As part of my university degree, I decided to do an industrial placement year to help gain skills and experience within the data analytics industry. Throughout my internship thus far, I’ve been exposed to many different areas within data and analytics, and this is something which I love about my role; every day is different.
So, let me tell you more about my internship so far…
About my role and the team
I work in a team that has five members; this includes two Junior Analysts, a Commercial Analyst, a Senior Analyst, and a Consultant. The Consultant manages the team and our workload. We collaborate with one another on a daily basis, often starting the day with a morning catch-up meeting to talk through our current priorities.
Alongside this, I have a separate bi-weekly meeting with my manager which gives me the opportunity to voice any concerns about work or social life. Our projects have varying time constraints, so active communication is very important when working on the group projects, and asking for help is essential with any individual work. Everyone on my team is a delight to be around, so asking for help is easy.
As a member of the Microsoft account team, one of our daily tasks involves providing assistance to Microsoft Account Managers who approach us with various queries. These inquiries often revolve around resolving data submission issues, troubleshooting data systems, or addressing any other Microsoft data-related challenges.
In addition to supporting Microsoft Account Managers with their queries, our team also oversees multiple processes. Within my role, I have specific individual tasks that encompass aspects such as:
- Ongoing management of George the Chatbot – this is a bespoke AI solution that was created by my team to give Microsoft Account Managers quick answers to common questions. It has helped to create efficiencies, such as streamlining the email process so queries are directed to the Ipsos Jarmany team inbox. As part of my role, I ensure that George contains up-to-date information, as well as offering suggestions for improvement. If these optimisation suggestions are approved, I use Microsoft’s automation software, Power Automate, to add the new topics to George.
- Identifying and resolving data discrepancies – Another task that is specific to my role is comparing rebate units from two data systems that store third-party sales data. This is a monthly task, and involves me identifying discrepancies, investigating why there are discrepancies, and then aiding the rebate team on how to resolve these discrepancies. This is important as the data relates to the number of units sold via third parties, and therefore indicates how much incentive each partner gets paid for selling Microsoft products.
Tools and software I use in my role
Continuous learning and development play a significant role in my internship experience. At Ipsos Jarmany, we have access to a suite of online training resources which helps us to develop a variety of skills, both soft and platform specific. As part of my role, I use a variety of tools and software, however in particular this includes:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Power BI
- Microsoft Power Query
- Microsoft Power Automate
- And a range of coding languages, including Python and VBA.
Opportunities I have experienced on my placement
There have also been opportunities for me to get involved in internal development projects. This could involve anything from improving an outdated process to creating new tools that are designed to help Account Managers. For example,
- I recently decided to take initiative and improve our monthly checking process by automating the Excel files using Python. Firstly, using the knowledge I learnt from my online courses, I recorded macros and edited the VBA code. Then, I converted this code into Python, using xlwings (as Python can be coded more efficiently than VBA). Consequently, the process now runs much faster and we have significantly more time to investigate the potential discrepancies.
- My team is currently working on a group project, which involves automating weekly sales and marketing emails that go out to the Account Managers. I was tasked with creating new Excel files in our SharePoint and then automating the process of filling them with data from another table, and lastly attaching these files to the emails using Power Automate. I also used HTML to add logos to the end of the emails. This project really allowed me to develop my Power Automate skills and gave me the opportunity to learn a different coding language.
What a typical day looks like
One of the great things about my role is that every day is different and I have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of different projects. However, to give you a taste of what a typical day could look like, take a look at the below agenda.
|
Time |
Tasks |
|
8:50-55 |
Arrive at the office and choose any desk to connect to a monitor (as we hot desk), preferably somewhere close to my team members. |
|
9:00 |
The working day starts! I first tend to check my emails, or start working on urgent projects straight away. |
|
9:15 – 9:45 |
This time is usually reserved for a team meeting, so we can catch-up and discuss daily and long-term priorities. |
|
10:00 |
Focus time: Usually I check if any new queries (A.K.A tickets) have come through in our inbox. If nobody has been assigned the ticket, I begin solving the issue. If there are no ticket updates, I tend to use this time to research new topics that we may want to add to George the Chatbot. |
|
11:30 |
Grab a snack from the communal snack table. |
|
13:00 |
Lunch time! I often treat myself to something from Kingston market to reward myself if I have been having a productive morning. Or if work has been slow, I treat myself to something from the market to raise my spirits… |
|
14:00 |
Back to work: I use this time to check the team inbox for any responses to my tickets and, if so, communicate with the team if there are issues. Monthly checks process is coming up so I’ll also double check all documents are prepped and ready to go. |
|
15:00 |
30-minute call with Sales Operations Manager to discuss new George topics. During this call I make sure to take notes so I can then edit the topics in Power Automate accordingly. Part of this then includes keeping the relevant stakeholder team in Microsoft updated with progress. |
|
16:00 |
If I’ve finished all essential work for the day, I then use this time to continue watching online courses to further expand my knowledge. |
|
17:00 |
Social time! We take it in turns to organise the team socials, like a general knowledge quiz. On the occasion’s that I’m not organising it, I relax and participate! Note to self: Win the social. |
|
17:30 |
Done for the day! Follow everyone to pub for pints. |
My highlights
Ipsos Jarmany tend to mostly recruit graduates, so we’re a very social crowd and this is an aspect of my internship that I really enjoy. I just work in one team that’s associated with the Microsoft account (there are probably around 5 different teams at Ipsos Jarmany), and every week all the Microsoft teams come together for a joint social.
On a Friday, the entire office takes part in ‘forced fun’ social time, which is often a quiz, or another fun activity. Everyone is super friendly and approachable, and we have a really nice and social culture where we often go to the pub after work (or attend the local open mic night). We also have a company social committee who organise monthly events, like bowling or rounders competitions. This is a great opportunity to mingle with other employees outside of your own team (and there’s sometimes free drinks and food!).
Alongside this, we have Junior Analyst socials which are always spectacular. I try to organise these in my spare time so everyone has the chance to wind down.
Some of my key achievements and highlights (so far) include:
- Automating a lengthy process down to a few seconds
- Taking ownership and responsibility of my tasks
- Getting the opportunity to use my knowledge to help other people
- Our Ipsos Jarmany socials
- Making friends for life
I’ve really enjoyed my internship so far and I can’t wait to see what’s next. If you’re interested in becoming a Junior Analyst at Ipsos Jarmany, as part of your university placement year, then take a look at our open opportunities today.
