What it’s really like to work at Accenture’s pioneering Global Innovation Centre – DCU alumni Gaurav shares his story
Gaurav worked in the data analysis field back in India before completing his Master’s degree at DCU in 2019. It was whilst working for a start-up in Dublin that he began to read about the exciting and impactful projects that Accenture’s Global Innovation Centre, The Dock, was working on. He made it his goal to work for them, and in April 2020 that became a reality.
Name: Gaurav Shivhare
Home country: India
Course studied: MSc Data Analytics
University: Dublin City University
Current role: AI Data Analyst at Accenture
Top culture tip: “Don’t try to pay a bus driver with a big note! Thankfully, a kind old man paid for me.”
What made you want to study Data Analytics in Dublin?
“I did a lot of research into countries suitable for the data analytics industry as I had experience of this in India. I looked at courses from universities around the world, but the course at DCU covered absolutely everything I wanted to know in one year. That’s the advantage of getting industry experience before pursuing a Master’s: I knew exactly what I wanted to get out of it.
I was very interested in machine learning and fascinated by how things work. This was my favourite module on the course. The professor was great too, always open with feedback and willing to share his knowledge. I was really impressed as he was the first professor to give us a project that I hadn’t seen before, a real-time project with up to date research. It was the best project I’ve encountered!”
How did you land a role with Accenture at The Dock?
“I didn’t actually get the role I applied for, but the recruiter recommended another after studying my CV. There was a technical interview and then a practical data science problem to solve. It was very challenging, but there were no surprises as it was all related to the role and field. It turned out that the Technical Director of The Dock was super interested in my project and asked me how I had gained such knowledge and where I studied. When I explained my thesis, he was astonished and said he hadn’t expected anybody to be doing that type of practicum. Within one week, I was offered the job. I think DCU played a big role in my ability to impress him!”
What’s it like working in Data Analysis there?
“Amazing! It’s a global centre full of innovative people in a really positive environment! I’d been interested in The Dock for a long time and was inspired to work for them after reading about one of their projects to help a lady with Alzheimer’s disease. I was fascinated and just wanted to be a part of it. My role involves researching and providing solutions for clients’ problems.
The main challenge is to create a bridge between the traditional approaches and state-of-the-art technologies, as we have to prove how our solution will be improving the existing problems. It also requires a high level of focus: if you’re working in software, it’s easy to see when something breaks. In data science however, if you’re not alert, you’ll get the wrong results.
At the moment, I’m working on embedding privacy into machine learning technologies so that we can use the data without affecting the privacy of an individual. This project excites me because it will be help people to understand that AI has great opportunities, without the fear of sharing their data.”
How did you find starting a new job remotely? Any tips for working from home?
“I was quite scared at first because I knew from experience that it’s important to have a lot of contact with people when working in this field. The Dock played a great role in this with their innovative way of onboarding employees remotely. Initially, they arranged one-to-one sessions for us with most of our colleagues. We then had a virtual cake for newcomers! There are also opportunities to have a remote ‘coffee’ with staff from other teams so that we can all network – including chats outside of work.
My advice for working from home would simply be to pretend you’re not working from home. I always set up my desk as though I’m in the office. I wake up early, do something refreshing, get a coffee and start work as normal. It’s also important to keep in touch with colleagues at all times – overcommunicate if anything! You can also use the time you save on commuting to try new things. The Dock hosts yoga classes, for example. I find it really helps me to focus and remain attentive.”
Guarav emphasised the value of DCU’s career counselling and guidance in helping students to get a good job. He added that “I found the country really welcoming - studying in Ireland gave me the best moments of my life!” Now, he’s extremely grateful and excited to progress into his new career and for the opportunities whilst working with Accenture.
Interested in Gaurav’s career path? Connect with him on LinkedIn: