Kate Mlynarska

Business Analytics

Galway City – Wellpark Road

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

My name is Kate Mlynarska, I am currently working as a Senior Staff Officer for Admissions at ATU Sligo Campus. I studied Higher Diploma in Business Analytics at ATU Galway.

Can you share your career path to date?

I have done many jobs since I came to Ireland back in 2005, however my career started from working at a software company in Sligo. This is where my love for systems and working with data started. From there I worked as a General Manager with Finance responsibilities before I moved to St Angelas College where I worked as part of the Integration team. At this point I knew I wanted to learn more about data analysis and how the systems are built. Since then I worked for a year on Student Registration System Integration Project before I moved into Admissions permanently.

What does your current role involve?

My current role at Admissions Office involves processing applications for undergraduate entry and helping potential students on their way to higher education.

What motivated you to start studying?

I call myself a forever student – I love upskilling myself and learning. My goal was always to achieve an Undergraduate Degree. I completed Access Course in University of Galway around 2014 and started Bachelor of Commerce online shortly after. I struggled to complete my degree due to personal reasons and exited with Diploma in Business. Not being able to complete my degree played on my mind, so I started looking for an alternative. As I had experience in Business, by working and running my own business, I applied for Higher Diploma through Springboard and Recognition of Prior Learning. I was delighted to get a place.

Why did you choose this course at ATU?

It was important to choose a course that was online and flexible. At the time, I had a young family and being able to do classes at the comfort of my own home, was important to me. Data Analytics was a hot topic at the time, and as I did not have a set career pathway at the time, I wanted to choose a course that would have a lot of transferable skills. Higher Diploma in Business Analytics seems perfect for this as it was technical (I learn SQL language and how to build a database system or touched on Python Programming) but also included modules like Business Analytics that taught me how to write reports and present data in a way that is easy to understand and helped in decision-making process.

How did you find the process of studying in a flexible manner? What elements did you find helpful? Were there elements you found challenging?

Higher Diploma in Business Analytics is a 60 credits program. A course of this scope comes with expectation of full-time study and involved a lot of self-motivation. The lectures were scheduled in such a way that each module’s material was released on a different day, and we had a week or two to complete the assessment. A lot of the assessments were practical, which I liked. Lectures were pre-recorded so I was able to re-watch or watch in free time, usually at the weekends. Having a clear schedule helped to stay focused. Library materials for majority of the modules were available online, and I was able to get some books posted to my home address free of charge from the library. It was very helpful. I used Writing Centre on a couple occasions to get help with written assignments. Completing assessments as they were due each week helped me stay on track and gave a sense of progressing through the course. I found the workload quite big, manageable though.

How did you balance work and study?

I used skills I learnt at the course in work, so that helped me hugely. I was not always great at sticking to my study schedule, but few of my fellow students did that and it worked for them a treat. I started listening to lectures while on a walk with a dog, and completed some assessments on breaks or before everyone got up at home.

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, I was lucky in that sense that my workplace offers Study Leave and I was able to use it before crucial deadlines. I did not know it when I was studying but learning SQL and Power BI as well as analysis techniques hugely helped me in the way I work currently. Even learning about various techniques In Excel proved to be helpful. 

What advice would you have for anyone considering studying a flexible learning programme?

Don’t overthink it and go for it. You can do it from anywhere and anytime, even on your phone.

In what way has studying with ATU benefitted your career?

I strongly believe that without this Higher Diploma I would not be in a role that I really enjoy doing. I am receiving more responsibility when it comes to reporting and use of the systems that help streamlining processes and aid decision-making.

Did this course provide any unexpected benefits to your career?

Yes, I met a lot of interesting people and created some friendships. It also taught me that sometimes done is better than perfect!

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

Yes, not only in my current role but also in my previous roles. The more technical skills like SQL language helped me with the system integration role I worked at for about a year. My current role involves reporting on some complex data and skills learnt during the Higher Diploma, certainly helped me do those tasks more efficiently and accurately.