modules I was like Oh no. I was like I've made a terrible decision here. 'cause, like I like mass in school, which was very like, you know, the way that math is told in Ireland is like very like practical. Like there's, you know all of your different sections. It's very like prescribed course. You know it's very structured and like. The I think the leaving Cert in general as like an exam set is like a bit of a game. You can kind of like if you play the game properly and like it's not incredibly unpredictable like you can do well, but the way that like I think probably most college goes if they give you like the foundations and like the theory and things and then expect you to like go away and like actually think about it and apply to different situations and stuff. And that was just like not a system of learning that I was used to like I was really good at the whole like rote memorization thing, yeah? And. Then also there was no numbers. Which are really, truly. Oh that I like, I found notes the other. Day like I was cleaning house on Bay. And he was literally.
Sláine
Let it like it wasn't. English and it wasn't mad. And it was just like.
Akanksha
Symbols, and I'm like I can read that as like. Four sentences like what is this like you? Literally.
Sláine
Start.
Akanksha
Thinking about that, I think so it's. Just really like I mean.
Sláine
The mass of it, like it was, no matter how many like and I love.
Akanksha
That you talked about the. Career. Counselors and stuff that they were like, hey, I need to try this and stuff like I had. That in school. Too, I've been no one. Actually talk about what the experience. Is like no one does.
Sláine
That even when I I.
Akanksha
Don't know if he went to the sea. Like opening fire and stuff like I went and I. Talked to people in the. Course and everything.
Sláine
And. Yet I had no idea.
Akanksha
That this was going to be right like I.
Sláine
I can issue the first.
Akanksha
Couple of months I was just like.
Sláine
This is not mad, it's. Like this is this is not actual math. Like I've done.
Akanksha
Math this is Annette. It's. Like I don't want to see it. Yeah, my favorite thing to say at the time was like I'm actually studying hieroglyphics and not. 'cause? People would be like oh like. You know, if we were like splitting the. Bill. Or like you know, anything. To do with numbers like oh. Mastery. And I'd like. There is literally no numbers in my math degree. Like I could have done this in. Junior search mass, but like I'm actually worse now. Yeah, I still get roasted about. That like 2 but unless you got. Listed about this moment. Family like. Last week, like I can't. You know the family or the worse. They're always so painful always found eggs. But yeah, like. Like you said, I hadn't even gotten to the UCC open date. The first day I was in UCC was the first morning of orientation. Yeah, like my dad, drove me down to court 'cause I'm from Claire, which is about you know, 2 1/2 hours away from cork and so my dad drove me down the day before and was like, oh, I should probably like drive you by the college. So you like, know where you're going in the morning and like drove me like by the gate was like that's it's my second. And then on the 1st morning of orientation I was so late because I was living like a little bit outside the city. Yeah, with a friend of my mom's and like classic country bumpkin like naivet E I was like Oh yeah sure the bus is gonna take like you know 30 minutes in no problem. Just assumed that like there would be no traffic, no delays so that what so ever got the boss ended up taking like an hour and 10 minutes and that only got me to Thailand so he likes print out to college them and I remember like I have such a visceral memory of like the first day that they like group of mass had already gone. So like I arrived in and they were like oh we like take you down and like the whole class. Standing there as I remember. This. Place yeah, everyone is just looking at me like. He was this girl who's like. 40 minutes late. That's embarrassing and I. Like I was like. You know, just 18 just moved out of home, like nervous about going to college. I didn't know anyone. I was like I'm not gonna have any friends. I don't like make this go well and I was just like.
Sláine
****. But I mean.
Akanksha
Only up from. There you know, yeah, socially anyway so. But yeah, I have like even still like I can feel that embarrassment like so strong. But yeah, so I mean it started then and then read it quickly. That embarrassment got taken over by I am in the wrong course like I have been misled like this is not math. This is not what I signed up for. And I really. Really considered switching and I was like on the phone. My mom like I'm going to switch. I'm gonna switch and then she was like OK like that's fine. You can switch no problem like very supportive. She's like what you want to switch to and I was like. I I don't know. No, I was like I don't. Know what I want to switch to like. I had always just add Magic tunnel. Vision of this is what I'm going to do and like in my head like that was like Dang it was like ticked off decision made so it's just like I don't know and then she was like OK well let's give it to Christmas and if you still really are struggling we can like seriously look at switching then but I think it's like 2 reactionary now like it's too early days. But like blesser like was really good advice at the time. Now I still struggled after Christmas and but I kind of got a handle on it. And I think really, the key for a lot of us was forming a good friend group where we could just like do it together. Yeah, like there was not a single bit of like solo work I did in my entire degree, I would say. God not at all. I don't think I remember back. Like
Sláine
I.
Akanksha
I couldn't even tell you a single assignment that I would have done myself like this. DocuSign menswear I probably did like 5% of the assignment myself, which is like a. Scary thing to be?
Sláine
Saying or like.
Akanksha
Yeah sorry yeah and then I'm like will they take? My degree wave someone this.
Sláine
Is likely it was a.
Akanksha
Collaborative effort like there was like 60 of us and I think Steve was ended up going through and like we. All. Kind of joint degree at the end of it I think. That was the only way we got through. It yeah, like well, see all did our exams you know ourselves and things but like all of the like continuous assessment. And like all of the studying and like all of that stuff like it was a group thing and we had. So for people listening we had like labs of like computers and it was like. Three or four. Labs, and like when it came to exactly season, we would just be in those labs for like 12 hours a day like some of them didn't have windows and things and it was like kind of like at the time it was like how really funny like we'd like project like a A window onto the like like white board with the projector and we were like hi this is really funny but when I look back now I'm like Oh my God that's actually really bleak. I don't think I could do that now. No, but like you need. More remember that Christmas we have like a proper fire fire. Fire. Yeah, who's projectors? But yeah, God, those memories. Are actually traumatic now. I think if I see like a. Lab of computers with my Chrome cast. Members I'm just I'm just. Long enough out. There that I can look back and be like haha. You know finally and there was funny but like definitely like a year or two post graduation. I was like oh you actually can't think about that. That's too much, yes? Yes and then. Like you know. So our degree was four years and really the first two years don't really count in terms of our like degree, average and like first year. Particular was like just the crack like we were just getting used to college. Just kind of getting our fees. You know all that stuff. And then in second year I actually moved in with two of the girls in the course in town which was just the best crack ever like low fat and I actually ended up living with them for the whole the whole thing. But really first and second year like in my head right up back on like we were babies like. That we didn't know what was going on. Nothing was very serious like obviously which passwords I'm and that was higher than things Bush. You know, we're. Still only like. 1819 you know, like? It. Really. I don't think it got like serious until like third year when they were like oh like discounts like a significant amount of it was like 40. Percent or something? Yeah something. Pretty yeah. So like suddenly it was like, oh like this counts towards your degree like these are like serious exams. And I think, like my biggest learning in college was well. Worn. Going from being like a big fish in a small pond in school, going to be like the tiniest fish in the massive despond. Like I was really I was like. The best in my math class in school and then I met all these people. This course who were also. The best of their math classes, but their math classes were way bigger. And from like. Way higher standard schools and things than the one I came from. And I was like oh wow like that was a really like humbling and like challenging experience. For me at the start I didn't realize quite how much I'd had that like. Oh yeah, like I'm, I'm just. My list are like you know, like I find my CZ like I'm good at this. I can show other people how to do it and then immediately was just like I haven't a fagius what's going on. So I think that that kicked in a lot. But also I found that like when I try to study like. If I couldn't get it, or like when I just couldn't understand or like, I'd leave it like slightly too late in the like semester, and I'd be like I don't know what's going on anymore like I've missed this like one key like pivotal point where it goes from like OK, I understand it sounds like the first two or three weeks. And then like you make one lecture or like you just not pay attention and you'd miss like and it just suddenly it's like Oh my God this is I enjoy this anymore yeah so and I just found it really hard like I had such. A. Strong resistance studying man 'cause like I don't understand that I can't do it and then I would just like avoid it. I was like it's a terrible. Strategy, because obviously like what I needed was more studying and like more time. But in my head I like. I don't know. Looking back, I'm like what was my thought process, but anyway, so I would just like avoid it and then it would be like the night before the exam or whatever it was and I would be like Oh no like I need to pass this and then like crime, crime, crime, crime and like what do I do? The bare minimum that I need to know here? Yeah. Like I repeated. That pattern all through third year and it was really not good like I see like touching my exams myself but like. Didn't didn't serve me yet as a. Pattern and I think. I think surgery was probably the hardest in my head because it was like quite hard modules. It was like the first year that everything counted and stuff. And also like there wasn't necessarily like the end inside or the excitement of like doing interviews and stuff that came with 4th year. Yeah. And I think like in. 4th through the FI. P. And and things like that just kind of like changed it up a bit from just like modules, exams, modules, exams. So yeah, I think looking back. That surgery was Thursday. It was definitely the struggle and but you know that through this. And. Still happy I didn't know that and but then like 4 here, I love for here because like obviously everyone knew each other really well at that point and we were like talking about what are we gonna do next. Year and it was like very big excitement of like. No. Stress as well. Don't get me wrong like I remember the day when everyone set up their LinkedIn for the first. Time I was. Like connect with me. Text me, endorse me for this and like it's just in hindsight, is so silly. So funny like it's just like. Really.
