Woking College student spends work experience week at ai

We recently welcomed Year 12 Woking College student Maahin Ahmed to spend a few days shadowing some of our team at The ai Corporation. Maahin is keen to pursue a career in science, analytics, or finance - he is currently studying biology, chemistry, and maths.  Special thanks to Luke Mathews, Peter Mangan and Marke Wheelhouse for their time and mentorship.

Here is his Q&A blog:

What interested you in doing work experience at ai?   

I was intrigued by the opportunity to gain work experience at ai because they work in the retail fuel and mobility sector, which I previously knew little about. Additionally, I was interested in learning more about the finance and fraud departments.  

 What have you done during your week with ai? What have you enjoyed the most?   

During the first two days of the week, I shadowed the finance department and worked with Mark. I learned about some of the software they use, such as Xero and ApprovalMax, and gained an understanding of financial processes like balance sheets, profit and loss, and cash flow forecasts. I also created graphs using data from overhead costs and observed the invoice and purchase order approval process.   

For the next three days, I shadowed the fraud department with Luke. I learned how data can be used to detect fraudulent behavior and observed the creation of fraud detection rules in aiRiskNet. Peter showed me how they create rules with different parameters, and Jocelyn provided example data of potential and confirmed fraud cases. I found it fascinating to see how some fraud cases can be extremely subtle and hard-to-detect. I also worked on a presentation comparing data from two different customers.   

I enjoyed shadowing both Mark and Luke because their roles had both similarities and differences. This experience gave me a better understanding of what a fraud analyst and an accountant do.  

What have you learned that you will take back to your educational life?   

I learned more about Excel and its powerful capabilities. I also learned that spotting patterns in data often has a narrative behind it, and it can always be explained.  

What surprised you about your work experience?   

I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly and welcoming the work environment was, which was a significant shift from my college experience. I was also amazed by the volume of data used by both the finance and fraud departments.  

Have your career aspirations changed as a result of your work experience?  

I found the data analysis work in the fraud department particularly interesting, and as a result, I have become more interested in pursuing a career in analytics.