I joined Principle One in September 2021 after completing a Masters in Crime and Forensic Science at UCL. Before that my undergraduate degree was in Experimental Psychology at Oxford. I’ve always been fascinated by the law enforcement and security sector, but also wanted a job where I could apply the academic and analytical skills I acquired during my studies. When I came across the business consultant role at Principle One, it seemed like the perfect fit – a company based within the field I was so interested in, but with a focus on innovation, technological advances and making long-term positive changes to the sector.

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I usually get to the office between 8.30 and 8.45am. Our office is right on the River Thames, so it’s a lovely walk to get to, and a great view from the window! I generally grab a coffee and something to eat from the café downstairs, then get to work. My role as a graduate business consultant varies greatly from week to week. At the moment, I’m working for a customer carrying out research on emerging technology trends and the impact they might have on law enforcement and national security. I really enjoy this work, as it gives me the opportunity to explore a wealth of different topics and chat with so many interesting people.

 

At 11am, I have a coffee catch up scheduled with one of my colleagues. These are set up weekly and it’s a lottery who you will get each week. It’s a chance to talk to colleagues on other projects and the catch up is assigned at random, so could be with anyone!

 

After lunch, I get started on some business analysis work to support a colleague on a new project that mobilised this week. This involves putting together some business artefacts to help validate and define the problem space – a stakeholder motivation model and some process maps demonstrating how the current system works. I also complete some market research, identifying systems which have relevant operating models and can help us hypothesise potential solutions for the customer problem. It’s really rewarding working with more experienced business analysts at Principle One, and offers me the chance to develop my skills and understanding whilst contributing to a valued piece of work.

 

At 2pm, I have a meeting with my mentor. Mentors are assigned to everyone on arrival in Principle One to support career progression and provide broader coaching support and I meet with mine once a fortnight. We go through my goals for the next few months and make sure they’re manageable and help progress my career development. After chatting about my current project and how I’m finding it, we get back to work. I carry on with my research work for the rest of the afternoon, writing up a report due next week.

 

After work, we have the first gathering for our Principle One Business Analysis community, where we discuss ways of working, literature recommendations and ideas for future meetings. Drinks and snacks are provided and the gathering ends in a quiz and a pub trip to wrap up a busy but rewarding day!