From Dental School Drop-Out to a Digital Master’s Apprenticeship: My Journey of Self-discovery

As an 18-year-old, deciding what career path you want to take for the rest of your life is incredibly daunting. You have just finished education and have barely experienced life yet. My journey to a Master’s apprenticeship was unconventional to say the least. I went through many hurdles before landing where I am today.

Navigating the hardships of University

Throughout sixth form, I was stuck for choice on a career path. I didn’t want to limit myself so early on, so I decided to study Mathematics at University. I was told that Mathematics would broaden my horizons, and it was my favourite subject after all.

I began University, but it wasn’t the experience I thought it was going to be. I really struggled in my first year. I failed my first exam, despite studying so hard. My degree cohort consisted of over 200 people, so it was hard to get any 1-2-1 support from professors. By the time I reached the middle of my second year, I felt like giving up. I wasn’t doing as well as my peers and experienced a lot of self-doubt. It was at this point that I really hated Maths and wanted to change direction altogether. I did an investment banking placement at the time, but I didn’t feel any purpose or satisfaction from it. Shortly after, I went through a phase where I wanted to work in fashion. I interned at a fashion marketing company for the summer, however, you could say I had a ‘Devil Wears Prada’ experience. Because I had failed that year, I wanted to drop out, but then my Mum encouraged me to transfer to a different Uni so I could at least finish my degree. My Mum had studied Maths at Middlesex University and told me she had a good experience. I called and asked if they accepted transfers, and thankfully they did. This was a huge step for me because it meant leaving my existing friends and living in a different area. I was naturally nervous on my first day, but I was so surprised to see that there were only 6 people in the whole of the degree cohort. Everyone was so friendly and made me feel welcome straight away. My professors were so accommodating and helped me so much.

Pursuing Dentistry as a second degree

Despite having a more positive experience, I was still in the mindset of not wanting to pursue Maths as a career. I explored the idea of applying to Dentistry as a graduate. Dentistry was always a path I had in the back of my mind; it’s a rewarding career where you help transform people’s confidence with their smiles, the same way my Dentist did for me. I never initially applied because I didn’t feel confident enough to go through the interview process, but I was determined to get into Dentistry this time round. Throughout the continuation of my degree at Middlesex, I worked as a dental receptionist and applied to different dental schools across the country. Covid had hit in my last year, which was challenging but my tenacity kept me going. At the end of it, I was extremely pleased to receive a First-Class Honours and two offers to study Dentistry. I felt on top of the world at that point.

I went on to study Dentistry. I was so excited about the prospect of becoming a Dentist. I felt like I had my career path finally figured out. Until 1 month in, I felt the work piling up. It brought me back to my initial experience studying Maths all over again. I struggled to keep up with the content. I didn’t pass my exams, and I felt like a failure. My parents could tell I was affected mentally, and they urged me to drop-out. I was extremely fortunate to have supportive parents who didn’t care if I quit Uni or not. They just wanted me to be happy.

Figuring it all out again

After dropping out, it was back to square one. I had to figure out my career path again. Fortunately, I found a job in recruitment. It was a really good job that allowed me to step out of my comfort zone. I had to make sales, do cold calls, and get involved in business development. Although my confidence and people skills had improved, I wasn’t feeling stretched. A part of me missed Maths oddly enough. A year into my role, I decided to do some data courses. It wasn’t long until I realised that data was an industry that intrigued me, so I decided to apply to data-focused graduate schemes. I came across the Data Graduate Programme at QBE. It was the first of its kind. Everything about the job advert appealed to me, especially the chance to undertake a fully funded qualification. I was delighted to get through to the final stage. I would study the company and its values every night up until my assessment centre date. A few weeks later I got the phone call to say that I had been accepted on to QBE’s Data Graduate Programme.

Working at QBE has been an incredible experience so far. Balancing work with studying a Master’s can be challenging at times, but it’s also rewarding. Whilst undertaking a Data Analytics Master’s part-time, I also rotate between different teams within QBE’s European Data Centre of Excellence. My previous rotation was in the Data Solutions & Analysis team, and now I’m currently working in the Business Intelligence team. Since my time here I have had some really unique opportunities that I don’t think I would get at anywhere else. I have provided voiceover work for a QBE marketing video, I hosted a panel and did a public speech with Women in Data^® at Accenture, and my fellow grads and I had afternoon tea with QBE’s CEO! A project that I have been a part of that I’m really passionate about is ThoughtSpot, which is our new self-service Business Intelligence tool. I have been a part of the rollout team for the past year, trying to onboard users across the organisation. ThoughtSpot is an exciting innovation that boasts A.I. features, and I’ve really enjoyed using it.

My advice to those who are feeling lost in their career journey

1. It’s okay not to have it all figured out

No one has it figured out. Life is all about finding yourself. You do not always need to have a plan. In fact, if you always had a plan, I would argue that you are rigid in your approach. Be open minded to the opportunities that present yourself. You never know what’s around the corner

2. Do not compare yourself

Naturally thanks to social media, we all have a habit of comparing ourselves to others. We might see people who are more successful than us or who look happier than us. But the truth is, we don’t know what people go through on a daily basis. We don’t see the struggle or the hustle that is put in. It’s important to just focus on yourself.

3. Don’t be afraid to take risks

Within reason, put yourself out of your comfort zone and take risks. Try new things. Be bold. I took the risk to go to Dental School, and although it didn’t work out, I won’t have the regret in 20 years’ time that I should have tried.

4. Trust your journey

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Although you may regret certain decisions you make in your life, the experiences you face and the mistakes you make lead up to the bigger picture, where everything will work out.

5. Hang in there

There are times where it is going to feel tough. Remain positive and stay resilient. Seek support or help if you need to. I live by the saying ‘this shall too pass’, meaning that the bad times won’t last forever.

People would always tell me that University would be the best years of your life, but I didn’t feel that way at all. There’s always this pressure to have that perfect University experience, but actually I have never loved life more than when I started my Master’s apprenticeship. I really do encourage the apprenticeship route to everyone, whether it is straight out of school or later in life. Since I started QBE I’ve made friends, learned so much, and now I have just been nominated for Apprentice of the Year at the UK IT Industry Awards. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would bounce back after dropping out of university twice. To those reading this blog, if there is one thing to take away from my story, it’s that you don’t have to have it all figured out. It’s okay to try different things until you know what works for you. Trust your journey.

 

Amanpreet Oppal

Data Analyst at QBE Europe | Data Centre of Excellence

You can find out more and connect with Amanpreet on LinkedIn.