Fiona Reid

"I matched most closely with the Communicator, Coordinator and Influencer personality types. All of these personality types have communication as a key skill. In my role being able to communicate effectively is incredibly important as I need to be able to explain complex code to developers and also explain that same code (or its purpose) to managers. Being able to adapt my communication style and level to any audience is crucial. "

"I'm a Data Scientist at a large bank. I use data science techniques like machine learning and natural language processing to solve problems within the area of risk in banking. My work involves developing new solutions to existing problems. I really enjoy the variety of different problems and data that I get to work with as they provide opportunities to learn new skills and techniques in data science or computer programming.The starting salary varies hugely depending on the sector you work in so it's really difficult to give an exact figure but 25-30K would be normal for a junior role (e.g. straight out of University) and upwards of 40K once you've gained some experience. As your experience grows, the salary increases quickly."

"After finishing school I went to Edinburgh University to study for a degree in Geophysics and after really enjoying the research projects during my final year went on to do a D.Phil (aka PhD) at Oxford University. My D.Phil was in the field of earthquake seismology. During my D.Phil I made a 3d model of the inside of the Earth's mantle using data from earthquakes. After my D.Phil I worked for over 20 years in academia in reservoir geophysics and high performance computing. I've taught hundreds of students how to use parallel computers and worked with huge computer codes and data sets across all fields of science.In 2019 I moved into Data Science and now work at a large bank solving data related problems in banking. My current role is fantastically varied, and lets me learn new things ever day which I really enjoy. "

"I spend my spare time outdoors walking, climbing, skiing, essentially anything where going up or down a mountain or cliff face is involved. I love being outside in nature and enjoy the sense of achievement I get from climbing a new mountain to getting to the top of a climb having solved its various puzzles on the way. "

"I spend most of my day at my computer doing a mixture of communicating with colleagues via video conference/email or instant messages, writing code (Python), learning new skills, testing code and checking results make sense. No two days or datasets are the same so you won't ever get bored."

"Scottish Highers in Maths, English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology Certificate of Sixth Year Studies (now called Advanced Higher) in Maths, Physics and Chemistry. BSc Honours Degree in GeophysicsD.Phil in Earthquake SeismologySummer Mountain Leader - for leading groups in the mountains of the United Kingdom in summer conditions"