Episode 2 - Pivoting to Success: Anushka’s Story of Growth and Progression

In this episode, Anushka takes us through her dynamic career journey, from starting as a data analyst at Vodafone to pivoting into digital marketing and content creation. She shares how her apprenticeship in data analytics opened doors to a diverse range of roles, including entrepreneurship and freelance work across industries like gaming, beauty, and finance. Anushka also discusses the challenges and rewards of running her own business before returning to full-time employment. Her story highlights the versatility of apprenticeships and their power in shaping careers, particularly in the tech and digital sectors.

Anushka's LinkedIn Profile

Transcript

Kerry: Welcome to Rubitek Talks with me, Kerry Linley.

In this Real Journeys, Real Change series, we'll be bringing you 10 inspiring stories from individuals who are transforming their industries through non-traditional pathways.

I'm thrilled to have on our podcast today Anushka Suman. Anushka has a very interesting combined career and training story to tell since leaving school, which we'll come on to in just a second.

Winner and nominated for a number of prestigious awards, including getting a Tech Industry Gold Award at the National Apprenticeship Awards in 2023. Welcome to the show, Anushka.

Anushka: Hi Kerry, it's great to be here.

Kerry: Thank you for joining us this morning. I want to start by taking you back to school. Talk to me about your secondary education. Where did you go to school, what sort of experience did you have and what was the careers advice like there?

Anushka: Yeah, definitely. So I grew up and went to school in North West London and I guess my experience at school was, was quite well. I really enjoyed my education and I think studying was something I was always interested in as a kid, but I was also very creative, so I enjoyed like playing the piano and doing lots of extracurricular bits as well.

I'd say that the careers advice was very much focused on university. So during school apprenticeships weren't something that were really pushed, but there was definitely some interesting opinions on, you know, university and what your pathway should be.

And I think as a kid I really wanted to be a lawyer around 14 or 15, but obviously eight years later I'm not a lawyer. So yeah, I think at that time work experience was really valuable because I got to see what I liked and didn't like.

Kerry: So you did your GCSEs, sat the exams, you weren't part of the cohort that didn't sit their GCSE exam. So you had that experience and then you went into sixth form, is that right?

Anushka: Correct. Yeah.

Kerry: Okay, so talk to me about sixth form because it was just about when Covid hit and you had some really interesting decisions to make about your next steps. Describe that part of your life so far.

Anushka: So When I turned 16, I obviously started my A levels at sixth form and I had always had that very strong work ethic. So as soon as I turned 16, I was working a couple of part time jobs alongside my A levels.

And throughout school, like I mentioned, I'd always been sort of pushed in that traditional university route. So that was really my focus.

And at the time in first year, I wanted to do economics at a university in London.

Didn't want to be too far from mum and dad. So that was the goal. But sort of towards the end of that first year, Covid was a big thing and I remember it being my birthday, I think my 17th or 18th birthday. And that was when Covid sort of solidified and it was like, you know, the borders are closed and you can't go anywhere, etc. And that really sparked my, I guess, interest into what else it is that I could do.

Because I had heard on the news that universities were looking at doing online courses only and that sort of university experience that people pay to do was sort of being eradicated for the moment.

So that's when I literally just did a simple Google search about what should I do other than university and I found apprenticeships. And the reason that I had to do it this way is because I think at the time I was sort of that last year where apprenticeships weren't really looked at in a positive light unless it was like for manual labour.

So again, my career's advice at that point was still to go to university and that I was too smart to do an apprenticeship, which obviously is not the case. But at the time that was the advice I was being given.

So yeah, nobody really agreed with me, but I wasn't scrutinised for it or anything like that. I think everyone was still quite nice and, you know, sort of level headed about it.

But it made me feel that I had an array of options because what I did to sort of please everybody was apply to university and apprenticeships at the same time.

So that year of COVID where everything was sort of indoors and I was working where I could, but also studying, I decided to look at apprenticeships related to my A levels that I was interested in. I wanted to do economics at university so I looked at banking apprenticeships and data apprenticeships and it things like that that I was interested in. And in the end I did actually end up picking an apprenticeship over university.

Kerry: So you got offered both options and you mentioned that people around you were being very polite about the whole thing and not really challenging you. But did you feel like you had to justify your decision for choosing the apprenticeship route over University?

Anushka: Oh, 100%. I think at the time nobody really understood what apprenticeships could do for someone's career and you know, like mental growth. And I think I definitely needed to justify to my parents and some of my teachers, definitely my careers advisor who told me twice that smart people didn't do apprenticeships. So in a polite way, but not really polite to a lot of other kids.

