Abhishek’s Journey: From Working in a Warehouse to Data Analyst at a Water Supply Company in the UK

When Abhishek reached out to me in September 2024, he felt stuck. Despite having a solid junior data analyst background at Cognizant in India (which he left in February 2022 to pursue a master’s in Data Science in the UK), he was now working in a warehouse job. He wanted to return to analytics, but recruiters seemed to overlook him because he lacked recent, relevant experience.

Rediscovering His Potential

Our first step was to highlight Abhishek’s existing strengths:

1. Technical Knowledge: He had real-world exposure to data analytics from his time at Cognizant.
2. Academic Edge: He was finishing his Master’s in Data Science in the UK.
3. Professional Drive: He was eager to get back into data analytics, no matter what it took.

Key Concern: How to bridge the gap between his Cognizant experience and his current warehouse role?

I suggested adding a volunteer Data Analyst role to his CV. This move:

• Demonstrated ongoing development of his data skills.
• Caught recruiters’ attention by showcasing proactive industry involvement.

Abhishek CV:

Landing the First Call

With his revamped CV, Abhishek landed an initial phone call from a leading UK-based water supply company. The conversation went well, validating our strategy. This initial screening call paved the way for the next stage: a video-recorded interview.

Video-Recorded Interview: The Four Critical Questions

Abhishek was asked to record answers to four key questions:

1. Describe a project where you have had to implement or follow data governance frameworks.
   • How did this framework improve the overall data quality and business decision making?
2. Please tell us about your CRM systems experience.
3. When have you had to collaborate with other teams to achieve a desired outcome?
4. When have you used data to make a decision?

If you’d like to see the exact answers Abhishek provided, you can buy the full Q&A pack here. Each answer was meticulously crafted to showcase his technical knowledge, problem-solving acumen, and communication skills—traits essential to a successful Data Analyst.

The Final Round: A Task-Based Interview

Impressed with his video interview responses, the company invited Abhishek for the final round, which was task-based. His challenge?

“Please could you take these hypothetical tickets that have been raised, create your own risk matrix, and score them in order of priority. The risk matrix is up to you and there is no correct order. We would like you to explain your risk matrix, why you have chosen the categories, and why you have scored the hypothetical ticket in that way. Present in any way you’d like.”

The hypothetical tickets included:

• Customer portal down (unable to open, create, pay, monitor for applications)
• Affinity unable to change account manager on portal (i.e., who is responsible for the project at Affinity)
• Unable to update telephone number on customer portal
• Affinity unable to respond to customer message through portal
• FAQs weblink broken on customer quote
• Incorrect data on Service Level dashboard resulting in missing regulatory LOS
• Internal user password reset
• New feature to be added to customer application

Abhishek had to create and present a risk matrix that clearly prioritized these tasks based on impact and likelihood, plus operational or reputational risk.

Want to see exactly how Abhishek tackled this exercise?
Click here to buy the presentation and his detailed task-based interview answers. You’ll gain insights into:

• How to structure a risk matrix
• What categories to use (e.g., impact on customers, regulatory implications, business continuity)
• Why certain tasks scored higher priority than others

Please watch the below video where Abhishek has explained how the career coaching helped him to get his dream job.