inlumi actively invests in graduates to help them kick-start their careers and gain real-world experience as Analysts in consulting. We took a moment to interview Yam and Samine – two of our recent graduates in London who joined the team in January.
What was it like joining inlumi?
The inlumi onboarding process was superb. It was pivotal in making us feel included from day one, which in our opinion inlumi did wonderfully. It felt like a two-way experience – the people at inlumi were keen to learn as much about us as we wanted to learn about them. It was well-planned, personal, social, and meaningful.
Our first weeks were packed with sessions that allowed us to get exposure to both the people and the projects they work on. With the removal of Covid restrictions, we have been able to come to the office daily, giving us exposure to senior inlumi team members and the opportunity to ask questions more easily than via scheduled conference calls.
We can’t remember how many times Yusef, our recruitment manager, has asked for feedback and emphasised how important it is to him personally that we are doing well. Everyone is very approachable which has helped boost our confidence to ask for help, but also provided the opportunity to just watch and learn.
What have you been up to since the onboarding process?
We’re working together on a HFM replacement project which is being led by Paul Wilcock. One of the jobs that we got to pick up initially was reconciling and checking data in SmartView. We had no clue as to how powerful Excel is when you add SmartView!
Currently, we are working on building reports in Oracle FCCS. In the beginning, this felt quite daunting, but the project team has been extremely generous in investing their time in us, so now it does not seem as scary.
Having a career coach and a buddy has proved to be invaluable as the learning curve felt quite steep, and it has been nice to have a support system reassuring us that this was all very normal.
I imagine that there are very few places where you would work in the same line of desks as the CEO, Head of People and your Managing Consultant coach.
We do have to remind ourselves from time to time of how we felt initially in January and how we would not have a clue about some of the work that we do right now.
So, has it been all work, work, work?
Definitely not! We have had some fun along the way too. Activities such as lunches with the leadership team, a Mexican night, Friday office breakfasts, going out for promotion celebrations and scaling bouldering walls with colleagues have all added to the inlumi experience.
We have found that within such a short time, these strangers have become a small community of people that you enjoy seeing daily or weekly. We never dreamed of working in an office where, for instance one holds a freshly ground coffee or pukka tea in one hand while, the other rests upon Bertie (the office dog)’s head.
Has it been nice to join the inlumi team?
Yes! Not all teams have people who are always willing to support and help you build up your skillset. It is also great to have someone who is on the same learning journey as you are. We get to learn together from our coach but also from each other.
It has become a ritual to share even the tiniest piece of knowledge acquired. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and try to help each other out. We are both each other’s first point of contact when we get stuck on something.
What would you say to the next intake when they join?
We’ve discovered that there is so much to learn and how frustrating it can be at the start. It’s the feeling of wanting to run before you can walk.
What we’ve learnt is that becoming a consultant takes time; it’s a continuous journey of learning development that cannot be rushed, professionally or personally. It’s all about gaining experience in every aspect of the job, from Excel shortcuts to basic accounting terms.
In hindsight, there’s no need to rush to Udemy to complete all available courses on accounting, for instance. Do remember to establish expectations regarding the duration of a task assigned to you and ensure that you have checked it as thoroughly as you can before sending it on. If you have a willingness to learn from every opportunity that’s given to you, then inlumi is here to help you succeed.