Sláine
Thinking. Back at
Akanksha
all and.
Sláine
I'm sorry this is just tangent.
Akanksha
But like you'll see where it? Goes in a second but. Most people who's like who will listen to it or.
Sláine
Know me at this age like. I'm. Obsessed Taylor.
Akanksha
Swift to level like I just asked me it's data. Right, but like I said, it's.
Sláine
Been a big week. Right, yeah, exactly.
Akanksha
So I'm like I've been really listening to the new album and stuff and like. There is something she'd like this. Lyric in there somewhere she's just like. How?
Sláine
Can
Akanksha
you go from like knowing everything at 18?
Sláine
Knowing
Akanksha
absolutely nothing exactly I. Love that lyric. I leave you like the last week, it's. Just been like.
Sláine
Simmering in it the whole. Time, and it's exactly.
Akanksha
This right? Like I mean you look. Back and you're like I thought I knew what was happening in my life. I felt like at 17. Like this is going to be the actually advances like even.
Sláine
At like.
Akanksha
21 where I was like LinkedIn, I got it sorted. Everything's going forward and I'm like look back and like I had no idea. Yeah. Went on. But still, they literally were always pretending. That is great reference. I love that. So better swift, likely. I've been. Iconic moments this week, but yes. Yes. Yeah, no so true because like. You don't in that like. Period from like first year to like third or fourth year. When I was looking at like actual careers, I very quickly realized that being actually was not. For me, you know, like we, it's the way that our course was set up. We did kind of actuarial style exams during the course yet like exemptions. From the professional exams. And I hated them. I hate them. All I really. Didn't like them and I found it really difficult and like. I was just. Like Oh no, this is not. This is not going to happen for me. I was like I would rather not, you know 'cause it's kind of like accounting when you come out of college, you still have to do, you know, a certain number of professional exams and you know qualify and all that kind of stuff. It's just like I can't imagine myself. In these exams for the next few. Years I was like it's just. It. It's not me like it would be so forced forced misery on myself, I'm like. You know we have a. Lot of friends that reason are really good at it and love it and are brilliant and have great careers. And I love that to them. But it just was not for me. Yeah, like looking back, there was a really obvious pattern of like the courses or like the modules that I liked were all like very like. Real life thing. So like either way there was like programming which I liked because it was like very logic base and it made sense to me compared to like a lot of the you know like algebra is like abstract algebra, linear algebra like those. The logic in this fear, and I'm like not couldn't make myself. Like yeah. Anything like super abstract or theoretical, just like last me. Yeah, whereas like anything where I could be like. OK, well I understand.
Akanksha
This in real life or like I can understand where this is coming from. That kind of stuff I was like, oh I like this like this is interesting now. Unfortunately there wasn't that much of that, so I was like playing into languages throws. But uhm, yeah, like looking back I should have known like straight away like that. Those were the kind of areas that you know my strengths were in and that I preferred and and then like when we did. Our. Our statistical consulting, which was our our kind of fyp equivalent in final year. I was like, oh this nowadays. Like talking to people, getting the data, actually having a look. Now obviously we didn't get to choose like what data sets we're working on or the clients or anything like that was kind of given to us. But I was like. Bases interesting 'cause this is like real life stuff and I'm using. You know the statistics and the programming and the stuff that I've learned to actually like. Make real life suggestions or give real life insights. And I was like, OK. They're basically something I can get behind, but I didn't know what that was. I was like, OK, statistical consulting, but like look that up on LinkedIn. You find very few job results so. It was actually career. Fairs and things like that, like I was stressed before there was like what am I gonna do because my fear was that I wouldn't find something else so I would have to go down. They actually pass just because. It was like the kind of clearest. Path from the horse. So then I it was. Actually. There was some like like you know. Like the careers fairs like to give out. Free. Stuff when I was kind of. Like when you over and will. You and like a low fat like it's so much random free stuff, but I was also like no. But like I need you to tell me what exactly you do because like this is you know important to my career which is so like obnoxious friends say. But like having gone to those careers fairs now being like, you're all a bunch of babies like just take the free self. But anyway, so it was a century hard, like a like a an event where they did like kind of like a case study. So you were sitting in teams and if they gave you a case study and I think it was about like there's some customer retention problem or something. So anyway like they were throwing around acronyms like didn't know what a CRM was. I didn't know what I need. These things were so like one of the guys on our table had done like an internship. I think with PW C or one of those so he knew some of the acronyms were through like thank God. But anyway, so the whole point is like you came up with a solution and team someone went up to present. You know you had to debate us with. They had an extension like manager in there and and like they also gave us like free drinks and pizzas and stuff so like immediately were like amazing. We love this company but I was really taken. I was like I I like this kind of. Style. Of like you know, solve the problem present back like defend your presentation. That kind of stuff. I. Actually I was gonna say. I've never been shy, but that's. Such a lie? I was actually really, really shy in the trial. Like really, painfully shy until I was about 15 and then I did like transition year, which is like a year in school between the two, like exam cycles where you can like. Basically you depending on your school, you do like fun stuff. You do things like, you know, work experience or you do things like you know public speaking or you know just basically non curriculum. Self that like develops. You, as a human being essentially yeah and. And that was like the greatest thing I ever did that, like totally brought me out of my shell. And, you know, like a lot of people that I've met since. Are like oh. Like you're not sure at all. You know you seem. Very. Personable and open, and I'm like like. A lot of that. At the start was faking it, like when I went to college that first day I was like so like the night before like called my mom crying and was like I'm not gonna have any friends. Everyone's gonna be so weird like I'm, you know this is going to be terrible it. Was like at the. Mastery, everyone's going to be big. Nerds, and she was. Excellent. Relax like if. You were going into it. People like you. Going to be going into it.
