Ben Fitzgerald

Computing (Data Science)

Sligo

Can you tell us your name, job title and the course you studied at ATU?

Name: Ben Fitzgerald

Job Title: Actuarial Analyst

Course studied: MSc in Data Science and Computing

Can you share your career path to date?

I started as a Risk Analyst in Paddy Power then moved to Zurich Insurance in Dublin where I was a data analyst and then a data scientist. I transferred to Dubai where I am now working as an Actuarial Analyst for Zurich.

What does your current role involve?

My current role involves a lot of coding mainly in RStudio and sometimes SAS. It involves extracting data from our local system and preparing the data and reports for consumption for the rest of the business from claims teams to underwriters to regulators.

What motivated you to start studying?

I studied Financial Maths in college so I always had an interest in the subject. I wanted to upskill and take my knowledge of data science in particular coding to the next level

Why did you choose this course from ATU?

I chose this course because of the flexibility it offered me, I could study in the evenings and weekends while still working a full time job. Also when I moved country, it didn’t affect how I was able to study.

How did you find the process of studying online? What elements did you find helpful? Were there elements you found challenging?

I found it very enjoyable as you could learn at your own pace, I found the lecturers very helpful as they were always ready to respond to any questions. The only element I found challenging was being able to balance work and study sometimes was a challenge

How did you balance work and study?

It was something I had to work on and even though you are free to study whenever you want, I found it easier to set myself a schedule of when to study each week and to block off time instead of just studying when I had free time

In terms of your employer, were they supportive of your decision to study? Were there elements of the course that were particularly relevant to your current employer?

Yes, Zurich was very supportive to my studies, they gave me study leave to take exams when I needed to. They were also very supportive of me upskilling my coding knowledge which was helpful to the business

What advice would you have for anyone considering studying online?

To take it as seriously as studying in person and to set schedules

In what way has studying online with ATU benefitted your career?

It really helped me to upskill in my career and have a lot more knowledge in my day to day activities in my job. I have a lot more confidence in my knowledge and coding ability then I did before.

Did you find that the elements you were studying had practical relevance in your day-to-day role?

Yes, most of my role revolves around coding, where it wouldn’t have been my strongest point coming out of college but after this course it has improved dramatically.

What were the key skills you took away from your time studying at ATU?

Mainly my coding ability which has massively improved, but also time management and being very efficient with managing my work, studies and social life.