Congratulations Kat!
It was definitely a surprise to be names Spartan of the Month! With so many amazing Spartans I feel honoured to have been noticed. I genuinely enjoy what I do, and I’m really happy to know that it comes across in my work.
Can you tell us a little bit about your work and what you are responsible for?
I am a Data Engineer on a large team of Data Scientists working for a public sector client.
The projects I work on can vary a lot and are dependent on the needs of the team, however my work has taken a focus on optimisation. I have translated a pipeline from SQL to Spark, decreasing runtimes by 30%. I have created custom functions, such as a SQL to Spark translator, one to dynamically flatten nested JSON and another to test the health of a database in development to get an overview of the areas needing improvement. To better understand the needs of, and processes used by, my main stakeholders (the Data Scientists), I took on a Data Science project, which aided in a product feature improvement.
And how have you found your first tech role?
A lot less scary than I expected! The client I was assigned to have had Spartans before, they were well aware of the knowledge I was coming in with and were prepared with the right support to get me to where I needed to be skills wise. Now I feel confident in my ability to learn new tools and take on tasks outside of my comfort zone, I love it!
I chose the industry as there’s endless amounts to learn and no two jobs will be the same (everyone has unique tool setups and data issues). I’ve found the community to be really active - amazing events and conferences, and great free and paid resources to support learning.
You sound like you are heading full throttle into your tech career! Can you tell us a bit more about how you got to this point? Did you study a data-related subject?
I studied Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University - a very different subject to what I do now, but it introduced me to data handling and analysis.
In January 2023 I joined Sparta Global - new year, new beginnings!
Why did you choose to join Sparta Global?
They were incredibly informative and helpful from the start and have remained so throughout my time with them. I really like their ethos around improving Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, and as a woman in tech I have felt incredibly supported.
How did you find your training at the Academy, and how do you think your it has prepared you for work?
I really enjoyed my training. The tasks and activities were diverse and engaging. The weekly testing ensures you’re actually learning. I also found the pace very manageable. I previously did a 10-week software development bootcamp which was, to be honest, very overwhelming! The Sparta training, however, was at a much more digestible pace. The content lined up very closely with my client’s needs.
What are you looking forward to doing in your next role?
Top of my list for my next role is learning more from other Data Engineers. Everyone I’ve spoken to has such a unique background and skillset in tech, each of which come with their own tips and tricks of the trade.
Would you recommend Sparta to other graduates and if so – why?
100% - Sparta streamlined my entry into a whole new career! They have been so supportive every step of the way, both in my career development and with support with any life events outside of work.