Sláine
I swear. To God this. Exact same conversation about time as well.
Akanksha
Yeah, exactly like that in like Oh no this is gonna be terrible. So like that first day I was like I am gonna be so confident I'm gonna make all the friends because like in my head it's like it didn't happen the first day it was never gonna happen which was most such unnecessary pressure to put on myself. But I went in and I was like just pretend just praying that you are super confident no problem and I mean thank God it worked like and people were like oh like chatting away and everyone so nice and not at all weird. So I was like OK I may have misjudged the situation but like.
Sláine
Yeah, I I just.
Akanksha
I think that, like public speaking and not like table itself had been a seed that had been planted like a good few years before, and when I saw the Accenture equivalent or. Like the corporate. Equivalent which is you know like now I'm like taking power points and all that, but like you know I was like oh, this could be something that I could actually be good at. So I was like OK, I was like I was very torn between.
Sláine
Like
Akanksha
starting work and. Taking a year out, just like traveling. Yeah. I was just. Like oh, I really. Don't know what I want to. Do. Like I didn't, I had that whole like I didn't want to be behind everyone. If I like came back here later, but I also was like you know, when am I gonna get this opportunity game?
Sláine
So important to note.
Akanksha
There as well, say because.
Sláine
I remember thinking a bit of that right. But it's mostly because the other end of. This was. Everyone in our year. Was basically going into jobs like as far as we could be and everyone. Around us was like. OK. Great. Got this offer taken this like I'm starting in. September. Every single person out of the.
Akanksha
60 year old people was taking a job and like doing.
Sláine
Anything? Off I'm. Taking a job. In Dublin, but that was just the same. Like doing anything outside of. That norm, like which ended up being mean. I think I'm moving to. Australia, oh Lord. But even just that where it's like. Same job, it's still the same thing. Was terrifying, 'cause it's just different than everyone. Else.
Akanksha
And so we had followed the pattern the same. Like you know, everyone was like Oh well. We'll move in together in Dublin or like I'm starting. The same time like we can go for drinks and blah blah blah. And yeah, no totally agreed that I was like, oh like if I don't do that then I'm gonna be behind. Yeah, and like I'm gonna have a year less experience and like I know like in hindsight that I'm like that makes absolutely no difference. One year is nothing but like when you're you know, coming out of college everything. And then I was like, what if I don't? Get a job because I took her out and. People are like. Why did you do that? With.
Sláine
Like
Akanksha
no one would ask you like people would be interested in, like Oh yeah, exactly but anyway, this was all going on. And my little 21 year old mind being like. God. And I was also like, I don't. Really want to work anywhere except. Adventure which like very big claim at the time I was just like OK one event and they've they've helped me. But anyway so I was like look I'm gonna leave it. Up to face, I'm just gonna apply for Accenture and if they take me amazing I'll start and if they don't I'll just do my years traveling, which in hindsight I'm like Oh my God so baldy like one job at like most people were applying to like at least. Four or five jobs. Like yeah. You know, a lot of people had multiple job offers that they were like choosing between. And I was just like no, I'm just gonna apply for this one. And if it goes well, goes well if it doesn't. I'll come back in here. Yes. So. Long story short anyway, did the interviews for Accenture. They went really. Well. And. They offered me the job. Just before Christmas I was. I'm not gonna lie I was. Kind of like.
Sláine
Damn it.
Akanksha
I was like I do. Want to work for you? But this does mean that I'm not going to get to do my traveling and I was just like, oh I. I would like to go to a mixed bag of like I'm really excited versus like I'm a bit disappointed. So then I was. Like talking to parents and this is like oh like, I'm really excited about six. I think it'll be really enjoyable. But also I'm a bit disappointed. Yeah, like, why don't you ask them if you can like deferred a little bit. So like a lot of the graduate roles in Ireland starting like September, October, November, that's like of the year. So you look, finished college and whatever may and then you starting September sees the summer off and then you start September, October, November. So those are kind of the options. They were like you will start in one of those they couldn't give you like a specific date, but they were like you. Will let you know, kind of early somewhere. And I was like, oh like. That's not really that much time, so I basically, even though it's OK, any chance I could do for a year and they were like no? And then I was like, oh OK, I was like I do translate could differ at all, like a little bit and they were like Oh well like we do have a smaller intake coming in in January. The end of January kind of started February, if that's any. Good to you. Yeah, and I was like, Yep. Perfect, I'll take it, I'll do. It I was like. Better nothing. You know, six months. Is is is. Better than nothing. So. Finish college. And then. I. Was just like OK like where I'm gonna go what I'm gonna do? I have you know three or four months there to play with. I was like I did I say I worked in Shannon Airport as a in like security. Essentially that was my summer job all through college I worked in security and like for context, Shannon Airport is. Like I don't. I don't see a tiny. Airport, but like very small. Airports like yeah. It's it's pretty small, like they take people in during the summer to like add to the security team because the essentially have nothing going on during the winter, like by a few American flights, but it's pretty busy with like holidays and stuff during the summer. So I started that which was like still. Today is my favorite job like it was the best crack like. I'm like I would.
Sláine
Buy I need to find a photo at. 10 today to be. Just came like the guy I like.
Akanksha
Key performance to. You know, I think. People did. Kate O'Mara has a picture where she came through to go on holidays with her family and I was the one like scanning their. Bags and so she was like. Come here and take a picture with me like she does not like the uniform. Is OK. Like it is like boxy white shirts like big combat, steel toe boots, black like utility trousers like it's not. It's not. Look for anyone like God bless me. I did my best but I could not pull that off but like. Such an interesting. Job. Like you. Need. All sorts of people, like all sorts, nationalities, all sorts of like you know, states of human beings coming in like early morning like people just lose all of their executive functioning like it's so so interesting to be on the other side of that experience. You know in the airport, so that was probably my favorite. Like part time jobs I've ever had. But you know, I was working. There. After college to save a bit of money and then I was like OK like I'm going to go somewhere by myself for a couple of months. I'm gonna go where I'm gonna go. And then I was like oh she goes. Except America, you know. Like Southeast Asia, all the classic factory. Kind of spots. And then I was like. I have like. This really draw to India.
Sláine
I was like I don't know.