So I think that it was really difficult for me to, you know, sort of stand my ground there. But that's always been a character trait that I had. So I did, and I'm glad I did because it's brought me to this point today.

Kerry: It's a really unfair thing to say, isn't it, to a young person? Because the implication is if you're bright you will go to university, which means if you're not bright you'll do an apprenticeship, which is a horrible thing to say.

Anushka: 100% agree. And I think to be honest, it was quite upsetting seeing fellow classmates and stuff, being scared to do what they wanted to do and you know, parents pushing them or teachers pushing them or even just sometimes I think, you know, you get so caught up in what everybody else is doing as a kid you forget about what it is that you really want.

And I think that's something a lot of kids struggle with. Even I did, where, you know, just thinking, well, everybody's going to university, so if I don't I feel like I'm going to miss out or not be friends with them anymore or you know, etc, etc.

And I think yeah, I was lucky in the sense that I just never really cared what anybody else was doing, which is why I was so strong minded. But I know that that is very rare and also sometimes seen as a bit rebellious, which obviously a lot of students wouldn't want to be.

Kerry: You've mentioned that you had a couple of part time jobs whilst you were studying and going through your education. How do you think they influenced your decision?

Anushka: I would definitely say it made me feel as though I had some sort of my own earnings and a way of sort of being able to save because one of my life goals is obviously to be able to buy a house in London and I want to do it like as quickly as possible.

So starting to save at 16 years old really did help me. And not just that, just being able to be a little bit independent even though I was still living at home, being able to buy things I wanted, you know, and also helping, you know, with Christmas presents or things like that.

That is nice to do when you're 16, 17, whatever years old. So I'd say that that independence, it gave me that little peek into what my life could be like if I continued in that sort of pathway.

And to me, if I could have the best of both worlds, I don't see why I wouldn't take it. So that was really my argument to my parents as well, that if I'm getting a degree at the same time as working, there shouldn't really be a big fight. And I think, you know, I did apply to a couple of apprenticeships that didn't have a degree and that was definitely something that I was pushed against doing. So, like, by everybody I knew that were just saying, you know, you should do one with at least a degree.

And if I look back on that now, I wouldn't have done that. Like, I wouldn't. I wouldn't have picked based off of which, which apprenticeship gives me a degree. I'm very glad I did what I did. But I'm just saying that now as an adult, I know that that doesn't matter whether you have a degree or not, because at the end of the day, it's about your experience in the real world.

And I think again, as young students, we're not aware of that because nobody tells us that once we leave school and university, barely anybody asks about your degree or your A level grades.

Really.

Kerry: That's a really interesting point that you raise even with the confidence that you had. What's interesting to hear is that you still felt the need to compromise with those around you and kind of an okay, you can do an apprenticeship, but it needs to be a degree apprenticeship. So there was still that sort of negotiation taking place around what your next steps would be.

I want to move on now then to the apprenticeship that you did. So you found a really interesting apprenticeship with Vodafone. Can you tell us about that? And I'm really interested, I don't want you to break confidentiality or talk about any projects that you can't talk about, but what sort of an experience did you have both on the apprenticeship, but also working on the projects that you were working on with Vodafone?

What can you tell us about that?

Anushka: I would say that my apprenticeship was a very enlightening experience. I really did work across the entire department that I could. I worked in software engineering, in product ownership, in data analytics, in ux.

I did a lot of different things in employer branding and all in all, my main role was a visualisation data analyst. So that was specifically turning raw data into human readable presentation. So that could be through dashboards or simpler stuff or more complex things through SQL and Python. A bit of both.

And yeah, it was a very interesting experience. I got to learn a lot from some of the best tech leads in the world, in my opinion, anyway. And I think that working with people who are much older than you at that age, it's you think it's scary, but you get there and it's actually just a really interesting beneficial route for you because it means that you're then going to leave possessing all those skills that they have at, you know, twice your age and you're going to leave at what, 20, 21 with those same skills.

So I think it's a really nice blend of like personal and professional balance. I would say that the last year specifically is when my cogs started turning into like what I wanted to do and where I really wanted to be because at that point it had been three years since I started sharing my experience online, on my public platform on TikTok.

And it brought me a lot of different cool experiences. I worked with UCAS. That was my first ever partnership at 18 years old. And yeah, it sort of grew from there.

I've worked with so many different apprenticeship providers and E.Y, lots of big brands that sort of knew who I was really, which was the most exciting part. So that year of the dissertation and working at the same time on both my personal brand and also building my career as a data analyst, it was a lot and I won't lie and say that it was easy because it was absolutely the most difficult thing I've ever had to do.

