July Spartan of the Month: Liinamari Astel

Congratulations for being named one of our July Spartans of the month!

I was quite taken aback actually! But it’s very rewarding to know I’m doing the right thing.

It’s very well deserved! Before we jump into why you have been selected, can you tell us a bit about what you were doing before joining Sparta Global a year ago?

I has just finished my degree at the University of Greenwich in London, where I studied Politics and International Relations.

I was applying for roles through my university careers service, when they suggested I also put myself forward for the opportunities at Sparta Global. When it came to selecting my first job, I decided to join Sparta Global because the communication was really good throughout the application process. I always knew what stage of the process I was at, and felt supported from beginning to end.

That’s really great to hear! Which stream did you end up joining at Sparta Global?

I trained to be a Business Analyst with Sparta Global. While I was technically linked to the London Academy, due to Covid the training was entirely remote.

I started my training at the end of July 2021, and finished in September.

How did you find your training at the Academy, and how do you think it helped prepare you for work?

The training covered alot across a relatively short time period, so it was actually pretty intense! However, I think it prepared us well. Even though in my current role I don’t use everything we learned in the course, it was good exposure to different aspects of a traditional Business Analysis role and set me up for what I might come across in the future.

You were then assigned to work for a large energy company for your first role. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Yes, I am now working as a Scrum Master in the energies sector. While I was interested in energy from a climate change perspective, I didn’t think I would ever go into the industry!

Working as a Scrum Master/Project Manager within the emerging digital space, means working on investigating new and upcoming digital technology which can be applied to several lines of businesses. I work with assets from across the world to find the latest innovations and developments, investigating the value of these to us as an organisation and then helping to deliver proof of concepts. My role includes agile ceremony facilitation, scoping and several other dynamic activities.

How have you found your first tech role?

Very exciting! I really enjoy it. I like that you can be right in the middle of innovation and help to create something that can change processes for the better for someone else in their day-to-day job.

But there has been a lot of learning, especially since I don’t have a technology background. It took some time to understand what was going on around me, and the learning never stops!

Do you feel you now have the passion and skill to carve a long-serving career in technology?

I definitely now have the passion for it – even if all the skills will take more time. I also believe in lifelong learning so even when you’ve got an initial skillset, it’s important to be flexible and keep on discovering what else you can build on it.

Would you recommend Sparta for other graduates and if so – why?

Yes, I would. I think it’s a great opportunity to access training for a tech career if you don’t have the background already. And also, it helps you to get your foot in the door - especially when you are assigned to one of the big companies that Sparta works with.