Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
“I studied my BSc in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School and completed my MSc with a focus on market and data analysis also from CBS.
➔ Hiring! CGI are looking for graduates to join them now! Follow the link here for more details about their roles
I held part time roles while studying to improve my practical understanding of working with data in real life. I started out at Frederiksberg Idrætsunion and later worked at TV 2 with a focus on analyzing program content and the program planning. During my MSc I managed to land a part time role with Magasin as a Digital Analyst again with a focus on taking data and trying to come up with actionable insights for the business.”
What attracted you to the company and their graduate programme?
“As mentioned above then I really enjoyed working with data I therefore knew I wanted to work in a data driven role. CGI’s role as a Business Intelligence Talent was therefore an almost perfect match from a professional point of view.
I enjoyed the fact that CGI was not all about grades. Of course they want to have smart people applying, but it’s just as much about the person you are and the experiences you have had so far. As we all work as consultants, being able to create report with our clients and be approachable is also very important.
I feel like CGI cares about the entire person, not just grades and you can feel they are curious to get to know you better as a person during the interviews. I also had a really good feeling during the interviews when I got to know the employees a bit more. They all seemed to be really happy to work for CGI.”
What does a typical day look like?
“From day one CGI has been very good at getting us involved in actual projects with clients. We are not allocated to one specific client, but get to travel around and see several clients. I have just started getting allocated to actual projects which is super exciting. My role in the project is going to be focused on Business Intelligence. This could be anything from structuring data for a client, creating a data warehouse or even working on applications and creating reporting.
It’s not a requirement to have technical skills, but you should be passionate about the field and find data exciting. You will learn on the job and from your colleagues so the most important thing is to have the desire.”
What has been the most exciting project you have worked on so far?
“I have enjoyed the variety of tasks and projects that we get to work on. It has been great for my learning to experience a lot of different problems, solutions and clients. I would much rather be thrown into the deep end instead of just being allocated to a single project.”
What has been the biggest challenge as a graduate?
“Since I don’t have a formal education within Business Intelligence I find some of the technical aspects challenging. That is quite natural and I was prepared to work extra hard on those areas which are focused around data, programming and other similar skills.
On the other side then I do have practical experience working with Business Intelligence from part time roles which has given me a good basic understanding of the field. On top of that then we have 4 modules during the year to learn the basic tool box.”
I enjoyed the fact that CGI was not all about grades. Of course they want to have smart people applying, but it’s just as much about the person you are and the experiences you have had so far.
What has been a thing that has surprised you about the programme?
“I have been surprised by just how dedicated and skilled my colleagues are. I knew that they were good but they have still managed to take me by surprise. I don’t think I have met anyone who has said no to helping. People are very positive and often find it interesting to help you out if you need input or help with a task or project.”
Why do you think you made it all the way through?
“I really wanted the CGI Talent programme and I think that came across quite clearly in my application and interviews. In addition then I have a passion for Business Intelligence and knew that I wanted to work in this kind of role after finishing university.”
Best advice for applicants
“The one advice I would give is to be very clear around your motivation for the role. It should be clear why that specific role is a good match with your profile and you need to show that you have given thought into the role. I think the worst thing you can do is to apply to all graduate programmes you are eligible for. Rather apply for a few but with really quality applications.”
➔ Hiring! CGI are looking for graduates to join them now! Follow the link here for more details about their roles