Akanksha
Why you just like it would be so cool and like so interesting and I was like also like I don't know anyone that is like gone. Backpacking in India? Yeah, which like. Was. In hindsight, totally just like my own like. It's already an Irish. People saying, but like yeah it's a lot. Of British people do it? Yeah, yeah so. Guys like authors of Cologne different I was like. Oh I gotta. Go see me. I'm like at the time like. Everyone I knew. Was some like what like what why and I was like I think I'll be fine yeah so I did that. I went backpacking India and then ended up controlling capital. Best for about 3 1/2 months. Kind of end of 2018 start of 2019. I'd like the best. I'm like I loved every second of it. Thought India was an amazing country like nothing I'd ever seen before. She Lanka was stunning. It was just such social experience and like I'd also never like travel solo before and so that was like a really interesting like time. It was like quite a long time was like the longest time I've ever been like away from my family and things like that. And like I was there for Christmas. And so it was. Weird, like I was literally like at a hospital, like in like on Christmas eating like Curry as like. My Christmas dinner. Yeah, they had like chocolate cake for dessert and I was like calling my family and it was kind of weird. That was like a real man tries like Jesus. I'm like the other side of the world's like it's like cool. Man. But yeah, so that was that was amazing. I came back with like a week to go before I suppose, certified shirt. Not a cent to my name like Oh my God like I left all of my money over there and. Came back and I was like right like I have a week to like find somewhere close. And. Move to Dublin. And again she had okayed on my always hook me up, but she. She. Had started work in Accenture as well, but the September group so she's been there a couple of months as she settled and she knew people and things and she was like, oh there's one of the girls I know. Looking for housemates are grazing won't help you. The House strategy girls got the house and then started work like a week later and have. Yeah, I was like I mean it was like such a contrast from like really backpacking around like with one pair of shoes to like being in like a corporate office. And like you know, talking to clients and like set up meetings and all that stuff which was so do to me and like so. Strange at the service I was. Like like, even like I'd ask like how do I set up a meeting like how do I like such silly questions like you know how do I work? Skype like all these things so yeah, that was kind of my my entry into I suppose what I would call my. Career I had. Lots of little little silly jobs before, well, I will say silly like a lot of really like fun, you know little waitress sing. Things. Like the airport was a good one, but I suppose that was kind of the start of my life. What I would consider my actual. Career and like. You know my. Actual fields which was. Analytics to certain analytics consultant. Yeah or data analyst in Accenture? Which. Was very much sold as a. You know, I kind of an intro to data science and like the opportunity to work on data related projects. And you know Petro different fields, which is exactly what I want to 'cause like. I know I let into the space sounds really interesting and like it sounds like something I would like, but I had no idea like what the different you know. I didn't even know what the difference between like data engineering and data science versus. Like all of these. Things I was just like totally blind going in so I was like I want to try as many things so I can like quickly like be like I like this. I don't like this. From which to be fair eccentric dose facilitator, I think that's why a lot of people go into consulting. Is that like variety at the start allows you to like? You know, try things and see whether it's a it's a fit or not. But yeah, so I started off on the defraud team which the global protein which was not really by choice. But it was really interesting. So basically I think. In the interview. They asked you whether you were willing to travel or not. Yeah, and I said yes and that decides whether you're under local scene, where the the global team. But I also never got to actually travel anywhere for work, so it didn't really ever come come into play. But I know there was a lot of people that did like, you know, weekly, you know. Commit slowed him. Or you know the Netherlands or different places. And I was very open to that, so I was like, yeah, I'd say that I'm OK with that and. And see if I get to go anywhere. And, you know, in hindsight, I'm actually glad that I didn't 'cause. I I love. What I call like an after school activity. So like I'm big like sports girl so like when I moved up my Serpentine accessory basketball like I was already big multiplayer and like literally every single night of the week. We have some like after school activity. On and I was. Like I could do none of this. If I was in a hotel until all week, so in hindsight is probably. Probably got doesn't go anywhere too much, but. Yes, I started on that and my first project was today like one of the most fun projects I've ever been on. It was a UM. Expense and fraud non compliance project. So basically like you know auditing or like looking for fraud or like non compliance. So we say like noncompliance. It's kind of like unintentional fraud and then forwarded like intentional. Fraud in this problem. Yeah, fraud is like, you know, malicious in expenses. OK, so Yep, employee submitted expenses or timesheets and things like that. So this had been kind of a really long running project, so really. By the time I got to it, it was like very much built. Up and it. Was like ready to go so why we ended up doing was just like little changes, updates, tweaks. It was kind of a. It was like a regional model so it was different rules so it was for global company and there's like different rules, different parts. Of the world. And and like different like thresholds, rules and things like that. And it was basically like a glorified ruled engine. So you know if they have 50 and expenses over 100. Dollars or whatever. Then you know, flag them as potentially fraudulent, right? Nothing. That's probably one of the more straightforward ones, but nothing crazy. And then there was a little like machine learning like a random forest on top of that. Yeah, try and like reduce false positives 'cause we were sending this list to. Auditors would have to actually go through it. So if we just let them like you know you presented the expenses, they'd be like no so. But that was like such an interesting like introduction to like. Just like how a project works. So we had like so many stakeholders we had like so we were the analytics in those three of us. And there was like the business stakeholders. In the US. Who like you know everything about like fraud and like non compliance but nothing like any technical stuff we had the auditors which were in South America we had like. The. Like Dad, Engineering team was in like Southeast Asia, somewhere like it was such a global project like that. It would be like very strict like Slas. Unlike the time zones because if it didn't get to like you know if it didn't like get through all the stages by you know this time like you wouldn't get it for like the weekend or like a full 24 hours or whatever. So that was a really good. First project and I also just love my team like it was just so fun. You know, like it was a really good way to meet people and I was in the office and I got to meet those people and and do that. And I did that for part about 8 months. Before I was kinda like, OK, you know. This is this is. Good, but I think I've kind of like reached like the point where I can actually learn anything from this anymore. And that was all based in or which we've done in college. So I was like pretty comfortable with like the like language and the technology that was being used, which was nice. And then I was like, oh, I'm kind of up for a little bit of a challenge. Now when you communicate those things consulting, it doesn't always happen. You know they're like, yeah. Yeah, tell us tell us. What like doesn't mean it's gonna happen, so I I kind of I said these things with like. You know very much thinking. OK, this you know isn't going to happen anytime soon, but then actually a couple of weeks later, one of the the managers came over and was like how would you feel about moving project? And I was like Oh yeah, grace like to wash, you know what's going on? And so they told me about this other project as they got amazing. Let's go let's do it. And then like three days later I was on the new project which like the speed of roll on and roll off in consulting, just never ceases to amaze. Me. I'm like I got like no handover. For the new project I did a very quick handover from my old project to whoever was coming onto it and it was just like drop you in and it's just like right, you're the expert now. Yeah, and it's. Fully like you're in front of clients and they're like they expect you to be like an expert and that is not the case. Like I was. Like that like. This next part is in SQL, which I've never done any coding in SQL now. Thank God it was.
Akanksha
Like hard to pick up the basics Bush like fully on my first day I was like Googling like how do I select star from like I had no idea like they had told the clients that I was a SQL expert.
Sláine
Jesus is.
Akanksha
The funniest thing I think like I think so when I.
Sláine
Started. And I mean. It's really funny, 'cause I thought it was the exact.
Akanksha
Same thing right? I mean I started as a data science grad and they cut him knew they were like they knew I was coming in very like. Crashing like not knowing. Anything right, but first couple days I like I remember.
Sláine
Consult. All this. Likely. Consultants like.
Akanksha
Please. Pull me up.
Sláine
We were just.
Akanksha
Chatting in something like SQL like you know SQL right? I was like.
Sláine
What like is this? English.
Akanksha
Like what are we saying here? I don't even know what you're talking.
Sláine
To me about like letters. Words.