But my God, what, it was so worth it because I have literally been put into a position that I think a lot of 21 year-olds at the time wouldn't have been.

And yes, I had a lot of 4am late nights. But after those few months of writing my dissertation and working on personal and professional projects, I just felt really accomplished and felt like I was really deserving of the, you know, benefits that I reaped at the end.

So yeah, and my dissertation was specifically on a work project. So we were basically. That's what's different about an apprenticeship degree, I guess, compared to a traditional one is that ours had to be real, a real life project that you actually built on and you know, sort of have to have the evidence and the, the work ethic for, in terms of the demand at work.

And I think that really is the part that you will probably struggle on the most as an apprentice because you have to learn how to turn that real life situation into a degree project, which is a very difficult task.

I'm proud to say that I did get a first in my dissertation and my degree overall. So I was very, you know, proud of that achievement because like I said, I worked, you know, my butt off to get to that point.

Yeah. So then I graduated and although I hadn't actually been to the university campus because all of our lectures were online, I was working in a London office. You know, whenever I wanted to go, I sort of had that space.

And it felt the same because we had other friends at work that were doing the same thing. So, you know, they might be doing it in a different thing, but you're sort of a cohort of apprentices at Vodafone.

So we did really have a lovely time and we did lots of things. Like we had a Lake District trip once with all the apprentices. That was super lovely. So, you know, people talk about, you know, mixing social life and, you know, professional life.

And I think I definitely had a very blended work life balance until the last year. And that last year was really just focusing and, you know, grinding towards a goal, which I think we all have that at some point. So I don't feel like I missed out in any sense. And it definitely shaped my career to be who I am today.

Kerry: So what I've heard there, I think, is you don't feel like you missed out on the university experience because you still had that great social interaction with other apprentices.

One thing we don't talk about very often is this alignment that you've mentioned of projects in the workplace and how they shape the direction that your apprenticeship goes in.

So, as anybody who's doing an apprenticeship will know, you work towards a number of competencies. So those are knowledge, skills and behaviors. And I do genuinely believe that the most successful apprenticeships are where the employer and the training provider work really closely together to look at what projects are you going to be working on in the workplace and how can we align the teaching of those knowledge and skills to those projects so that you really get in the most from the apprenticeship journey aligned to the things that you're doing in the workplace.

But you put it beautifully. So particularly in your dissertation around how that supported a specific project for Vodafone. What was it like working in such a big organisation? You've mentioned that you worked across multiple disciplines and if you can try and talk about anyone during your apprenticeship who was particularly important or pivotal in your success. So think about a mentor or a tutor, but somebody that played a key role in your time as an apprentice.

Anushka: Yeah, definitely. I think that during my time, definitely the key sort of inspiration for me was particularly my manager. And I was super lucky, I had the same manager for the entirety of my apprenticeship.

And she was definitely a pivotal part of who I am today and, you know, she really did let me explore my career options. And I think it's very rare because a lot of the time, you know, apprentices join a team and they sort of have to do that role, which isn't the wrong thing.

Of course, you should do what you've been assigned to do. But sort of towards the end of my second year when I started getting more into employer branding and marketing and being able to explore that side of, I guess, my talent, she was super supportive and you know, really let me explore all departments any way that I wanted to while still being able to complete my full time role.

And I think without her support on that, I think I would have been really behind because I would have wanted to explore these things but wouldn't have had the time to. So I think she was definitely a great support for me and she taught me a lot of the things that I know we also had in relation to my actual role.

We had two consultants working with us from Italy who I'm also still friends with and they taught me a lot about sort of visualisation as well. And I think without them I wouldn't have got to a point where I was super comfortable in creating these dashboards and visualising this data by myself.

I had such amazing colleagues. I was, you know, really blessed to be in that position and I worked in sort of a international team. So we had colleagues in Egypt, colleagues in Italy, in, in London, sort of everywhere and that international sort of support. Even though a lot of the time we didn't see them in person, they were just all really there for me and I was the youngest on the team, of course, but they didn't ever feel, make me feel like I couldn't do something.

And they really did help shape who I am today and without them realising it because I know if any of them listened to this, they would be thinking that it's not a big deal.

But I think people really look beyond that thing of did you have sort of good team members and a team that can, you know, really support you? Because that is really what shapes someone's confidence, especially if you've never done it before.

You really do require a good support system beyond your personal life. You need it at work as well. So I think again, because they were just so supportive, it really did help.

Kerry: And having that champion within the organisation to, you know, protect the time that you need to spend on your apprenticeship and make sure that you're, you're progressing in line with expectations for where you need to be at every stage.

