My apprentice experience at Comparethemarket
I recently joined CompareTheMarket as a data scientist graduate completing the Level 7 AI & Data Specialist apprenticeship programme with Cambridge Spark. After completing my degree in maths, I had a real interest in machine learning and was keen to find a role working in data science — the opportunity at CompareTheMarket felt like the perfect chance to kickstart my career. Working towards a professional qualification, whilst simultaneously applying what I learnt through the apprenticeship at work, was aligned with my goals of building a foundation for my career and gaining those essential workplace skills.
Since joining, I’ve already got stuck in and have been collaborating with the team and contributing on projects in one of the squads, working on things such as predictive modelling, reporting on the results and exploratory analysis of the data. There’s a real emphasis on working together across different teams; it’s so easy to reach out and support is always offered when you need it, which has been great whilst I’ve been learning SQL and improving my Python skills. Needless to say, there’s already been a boost in my technical knowledge since starting the apprenticeship.
I’ve also developed a greater understanding of data science in general because the team here at CompareTheMarket are very knowledgeable. Seeing what others are working on and how they approach problems/setbacks (something that is inevitable when working in tech!) has been great for figuring out how I would navigate these challenges in the future. And seeing the process of building a machine learning model from end to end, and the production of it, has been really interesting too! Learning from others and having that support from the team has been a real highlight during my time so far.
As well as the on-the-job development, I’ve also got the chance to develop my soft skills such as communication and presenting, whether that is through our daily stand ups or playback of results to the wider team as well as continuing with apprenticeship eLearning, workshops and extra reading. Access to online courses, such as Udemy, is provided to help upskill and the time dedicated to my personal development is a real advantage too.
The apprenticeship at Cambridge Spark also offers coaching sessions to help discover next steps for working on your skills or any goals you have set and at CompareTheMarket, I have a dedicated ‘Cambridge Spark Day’ set aside for this where I have the time to focus on assignments and attending sessions on the course.
But it’s not all about the work. There’s also the team socials, a Talent Academy event and a ‘Women in Tech’ offsite event for CompareTheMarket’s female colleagues as well as taking part in a hackathon (which would be my first!) within the data science and analytics teams that I’ve also had the chance to get involved with… and I understand there’s more to come!
So, being an apprentice is a great experience and something I’d definitely recommend if you’d like to learn more about a career path that you’re interested in. You’re not expected to know everything right away; it’s a journey of learning. My advice to anyone considering an apprenticeship, whether you are changing careers or just starting, is to not feel intimidated to try something new.
