Spotlight on…
I think it’s well documented by now that we just love to shout about how great our community are. Be they instructors, staff, or students, we think they are all great and we want you to know about it. This week we’re talking to Hannah about how she came to GA, what she likes about it and what advice she’d give future students.
What were you doing before GA?
I was working as a Client Engagement Manager for a UX Consultancy in London. Whilst I loved my job, I didn’t feel inspired by my career progression pathway and was keen to find ways I could give more value to the projects I was working on. Data Analytics felt like an obvious and exciting choice for me — with a versatile syllabus and very transferable skill set, I strongly believe that an understanding of data analytics can add value to any career no matter what role you have in your organisation.
Not only did upskilling on the GA Data Analytics course elevate the way I carried out my role, but it then ultimately led to a career change. Around 6 months from completing the course, I moved into Product Management where I use qualitative, as well as quantitative data skills to drive product decision making. I now work at Kokoon Technology, developing an app that redefines the sleep experience for struggling sleepers. The app gathers biometric data from Kokoon’s sleep sensing headphones to deliver insights and sleep coaching recommendations based on your unique sleep habits, alongside tools and a library of content to help continue to manage and improve your sleep. Being able to pair my data experience with my love for healthtech is hugely rewarding.
I’ve loved returning to GA as an Instructional Associate, not only to support other people in learning and progressing into a career they love, but also as it continues to challenge me; working together with the ever-inspiring Joanna Wang and alongside what is always a curious, incredibly fun cohort of students, I come away having learned something new each time.
Tell me three things you love about your role at GA?
1.The bottomless coffee
2.Learning something new with every course intake
3.Seeing a transformation in students own self belief, from day 1 to graduation: celebrating the highs, cheerleading through the lows, and seeing them leave the classroom having exceeded their own expectations of what they’re capable of.
What do you like about GA?
That’s easy — the culture. When you enter GA, you are surrounded by people who have a real, genuine passion for their craft, and an unwavering curiosity to keep learning and growing. It’s an incredibly uplifting and motivating environment to be in.
One piece of advice you’d give to the students?
Embrace the challenge. When you begin learning any new skill, there will always be parts that you find easy, and then parts which will leave you in an ice-cream binge worthy bucket of despair.
I often find myself reminding students not to dwell, or stress over when they find something difficult, or the answer doesn’t come as fast as they hope. When we feel challenged, it’s a sign that we are learning something brand new, which is a great thing. No one really takes a course in something that they can already do! So my advice would be to stay kind to yourself,
Be kind and patient to yourself whilst you’re learning, and be ready to celebrate the AHA moment when it comes.
You can find out more about Hannah on here, on her Linkedin and on Instagram @spannerhollis.