Akanksha
Like well, yeah, I think I don't recognize that. Word.
Sláine
Never heard this. Before and I. Think. Jill.
Akanksha
O'Sullivan like she's been on the podcast.
Sláine
Before, it's like. She. Had just earned her masters.
Akanksha
And had just started doing a module on SQL. And she left he. Sent me all. Her whole course oats and I literally.
Sláine
No joke for a week at work.
Akanksha
Sat there 'cause it's like. On the banks of learning anyway, and I just learned.
Sláine
People using like. ECT Matters knows 'cause she's got.
Akanksha
Those on from amazing I'm. Sure they were way higher quality than the. Stuff they were.
Sláine
Bright
Akanksha
really. Good like. But it it really is amazing. How about a how quickly you can just pick it up and like you just get to it, you're. Like OK, I'm here. I gotta get on with it. Move along because.
Sláine
She's like the. Expectation to do. That, and therefore it's so bizarre, I think.
Akanksha
And I I don't. Know any other like industry or career where you're just like expected to know everything from this earth? Without them, I'd like to hear you. Anything? And it's like crazy. It's. So like you really have to be quite like adaptable and like you know, kind of easy going. I think to thrive in that environment like. I I definitely felt it like at times as like Jesus and like I'm I'm fairly relaxed as people go like I, I couldn't imagine if you were someone who was like very like super like holy, stronger, organized or someone that wants it to like know everything. Yeah like you just would not be able to do it but yeah, so I was the sequel, experts in that project and so thank God like I was absolutely a baptism of fire like just learned it all like the first, the first week or two and they didn't have anything super advanced going on at the time. So like thank God it picked it up pretty easy. But it was just like. A massive codebase they had like you know like thousands and thousands of like lines of scripts and stuff. And I like the way singles gold 'cause it's like very. Logical if it's like easy to read. But like to go into like the queries and stuff like you have to like break it down. It's like little parts and there was so many like subqueries and middle parts and I was just like I don't even know where to begin with this. But and also the like. Leaves like data architect who would have been brilliant in like giving me the onboarding, went out sick for three. Weeks. On my first. 3. Weeks just like unexpectedly, so I'm sure was like sorry like. First of all, there's so much to teach you, and second of all, you need to actually take off his workload. And he's like.
Sláine
This is.
Akanksha
Crazy. Like those first three weeks of my second project were like just. In time be. Like I had. So like it was, they were pushing a project, but like pilot life to thank God it wasn't like too big, but it was a pilot and like I had no clue what's going on. And thanks for breaking and people were like what's going on now. Play those first three weeks. Very intense, but after awhile like he came back and like I kind of had gotten to grips with it at that point. And thank God that whole period of my life was over, but anyway, so I did that for like a year and a half and it was basically just like the little was like functional data analyst and what that basically meant was Jack of all trades, master of none. So like yeah I touched so many different bits of like data engineering. You know like just pure like data analyst stuff. You know a lot of a lot of sequels. Python And some like automation bits. And, uhm, a tiny, tiny little bit of data science, like right at the end we built like a very basic model. UM, but like at that point when I knew the distinction between like engineering, data science, and, you know, like the different like sub categories. I was like. I. I in my head. As I really wanna be data science, if you wanna do that. So it's like I really, I just thought that like modeling was so cool because I never done it and I was like it's such a buzzword and everyone thinks it's cool. So I was like talking to my like career like mentor that you get an adventure and I was like I really wanted like actually do some modeling like I think it would be really fun. And then he was like OK, you know let's let's try and get you a modeling project next. So I did about. A year and a half on that second time. Absolutely loved it. It was really small. Team was essentially just me and the manager. Come and like we were really close, had really good like productive things like I saw a project through from like inception all the way through to go live which was really nice to see that like full project lifecycle. And also I've never done like secret Python before. It felt quite comfortable in them after yeah so that was a really good one particular for this easy I think about like really bulked out my TV like quite lost that's like thank you for that and and then I was like right once I get into this modeling like I am said data science here I come amazing. And so I. Moved on to a new project, it was. Again, a fraud. Project, but it was kind of like. Basically, they hadn't existing for autistic and they were like right. We need to a optimization be officially replaces if we can come up with something better. And again it was like kind of my first project and that it was like what they had was like a really basic rules based engine and they were just like flagging literally everything. So it was insurance claim. Excuse me was insurance claims. So they were just sliding like what they thought were potentially fraudulent claims, and they're just packing everything like I'm talking like 70% of the claims that came in were five, and that like you'd expect there to be like maybe 3 to 5% fraud. Yeah, like that was just way, way too much and like the audit team just couldn't get even hear most them. So they were like, OK, like we need help, but it was only like it supposed to be. 12 week proof of concept, kind of exercise. And so it was very UK based times and we didn't get laptops. For five weeks. So we couldn't access any of the sensitive data because we didn't have time laptops, but we didn't get fined laptops for five weeks and like. They knew we were coming. Like this was a long. Running thing like it was not news and like I was just like this is the most like large consulting organization thing I've ever seen. Like just yeah, so much bureaucracy. There was so much like things need to sign off with just send things and like there was so much red tape and we're just like this is a nightmare like we're halfway through our project essentially and we have apart from like one very very basic deck. We have nothing. Like if this isn't even a big corporate thing like I have never been on a project so. Far that it has. Taken less than two weeks to get.
Sláine
Access.
Akanksha
To yeah like the quickest I've ever had access to like. Two weeks. And. There's. Another like four week PLC is like you just it's like halfway.
Sláine
Down there like. OK. I'm here.
Akanksha
And I understand. That, like a lot of it, is like about access control. And you know. That kind of stuff I understand. I think that's really important part of like data. Controls and things, but like a lot of the time I think it's just like red tape and like nobody wants to take responsibility for us and it's just gets kind of like people forget that you need left anyway. So we got our last five weeks in and we had kind of an idea of how the project was going to go, so we'd like 2. Separate streams and. Optimate optimization, and like a generation team where one was trying to fix the current rule set and the other one is trying to essentially create new rules or a model, Yep. And. So we had like a checklist. Of like we think. This is and this is going to help and we got through HFS and like nothing was helping and we were like Oh no like this is not good like we're like nine weeks in now and we have essentially nothing. So we had to like pivot the whole project for the last three weeks. And essentially there's been like a complete miscommunication on like what actually were the factors leading to fight fraud. So we thought it was like, you know the rules said you know this rule. This rule district will test this one. This one. This was fraudulent. We're like perfect like relationship. Hazmat, those turns out the rules were just not predictors of fraud at all. They were just terrible and the. Real. The relationship was that they all the team in the middle was really good at prioritizing which claims they thought were fraudulent and their conversion. Rate was like. Really, really good. So it was actually their relationship to the fraud outcome was like really important. Yeah. But like that didn't get communicated to us until the end of the project, because like we. Like it's so interesting. When you're like trying to talk to stakeholders and get information from them. Unless. You ask? Sometimes. Really. Specific questions there are things that just never come up. And I I don't know whether it's. People just assuming that you know it, 'cause it's such a basic thing to them or they just don't even think about it and like we had. I can remember the session that was me and my manager and we were like asking questions about this and then they started talking about like the other team and. Things. And we were like we knew they existed and so we didn't realize they had like I'm like a a prioritization like process for like how they prioritize things. And we were like. This would have been so helpful. For refill and they were like. We're like. Yeah. But anyway, so the end of that project ended up being like an absolute race to the finish line. I finally got to do some modeling, but it was under like such pressure that I was like, Oh my God, I actually hate this, so I had done. I don't seem like a nice ones and I I like. Building like the first like. Two or three. Iterations of a model, but after that when you're like trying to like to nation like improve accuracy and things, I thought I was like oh I'm just bored of it now like I don't like the little like tiny percentage like increases I'm like oh I actually don't. About these things or like. Adding new features and stuff I'm like I'm over.
