Year 12 students recently enjoyed an inspiring Career Pathways session with alumna Yana Sharma (Class of 2023), who returned to share her journey from Degree Apprentice to Management Consultant at Accenture.
Fresh from achieving a First-Class Honours BSc in Organisational Management and Leadership, Yana offered valuable insights into securing degree apprenticeships and standing out in a competitive application process. She emphasised the importance of applying early, reading application questions carefully, and avoiding over-reliance on AI tools. Her practical advice included clearly linking personal experiences to job requirements, providing specific examples of achievements and challenges overcome, and ensuring all questions are answered fully rather than defaulting to responses such as “N/A” or “see CV”.
Students were particularly engaged by Yana’s account of her current role at Accenture, including her work on a project to establish an AI Centre of Excellence for a global utilities company. This real-world insight into the fast-evolving technology sector brought her career journey to life and sparked thoughtful discussion.
The session concluded with a lively Q&A, with students keen to learn more about both degree apprenticeships and careers in consulting. Yana’s visit left Year 12 with valuable guidance and plenty to consider as they begin planning their own futures.
Meanwhile Yana, who credits her experience as Deputy Head Girl for helping her thrive in client-facing environments, is celebrating her graduation and looking forward to further building her career in the fast-growing AI space.
