Jancy's story

We have some fantastic colleagues who have all taken their own routes to join us at BT Group.??

We spoke with Jancy Karunakaran, who’s a Graduate Data Engineer in our Networks unit about how she ended up joining the team. ??

Hi Jancy! Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself???

My name is Jancy Karunakaran, I recently completed my master's degree in Business Analytics and Big Data at the University of Liverpool, and now I live in Bristol where I work as a graduate data engineer for BT Group.??

What do you do at BT Group???

I work in Networks where I sit in the Smart mobile network analytics team for the Cloud, analysing data for our use cases to provide key performance indicators as reports and dashboards.?

I also often work with other teams to get a seamless flow of data within the cloud integration without any discrepancies because for us it’s one of the most important things we can achieve for data analysis.?

Can you tell us a little bit about your journey to a career in tech???

After my master’s degree, I was part of the Step-Up programme, which is an initiative run by Girls Talk Corporation.BT Group sponsors the programme which aims to empower women to get into tech roles. I was so grateful to have a mentor from BT Group who supported and offered me advice on how to get into tech.?

As well as this, I got the opportunity to do a Code First Girls degree with a specialisation in software. Through this I gained immense knowledge on the technical skills I needed for a role in tech. I networked with people in BT Group to understand different roles which led to me getting my role now as a graduate data engineer!?

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What was it like starting at BT Group??

I was thrilled and excited to be part of a diverse team with extensive knowledge who have helped me to understand the role and encouraged me to develop my skills in the Cloud. I’ve received so much support from the early careers team during my onboarding and I’ve welcomed the opportunity to connect with other grads, apprentices and industrial placement colleagues, where we have got to know each other’s different roles and we’ve discussed how we’re all benefitting and committing to our BT Group standards and codes of conduct.??

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What does a typical day in your role look like???

A typical day for me is to provide the team with the necessary data requirements which are highly important for our networks business users. I also play my part in maintaining the data, I get involved in managing the consistency of the data in different platforms and sources and keep my team updated with any changes.?

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Tell us a little bit more of what else you did to gain yourself a role in tech???

When I decided to pursue Business Analytics and Big Data, I was sure that I wanted to get a role as a Data engineer, or a Data Analyst. My course was aligned to data related concepts, but I knew I needed to learn more. To improve my technical skills, I realised I had to involve myself in more software programming, which I was able to do with Code First Girls, this provided me with fundamental knowledge of the required technical skills for Cloud integration.?

How important would you say opportunities like Code First Girls and Girls Talk Corporation are for people looking to get into a career in tech??

Both the programs I was involved in equipped me with the right knowledge, they also created opportunities for me that allowed me to build relationships that helped me land my role. The Step-Up programme involved so many BT Group colleagues who provided me with career advice as well as masterclasses on networking and interviewing techniques which encouraged me to apply for roles.??

Code First Girls provided me with a great opportunity in enrolling me on their 4-month course. I worked with different teams on CFG software projects, and it gave me an overall understanding of a role in tech. Both the programmes can be of great help to other girls who are looking to get into tech.?

Would you recommend graduate programmes??

Of course! I’d recommend a grad role, it’s a great start to your career. You’re involved in different projects from the start and you play an important role, which you do alongside supportive team members.??

What advice would you give to somebody who’s looking to get into tech?

Be passionate and open to learning new skills related to tech. Network and connect with employers who can help you in understanding any role that you might be interested in. Continuous learning and knowing more about the company can also be an advantage to landing a role.?

Thank you Jancy!?