Last time we spoke to Anushree, she kindly introduced us to the UCC Indian Society and spoke about the importance of student communities. Here, she delves deeper into topics like finding a graduate job, being a point of contact for incoming students, and provides us with some words of wisdom!

By Lauren Valentine

The career journey so far…

“After doing my undergrad and Masters in India, I worked for Accenture for five years. I then decided I wanted to do Business Analytics, and that’s what took me to UCC. Back in India, studying was purely about academics, whereas in Ireland there was so much more to consider: house hunting, food, a new culture, part-time jobs, etc. There was a method of continuous assessment of my course and the class timings gave me enough space that I could fit in a part-time job at Burger King. This made me stronger – not least because I wasn’t used to standing for 8-10 hours! It was a great thing to do as I learned about myself, got to try new things, and became more empathetic to others who work in a customer service environment”

Associate Consultant at Version 1…

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t apply to a single job until after my first semester. Then I applied to one or two companies and got a telephone interview, followed by a face-to-face round. Due to VISA requirements, I couldn’t get a full-time job until I’d finished my course, so I was offered a part-time role. That means I’m currently doing 20 hours per week, but it’ll increase to 40 hours when my course finishes. I think I’m really fortunate to get this opportunity and that it’s rare to have a confirmed full-time job so many months in advance of the course's end. Version 1 is respectful of my studies and they make sure I don’t go over my set working hours, which takes the stress away.”

Passing the knowledge on to peers…

“On the CampusConnect app, we’re able to help people with specific questions since most offer-holders have already decided on their course. Sometimes students ask about how they can prepare themselves for the upcoming course, or how technical their course would be or if they need to learn any programming languages. Once they have answers to their queries they feel more relaxed and confident to take the course.

Outside of CampusConnect, lots of students approach me personally while deciding on a university or course. Their questions are mostly related to the Irish job market and whether they will be able to find appropriate employment. Luckily, the job market in Ireland is positive for students. To give the best advice to students, I always ask about their previous experience and recommend courses that align to their experience so that they have a better chance of securing a job. In fact, just today there was a student with an offer from UCC and was considering deferring until he had more experience. I reassured him that he will gain experience along the way. Even if the end goal is employment, students must not forget to enjoy the experience and everything that it entails.Some people get busy applying for jobs the moment they arrive, but worrying too much means you’ll miss out on so many other opportunities. What has to happen will happen, so you should plan but never take undue stress!”

Anushree strongly believes that students should enjoy their university experience, and encourages everyone to “enjoy the journey”. She says students shouldn’t be too worried about the end goal, as “worrying isn’t what will land you a job.” Speaking about the best way to make the most of student life, she says: “Enjoy it all – not just classes, but extra-curricular activities and meeting new people. This will build your skill set and increase your self -confidence. This, along with the knowledge from your course, will lead you down the right path.”