Sonia. Forensic Data Analyst

Sonia is a twenty-three-year-old Forensic Data Analyst from Islington. Sonia has been in the Finance industry for nearly three years.

How did you get into your field? What inspired you?

‘I’ve always wanted to go into finance. I entered my role through the KPMG grad scheme.’

What did you study at school and university and did this help you get into your field?

‘I studied management at uni and always loved maths and economics at school. All were helpful in securing my role.’

Do you recommend any particular courses or degrees for your field?

‘Not really, everyone on the grad scheme did completely different degrees. Some had done writing based language courses and some had done sciences and economics - so anything is suitable really. As it is a graduate scheme, currently a degree is required if you are applying.’

What does an average day look like in your role?

‘I work from 9:30am to 5:30pm using coding analytics tools such as SQL and tableau to analyse large data sets from tier 1 investment banks to detect whether a trader is misbehaving or involved in any market misconduct.’

What is the best part of your role?

‘The work/life balance. Work/life balance is very important to me and I’m lucky that I have enough spare time in my job. There is a lot of flexibility in my role and team which is nice. I can also work from home when needed which is a great factor.’

Do you have any hobbies?

‘I go to the gym, rock climbing and love to travel.’

Do you have any advice for people looking to start a career in the same field?

‘Try to start on a grad scheme if you can so you have a bit of a safety net to fall back on. That way you tend to have a progress plan - for example a promotion to aim for every year.’

Have you ever experienced any uncertainties about your career? What did you do to overcome them?

‘Yes, I experienced some uncertainties towards the beginning of my career when I realised I wasn’t quite gelling with my senior manager. I decided to shift teams and I was instantly a happier and less stressed person!’

Who is your biggest female inspiration and why?

‘Meryl Streep! Just because I think she excels in every role she undertakes and she is always putting herself in more and more challenging roles - showing her versatility and commitment to being a great actress.’