So I'd like to talk briefly now about your career change, so you moved from data analytics into broader roles in content creation and digital marketing. First of all, it's a really interesting pivot. So can you describe for us what made you make that decision and how did your apprenticeship prepare you for the transition? Did you know, did the apprenticeship make it easier for you to pivot?

Anushka: Yeah, definitely. I think nobody really understands this until I say it to them. But if you think about it, data and marketing have a lot in common because you need data to market something successfully. And people don't really get that until you actually say it out loud. But it's actually got a huge correlation. And particularly I work in growth marketing and I always have. So since I started, I sort of worked in growth marketing and gaming and now I'm in growth marketing and finance.

So I've sort of always picked, I guess, an educational niche, if that's what you can call it. But I've got experience across every single one. I would say I'm definitely a different marketer in that sense that I have never felt that I can only do just one thing and sort of, you know, beauty, whatever, gaming, skincare, fashion, etc.

Has always been like, you know, whatever I find interesting at the moment, I've been able to successfully market it. I would say that if it wasn't for my apprenticeship, I definitely wouldn't be where I am today because the apprenticeship is what gave me the means to start a platform online.

When I was 18, I started posting about how I got an apprenticeship and, you know, how this could help other young people because that was always my goal. Yeah, my platform wasn't about making money, it was about showing people what they could do with their lives.

And I think that was a really important step for me because working with those brands to help other young people understand what apprenticeships truly are really did give me a lot of a good feeling.

It gave me a nice feeling to be able to say that I was helping the younger generation learn what these things are specifically, because nobody would really tell them, isn't it?

So it was just nice to have that platform and, you know, encourage other people. And then that turned into marketing for other brands. And then, you know, from there it was just sort of a thing that in my last year of my apprenticeship, I was exploring all my options. So, yes, I did interview for roles in data. I even had the opportunity to stay at Vodafone. But I just felt this sort of sense of calling to growth marketing, which is why I switched, because I started freelancing for clients when I was just 19.

So a year after starting my platform, that's when I sort of became a little bit well known within that particular niche. And I was doing lots of partnerships, a lot of content marketing for different brands.

And then it just felt like a natural move to go from, you know, a freelance role to sort of full time into what I actually wanted to do. So again, apprenticeship paid a huge part in that aspect of success.

Kerry: So you were building a brand for apprenticeships without really realising it just by talking to other young people about apprenticeships and promoting them as an, as an option. So yes, I can completely see whether to marry up there.

In my day it wasn't unusual for somebody to leave school, choose a career and then do that for the rest of their working days. But today people are much more likely to have portfolio careers, do a number of different things, perhaps do, you know, a couple of different, very unrelated jobs as part time roles.So we do see more of a trend towards that.

How did you find running your own business at such a young age?

Anushka: Yes, this is always an interesting topic. I think, to be honest, if I really look back on it, like I started my business just before beginning my dissertation, probably not the smartest idea now that I look back on it.

But again, I feel like that that experience really shaped me to who I am today. I'm a huge hard worker and I don't take things lightly when I, you know, do things like starting my own business. And it was a huge step, even just setting up the company and being able to be in a position to, you know, afford things like an accountant or you know, being able to talk to people in the same sort of mindset as me and you know, they're like a much older age than I am.

So it was just interesting being in rooms where you don't feel like you belong, but actually when you get there, like nobody judges you for starting because I think starting is the biggest step you can make.

And it led me to work with such amazing clients. I've worked with, you know, people that are really well known. And I think again, if it wasn't for me to just put my foot down and just start and just keep overthinking it, I definitely wouldn't be here today.

So I think that although it was hard, what in life isn't? And I think that was really my sort of motivation to keep going at such a young age. And yeah, it's just, it's nice to be able to be in a position to save more through that sort of you know, outlet of.

Of working extra hours, etc. So it's just more about my goals and how that aligns to it rather than, you know, how difficult it is.

Kerry: I want to talk a little bit and you've touched on it briefly, but about the advocacy work that you do. So in what ways do you use your experience and your platform to support apprentices?

And are there any ongoing initiatives or speaking engagements or activities that other apprentices can get involved in?

Anushka: Yeah, definitely. So I actually run career mentor sessions, which is sort of my way to give back to the student community and young people as I was one day. So, yeah, and I sort of provide a discount for students and then for people that are, you know, professionals and sort of a little bit further in their career, I still help them as well, but I like to give back to the younger generation as much as I can.

And I also. I get multiple comments on Instagram and TikTok about, you know, questions they have about my apprenticeship and videos I've made that they want sort of further answers to.