Sláine
Is this is just make it feel like it's like? Being back in and. Act like. That actuarial part the boring part of the actuaries.
Akanksha
Job that I think This is why.
Sláine
I don't want to be accurate. It's very low level.
Akanksha
Dealer, yeah, actually that's a really good comparison. I never thought about that. But yeah, I was like. Oh, this is what it is. I was like. This is the board. This is what people. Mean I was like this is not that fun. So then I was like, oh. I can stop like chasing data sciences. It's like be all and end all like magical thing. I was like I still. Think it's really. Cool. And like I'm happy to build like you know, like rough and writing levels himself. But like that really. Like intense like iterating through like multiple different like you know, like modeling techniques and then like shooting models and stuff. I was just like Oh no, that's not for me. Now I I'm I'm OK and the end of that project my entire team left like my manager left the company and then the other three analysts. Well, one of the other consultants until the analysts were basically put onto other projects 'cause it over and. Slightly, yeah, so it's just left. With like, all of the final deliverables being like OK. Like all this stuff like hand over and like refining and things. And then there was like one tiny piece of analysis that they were like oh we can really get to this. Can you do this on their own and like presented and things? And I was just like I have. Known. Like they've done a little bit of it. And I was like I. Didn't do any of. This and I was like trying to like add on to other people's work and stuff and I was like this is this is doctor guys goods. But anyway we did it and we delivered it and whatever and we haven't heard any major complaints in the client like we didn't all this. Which. Is a terrible time to deliver any work. Nobody is there like the entire client was on our list and it was just. And even like. Our own managers and stuff. And like our experts that we were supposed to call later, finish help while on holidays. So I just sit there like literally like I don't. Even know if this is. Right or not, I was just like I'm just doing my best and I'm gonna deliver it and then like goodbye. And if they walk away at this point, yeah, and at this point I'd kind of decided that I wanted to move on from Accenture. So I've been there like 2 1/2 years. Yeah, slightly over that. And I was kind of like OK like itchy feet. I'm getting a little bit bored of the like sure project. Like I I felt like I wasn't getting like into anything and like seeing it through. Yes, so I think actually was like proof of concepts when they're like short. Since you like go in and you like deliver something. Or like observer model or whatever it is and then you just go away and you never see if they even use it or like what happens to it I like. I. I'm not gonna lie, I feel like a lot of them are just like left inside and like never looked at again. And it's like really like you're like. Odd, poor, poor like followed by tears into that and like. What is the point? I was like I feel like I'm not actually getting involved in anything and also like I found putting on my my last. I'd like Oscars is them mentality of the like client versus the consultants. Like sometimes the client just actually like someone at the top is like, yeah, we're gonna get consultants in but like the actual people that you're working with on the ground are like I don't want you here or like. Why are you telling me how to do my job and it can be like a hard relationship to navigate? Yeah. And I was like I, I think I'd rather be like involved in a team where like everyone is working towards like a common goal and I actually get to see something out, you know. End to end. I didn't see it in practice and being. Used or whatever. So I was kind of like I've been like keep an eye and like did you know as everyone does just to make sure you know there's nothing amazing out there. But at that point I kind of actively started. I was like, OK, I'm gonna like apply for a few things and and see what happens. And at that point I was very as well open to like I didn't have a specific industry in mind. I didn't have, you know, like necessarily like that strong like I was like I want to kind of more like Dad analyst type stuff. So like a little bit of like you know. A little bit of that engineering, a little bit of data science, but like make it made me like insights and like actual like kind of affecting like business outcomes and stuff. So I was like, OK, that's my kind of sphere that I'm looking in and also. I would say. 80% to my team and Accenture is also like analytics like team across all the levels had left from. Like during COVID at some point like it was just, it was like the mass exodus. I've never seen anything like it. It was insane like we started. To the way it's the. Essential works is there is like level, so he started analysts and then you got consultants and manager and all the way up through direct managing director. But between the like analyst and consultant level. So like people our age are slightly older we would have had maybe about 41 people at the start of kovid and afterwards it was I think. Seven people left. By the time I. Left which was just likely. Insane like a tracer in consulting is I kind of expected like the higher lot in its bottom and like, yeah, filters out as you move up with like that was like ridiculously levels like unheard of. UM, and I think it was a combination of, you know. I think a lot of consulting companies. They really bring people in by. Like you know the social events. And you know. We do a lot of you know, meeting people and chatting and they bring like social people A and then you know the events already fallen. It's all like free things and all that. And when you take all those away or just left with the work, I think a lot of people were like. So that's not that fun. And also like the fact that like you know, there was such a. You know lack of people you know in Dublin for tech companies to hire because they couldn't get anyone external 'cause the lockdowns and you know we couldn't travel anywhere. So such a. War on, like everyone was hiring and like they just wasn't enough people to fill the roles. So like people could be really picky and like, you know, negotiate really good like offers and things. So a lot of people, a lot of people jump ship at that point and I was just like look, I don't want to be the last one left. You know holding the bag as it was so. I was like, maybe I'll. Have a look. And I did and I applied to a few different things. At the start I was like I'm gonna reply to load things because like I I want a new job and then I was like this doesn't seem like a brilliant strategy because then I was like getting loads of like replies or sometimes I go. I don't actually want that and think. So I was like OK, let's see lots of other end.
Sláine
Of.
Akanksha
Oh my God.
Sláine
This is nearly.
Akanksha
Two months like how do I keep on?
Sláine
Top of all of this.
Akanksha
Exactly. And I was. Still working a. Job.
Sláine
Yeah.
Akanksha
I was like I. Don't. Necessarily want to be doing the interviews? Like you know, every day the week. Or anything, so I was like, OK, let's be like a little selective here. Like, really. Funny that you hug you, went from how you're like.
Sláine
I'm. Just gonna apply to. Exaggerate if it works. If it don't work. And.
