Alexandra Gill-Lewis

Prior to joining Kubrick, I graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Theoretical Physics where I developed the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real- world problems. I have always been motivated to contribute these logical and problem-solving skills to the world of business and the data and technology industry allows me to do this.

In between graduating and starting with Kubrick in 2021, I was able to gain experience working with data related to the COVID-19 pandemic. I worked alongside Public Health England to understand how the virus was spreading through schools, which gave me a first-hand example of the important uses of data analysis and further fuelled my desire to work with data.

Kubrick appealed to me as a well-established business that has grown massively in recent years. Not only do they have a wide range of well-known clients, the in-depth training is of high quality and the opportunity to have training in such a wide range of technologies is something to be valued. I was also motivated to work at Kubrick because of their inclusion policy. There is a large emphasis on bridging the gender gap in the data industry and this is something I strongly believe in.

Since joining Kubrick’s Data Engineering programme, I have learnt more about the business world whilst developing my technical skills. The technical training has improved my range of computational skills and given me the toolkit required to work across a range of data projects. It was particularly useful when completing a project during training for one of our clients. Our team built a pipeline to ingest video and audio data using serverless functions on Google Cloud Platform and once the data had been ingested, we resolved how to store the data along-side its meta data in an efficient and cost-effective way. The project involved a wide range of technical skills including Python and Cloud functions, which we gained during training.

As well as gaining a wide range of technical skills during training, there was a strong focus on soft skills such as teamwork, collaboration, and presentations, which were further developed by the agile training methodology. This training helped build my confidence in a number of areas and has proved to be extremely useful across all projects.

Since working on client site, there has been a large emphasis on understanding the business meaning behind the data which has helped me to form a well-rounded skill set. Over the last six months, I have worked in the Data Analytics team of a global bank and recently, I have been working as part of a data ingestion project which aims to make historical data available to a team in the US. The project involves using a Python script to access raw files in Hadoop and convert them to a different data type. Audit checks are run through Python to ensure no data is lost in the process. Once this is confirmed, a job is written in SAS to create tables and push the data to the desired location. GDPR is an important consideration when allowing access to data, especially for a different country where alternative data rules may apply.

The significance of Data Governance across all industries has made itself apparent in today’s modern world, as data has the ability to fuel business intelligence and is becoming increasingly valuable. The ability to make decisions driven by data can provide businesses with a huge advantage over competitors, however it’s essential the data is accurate and secure, and I am excited to be a part of this project.

In addition to building my technical and professional skills and understanding, whilst exposing me to projects that would have been outside my reach without Kubrick’s support, my network has significantly expanded. Training in a cohort of 35 data engineers who were also new to the world of data and technology was great as it gave me a an-built network of like-minded colleagues that I can turn to whenever necessary and lean on for support. The support from trainers, alumni, and senior consultants across Kubrick is also invaluable, and knowing that there are people of all levels that are open to chat and support you with any questions has certainly made the last six months on site more enjoyable. Lastly, Kubrick has a wide range of clients spanning a variety of sectors, which allows for a network of contacts across different areas of business as consultants are placed across all.

My advice to anyone that’s thinking about launching a career in data and technology would be to do your research and decide if this is the right path for you, and if it is, work out which area you would like to develop your career in. Data and technology can be challenging, as you have to continuously learn new things to stay ahead of the game and remain relevant, however it is also extremely rewarding and if you find the right path that aligns with your passions, there’s no doubt you’ll have an exciting and highly-successful career.

I would highly recommend Kubrick to anyone considering a career in data and technology. Kubrick has allowed many people like me to break into the industry and achieve their full potential. It’s a unique company which is shaping the future of data and applying to their programme was the best thing I’ve ever done.