So I also help them through that. And in terms of partnerships and stuff, I constantly try to be as available as possible in terms of volunteering. So I like to go into schools and talk to.

I feel like that is the best way to really show people, you know, who you are. And I think a lot of the time that's a really important sort of thing to do to show young people that this is actually something that they can achieve.

So I would say this was at the end of last year now. I did a sort of career building session with, I think it was 40 or 50 first year apprentices, but they were at university, so it was like their courses were actually at the university rather than being with an employer.

So I went down to Manchester to do that and basically they couldn't believe that I was 21 at the time. I was. So they, you know, we were just talking and I was leading the presentation and sort of before the first task, I asked them how old they thought that I was. And when I said 21, literally the whole room was like, what the heck? You know, they were sort of just really shocked about the fact that someone similar to their age could be that successful.

And actually, just that night before I had got back from Morocco from a shoot that I was leading creative direction for. So, you know, it was just a really interesting story to tell them that at 21 I was being sort of, you know, I was in Morocco for work and, you know, all expenses paid sort of thing.

And I think that was really fun to teach them about. And again, you also have to talk about the negatives of these things because I think sometimes apprenticeships can be seen as like this big, glamorous thing, which they are, but there's also negatives to those things. And I don't think it's for everyone the same way university isn't for everyone. I think you have to be really mindful about your options, so. And very transparent, again, about the hard work that needs to be put in, especially in those final stages.

Kerry: It's having relatable role models, I think, is really important. It's something that we're trying to achieve, or we're hoping to achieve through this podcast series. Just shining the light on inspiring young people who others can relate to, you know, and think, well, this isn't very far away from me or my situation, and therefore I can relate to it.

So going into schools, I think, is a great way to do that. You've been a Maths and English tutor. You're incredibly supportive of apprenticeships and the opportunity that they provide.

What advice would you offer to those who are considering an apprenticeship now? And are there any myths about apprenticeships that you would like to dispel?

Anushka: Yes, definitely. So I would say that the one piece of advice I always, always give, it's like my top tip, because you really don't think of it until you're there. And it would be that you must apply to everything, like, literally everything that you're interested in.

You have to research it and have to, like, be involved in the process and, you know, just apply to as much as you can. Because at the end of the day, would you rather be SAT with just one option at the end of your school journey or 10? And I know people have that fear of, well, it might be too overwhelming to pick, but I think that if you really dig into your heart, you'll feel like there's one that you really do like. And when you have those options, you know it immediately because you'll know what you don't want to do and what you do want to do.

So, yeah, I would say, you know, similar to me, I applied to university and apprenticeships, but again, if I could go back, I would apply to lots of different apprenticeships, more than I did at the time because I focused on stem.

But as I said, I'm now in a creative career, so who knows, maybe doing something creative could have taken me in a different pathway. I don't know. But that this idea of only applying to the way that you are told is, I think, the wrong way.

So just to apply to everything.

And I'd say that the common myths about apprenticeships, one is that they definitely, you know, payloads. I think that's a common misconception that we get that, you know, they're on like 100 grand a year and we can afford Teslas and all this crazy stuff. And obviously that's not true. We do get paid well. And I think especially particularly if you're in a STEM apprenticeship, you do get paid more than others. And I'd say that there's ways to building your wealth, which is why people that have done similar things will be in a similar position to me, which is where you can save your money.

If you live at home, you know, you can start your own business, you can invest in things so that there's ways to use your money. But I would say that it doesn't give you that immediate success and, you know, wealth that people think that you can get.

So, you know, it's more about progression and less about a mediation.

Kerry: And what's next for Anushka? What's your sort of three year plan, if you have one?

Anushka: Yeah, I think that's a really interesting question because I'm very much someone who likes to plan in the short term, but for the long term I like to keep sort of my options open. And I have that same sort of process where if I'm interested in something, I will just apply for it and that's how I'll always be. So at the moment, I'm really loving my job.

I really enjoy working where I work at the moment. So that's probably like my long term plan for now. But I would like to maybe work abroad one day. And that was an opportunity that I was exploring this time last year by actually, actually turned it down. And I'm glad I did because I'm in a position where I couldn't be happier doing what I do. And I feel like it's actually somewhere where I can grow. And that's very important for me.

Kerry: It's been really interesting talking to you, Anushka. Thank you. If you could sum up what apprenticeships mean to you in five words or less, what would you say?

Anushka: Oh, I would say that apprenticeships mean progression and success to me.

Kerry: Fantastic. Thank you so much.

Anushka: Thank you for having me. It's been really lovely.

Kerry: You're very welcome.