Akanksha
Then you like to. Fire everybody exactly like three years later, like complete like changes, changes approach. But yeah, so I was like, OK, let's actually narrow this down because this is and also like I was getting like projections and stuff and they were hurting my ego. So I was like right? That's actually you know. Now the sound of it and I had. It was actually a recruiter. Called me and was like oh I have some some jobs here. If you wanna have a look at them and and he sent me over a couple of job descriptions I was. Like, oh like don't. Love this, don't like? This and then there was one and I was. Like oh, that actually sounds really interesting it. Was kind of a startup. Company. And. It was it's very. Likely time this role, and I think that sounds really interesting, but like I don't know if I'm qualified yeah, and then so I'd like to see him and I was like, oh like I think it's really interesting and like my skill set aligns quite well, but like I'm not sure that if I seen this on like LinkedIn that I would have necessarily thought I was qualified and he was like. Yeah, no that's still fair but he was like they are actually specified two to four years experience and I was like I have three years experience. So then I was like OK, sure yeah, go on like put me forward for that. Yeah. So I apply for that and. That was too thick, which is my current job. So spoiler I did actually get the job after you know, many interview rounds and you know those like take home tests and all that stuff. Which, yeah. Companies love to do. And. So like I got that job. And. I so basically my role at the moment is they don't have a data team or like even a data person, so they were like OK like we need. So like everyone in the company 'cause it's so small, it's like 20. 525 less right? And essentially the the industry is teledentistry. Which I had. Never heard about like at all like I have no idea what it was and I was a thing and also like challenge the guys about it and as I got this actually makes a lot of sense. It's really interesting, you know, like we have a lot of like Tele health stuff you know with like the online nurses and things like that it makes sense. So like you could do that in strainer, similar fashion and and it just wasn't really a thing and it's just way I think the industry itself is like way more in its infancy then then like Tele health is. Come and they were basically like look kind of start off there like everyone is touched that at some point but we don't have like a dedicated resource to it and like we just don't have time essentially and we know that we're actually finally correcting a loss. And we're not. Doing anything with this and they were like we really want to, you know, use it to make business decisions. And I was like great. This is music to my ears. This sounds like exactly the type of role that I want to be in. You know, I was like I see myself as kind of like a data generalist and like go to like you know, like Compton.
Akanksha
The cross all the different like data sphere is not necessarily super like expert or needs many of them. And I was like I, I like the idea of like a small team and I start up environment and I was. Also. Just a really. Cool industry, I was like I don't know anyone else that works in Camden St. I've learned so much about like the dental value chain like like value based care which is a thing. So it's based in EU S market and this value based care thing I'd never heard about but it's a huge thing in in in the states with some doctors. So basically it's changed kind of the onus. From doctors on like OK if you perform like XYZ, you know procedures or prescriptions or whatever you do you get paid for those two you get paid based on the health outcome of the patient. So you get a certain amount of money every month that you just have to keep that patient healthy so you know if there's nothing wrong with them and like you do a really good job like you're just getting money for for very little essentially. And it's like to change the focus from, like we're charging per procedure to wear getting paid to have good outcomes for the patients. Yeah, and and this is like this is first of all, it's something I had no idea about. Like a month ago. So like you know, I'm by no means an expert, but it was something that has been like ongoing in the state for like quite a while. It's been like really effective, I think because they're like insurance model is quite different to like. Yeah, we do it in Europe. Or you know Australia? For example, it's it's very unique to to what they do. It works really well until kind of toothpicks. Idea is why can't we do that in dental? So why can't we be part of that like value chain in getting the focus not from like OK, the dentist is going to do like a filling and extraction and you know whatever that clean and we're just going to charge for them to actually getting. Like this is the best outcome for the patient. Yeah, and it was actually. It was the CEO when I met him he was. Like look all. In theory, all dental problems are preventable, so like you know, there's a small group of people who have no problems at all, like perfectly. There's a small group of people who have so many problems and really not good teeth. So in theory we can get an example in the middle of that has like the occasional selling or whatever, and so like in theory you know we can get everyone to that like no problem stage with the rice like preventative Care now obviously like there's people that are, you know already moved along that journey of it's it's too far gone yet I pull them back. But like in an ideal world, there is no dental problems because like if you brush, we've lost. You know all those things. If you can take care of your oral hygiene, like really, there's you know they're preventable. A lot of them, and it's like. Also like really interesting link between like you know like chronic illness and like dentistry and like. Who? People are pregnant or more likely to have like dental issues and all this stuff that I just had no idea about and what's really funny is my dad really wanted me to be a dentist so when I was in transition. Year I did a week. 's work experience in my dentist because he wanted free dental care 'cause he's always had issues with his teeth. So you know it's coming from like. A selfish place of love. And I I did a. Week for experience in the dentist and I was like. If I ever see a feeling again, it's too. Soon you know, like I was just like. This is not for me. Like it's. Too. Repetitive like I know. I love my dentist, but I was like here. I can't do this. And now I was like Dad, this is the closest I could get to dentistry while still. Being an analytics so. He was like, yeah, I do. I get free dental eyes like no you don't. Yeah, so I'm. I'm only, you know. I think this is my fifth full week, so it's been kind of like a a real like information overload so far of like getting up to speed with like you know, first of all the gentle American general has the American dental market works. How insurance works in these states? You know what kind of data we? Collect. How we use it. All those different kind of things, so it's been. It's been absolute fire hose, but it's been so fun so far and it's. Just I just find it so interesting. And like I mostly. When I was working in centralized overall projects like frogs. In theory, sounds cool and sexy. You know, it's like I'm like, oh fraud like that's you know interesting but Oh my God. The reality is so not like not like that like it's fun to hear about for like 5 minutes. But then when you have to actually like you know do it everyday and get there for like a really fine details. I now maybe that's just me like but I just I couldn't. I think. It's so. Interesting I think. People don't. Realize. That kind of.
Sláine
Reality.
Akanksha
Of data consulting in general because I mean like I've worked on projects for sure. Like I mean about ICU data, especially around the kovid stuff like I build out dashboard and like predictive stuff around that like Pekovic like during the time of it and I remember like a contextual is like Oh my God this is so cool I'm like this makes a difference to something it helps. But then the other end of it is like.
Sláine
When you asked you doing. You're staring at numbers every single day. Yeah.
Akanksha
And. Like the it's like. From the consulting POV, you're coming.
Sláine
In for.
Akanksha
Two mountains having to like frantically get in touch with like OK. What the hell is? Even number where dozens of related like actual understand.
Sláine
Sounds really cool forever.
Akanksha
Now, but I'm like. I I'm in this like jumbo of. Where is that? I don't get it. And. Then like. Literally months later is a completely.
Sláine
Different scenario you're trying to figure that out and it's. Just. You're. Constantly.
Akanksha
Like struggling to stay alive in the dating. Water, yeah. Basically, but like it says great I guess.
Sláine
But in there.
Akanksha
And you're like. Oh my God.
Sláine
What am I doing?
Akanksha
That's. It when you were like. Presenting your final insights, whatever happens. Like, oh, that's so. Cool like you know, amazing whatever but. It's all the stuff behind the. Scenes that you don't. See. And I think. That's like the big like issue with like any like data career. At the moment. Is like it's so old it's like this really like cool sexy like topical thing but people don't really know what's actually happening like you know like data cleaning nightmare like joining all your data sources, nightmare. All of these things are like really. Like on glamorous, I'm like difficult stuff that has to happen in order for you to like. Do the cool stuff on top of it and like you know people like machine learning or. Whatever.
Sláine
He presented the job. Like it's listening, so that's. Not.
Akanksha
Exactly and yeah, I think that's like a big misconception. Is like everyone thinks like oh, Dad is so cool and I do. I still think it is really cool and I I do enjoy it. Yeah, but I think a lot of people will be feel how I felt when I went to college for us and be like I've been misled like this is not what I thought it was. So like I was. Involved in the recruitment team for Accenture and then we would go out to colleges and stuff and you know, chatter students about what we're doing. And I always. Found it so hard to like. Hold the line between being like like very honest with them about like OK look, this is what you have to expect without like necessarily putting all of my personal like biases and opinions on them. But also like being like OK but like this is actually what we do because a lot of them particularly, I think like Masters students would be like OK like I really want to do that and I really wanna do data science and I'd like look. You might not get a. Data science project and essentially for a long time like there is so many other parts of data that we touch on and we cover and honestly like with with no experience. We come in the first day. They're not going to give you the cool like machine learning projects or anything because there's people who have, you know, a experience in those. Or B have. Done their time and all the kind of donkey work and are in line for those as well. So I think yeah, that kind of like making sure that people's expectations are reasonable was a big part. And then like other people would just get up yet so far. You get free drinks and stuff and events like this is true. But like you also. Have to work. From like 9 to 5 as well, you know. So yeah, I think I don't know if I was the ideal their ideal recruitment person. I probably wasn't, you know. I mean, I would say you would be nice for. The other. End right, like? Maybe that's the best way center, but like definitely for the people actually come in. It's like that is just so important. I think I've definitely been in LA. Yeah, scenario or like.
Sláine
This. Is not what I was.
Akanksha
Told that I would be. Doing and I I'm gone. I hit this. Yeah, and some people are really go to that. Some people are like yes, just roll with it. No problem whatever and I'm like it's got to you amazing. You're gonna love consulting. It's like. Also, change lots of like starting from square one. You know just when you think you know everything, then you're like on two different projects where you know nothing and it's lots like learning all the time which really suits some people. And I quite liked. But I also felt like I had a kind of a short life shelf life on that I was like, OK, I've. I've kind of feel like I've dipped my toe in like a lot of different ponds here and like this is the pond that I really wanted to actually like dive into. Yeah, so yeah that was that was. I suppose the reason for the career change. And I mean I don't know if I can. Be fully like critical, you know four weeks in and still very much honeymoon phase of the new job, so it's all. It's all green flag so far. But I mean the people I'm working with are great and everything, so I've no nothing bad to say about any of them and I just I. Think it's a really. Interesting, interesting industry and also like pre COVID. A lot of the work that you think would be doing is I couldn't Vincent people that this was a thing they needed or like convincing people of the value of the product and now everyone's like I get 100%. Everyone is on the same page and it's like. One of the few I think businesses that code would actually really accelerated there. They're like mainstream market like awareness because everyone was like yeah, of course you need a virtual dentist that makes perfect sense because you know when we were locked out and we can't go anywhere like I still need to see the dentist. Even if I can go. Somewhere I would be quite OK with seeing eventually. And like I don't have. Yeah, exactly exactly convenience. Yeah yeah it's amazing. It's yeah it does. I think it's it's. There's a lot, a lot going for it and I think like particularly like people. Our agent and younger will, like we really value, like not having to talk to people and like just getting stuff done like quickly there like I hate like calling people and like on the phone and things so like the idea of like just getting all this stuff done. Virtually like so appeals to me.
Sláine
Yeah, I don't think I mean.
Akanksha
It's it's actually the biggest coincidence that just ended up happening, but. Like last week, like the last. Episode that we've done. It would have been Doctor Panda who is a dentist like she's. A fully glad. Qualified dentist owns multiple practices and then has become. Like gun and started her own AI firm around dentistry and making dental care accessible and same kind of permits around.
Sláine
Then they're like.
Akanksha
No one thinks.
Sláine
About this so. Unless you like. The last one just sat there and I.
Akanksha
Listed there for like 45 minutes and I'm glad that you're talking about things I've never thought about him alive. Yeah, I don't know how to process this. It's so interesting. And now I'm sure her career is like much. More interesting and and and longer than mine, but like. It is it's, you know, like two security. Because one of the founders does the. Dentist, you know, like it's it's. People in this industry? I think that's. One of the most exciting things for me, being someone who works in data is like it just goes completely cross industry like I never thought that I would be working in analytics in, you know anything related to dentistry like 100% never, never even imagined this. But like it just. Goes across all of the industries or like everyone now expecting that everyone needs. To use it. So it's like, really. An exciting time to be someone that like can help facilitate that journey for businesses. Yeah. Because it just gives you so many. Options so like. Now if in you know a few years, I'm like OK, I'm over. The data is the dental thing you know I wanna try something else. You know, like all of the skills that have picked up and stuff, it's all super transferable. So yeah, it's it's like, honestly, the main thing really. I think to say, is that I managed to avoid the actual exams, which has been the, you know, the greatest fees of their whole life. I think, yeah, 100.
Sláine
Percent like I mean.
Akanksha
They will transfer we chat into.
Sláine
Some of them and. Deeply and I guess for me now thank. God, the thought of studying.
Akanksha
Right now. Love that imagine. Nothing right? It's like Oh my God I'm enjoying. Us
Sláine
bye bye. But no, oh.
Akanksha
This. Is so cool I think. Like it's actually super hard like I want to go back and just. Like everyone from college just to hear their experiences over. Yeah, I think. It's it's a really good idea that, like I said, because like like what their experience coming into the degree and stuff like how to basic more even. Stronger press 1. Point, but I think it's such a cool pathway of like.
Sláine
It's dark in the same. Thing, and I think still Mad Men DSS.
Akanksha
People who are doing arteries. But even there possible like completely. Different within that two and it's just such an.
Sláine
Interesting way that we've.
Akanksha
All ended up in real places, dentistry. And also like where we were only graduated well like 3-3 years. So it's so interesting to see how different our path or after three years like you should do like a catch up with a reunion episode in like 10 years and see where people are doing like that would be so cool to see. Like 'cause like obviously you know we're we're very different now like after taste. Yeah, yeah no, that would be a good thing.
Sláine
We should do. Like a round.
Akanksha
Table. Yeah.
Sláine
Big round table that was.
Akanksha
So fun to hear, oh. My God I. Have volunteered to come to Australia. To do it. Yeah, Oh my God. Yeah. For context, I've been trying to get. Like my joke at the start. Was like I don't need to make friends out.
Sláine
Just migrate all my friends 'cause it's.
Akanksha
The Irish in Australia like. Of course, yeah, yeah, it's natural. Face.
Sláine
And then COVID happened and. It's. Quite.
Akanksha
Disappointing that like not a single one of my. Friends have actually made it as Australia yet. But again, hope stand. But to be honest, I'm not sure that's I'm not sure that's necessarily. Their fault or like for exactly lack of water? Yeah, I'm sure enough in like a couple of years will be here doing roundtables. I like the idea of this, but. No ma'am. Thank you so much for spending your morning with me. I very much appreciate. The shots and I think. Not at all. I love this any anytime. I love chat and all things career and about myself and all that, it was great to catch up so. Exactly, no, this is perfect like we'll wrap. It up there if it's day.
Sláine
I'm sure there's going to be so much. More to come. I mean we are going to be. Having I've been joking.
Akanksha
About this, but like there's gonna have to. Be like a past.
Sláine
Continued kind of conversations.
Akanksha
For like almost every
Sláine
episode 'cause like even already.
Akanksha
Like some of the past ones, I think he was sharing one. Earlier I was like. Continued. There's another movie. But yeah, we will be hearing from you again 'cause it's gonna be so much more. It'll be so. Interesting to see what the.
Sláine
Next
Akanksha
industry will be after them destroyed.
Sláine
But
Akanksha
until then, take care of yourselves and see again in two weeks with another episode.
Sláine
Bye.
