From a Shaking Voice to a Career in Data: Sharon’s KPI Graduate Story
How one graduate developed the confidence to communicate her skills and build a career doing what she loves.
“My voice was literally shaking.”
That’s how Sharon remembers her first presentation on the KPI Graduate Programme.
She had the academic qualifications. She understood data, and she knew how to analyse information and turn numbers into meaningful insights. But standing in front of a room and explaining what she knew was another matter entirely, and it became one of the first things she would learn to overcome.
A passion for data
Sharon joined the KPI Graduate Programme with a master’s degree in Economic Science and a genuine interest in data analytics. Her background in econometrics had taught her how to work with complex information, identify patterns and use data to answer business questions.
When she discovered the programme, she saw an opportunity to apply that knowledge in a working environment while continuing to learn. She was excited about the technical experience she could gain, and she gained plenty. During the programme, Sharon built a sales-focused model that was still being used in the business when she shared her story. She also learned to automate processes in Excel and discovered capabilities within familiar tools that she hadn’t previously explored.
What she didn’t yet realise was how much she would develop personally.
Learning to find her voice
One of the biggest challenges Sharon faced was presenting her work.
Through regular Friday presentation sessions, guidance from mentors and opportunities to engage with senior managers and stakeholders, she gradually became more comfortable communicating her ideas. She learned to explain her thinking, answer questions and present her work with greater confidence.
The most important change wasn’t something that could be measured in a spreadsheet. It was the confidence she was beginning to develop in herself.
The people behind the progress
When Sharon reflects on her experience, she speaks about the people who supported her. Her manager, mentors, career and life coaches all played a part in her development. They gave her opportunities to learn, challenged her thinking and created an environment where she could ask questions, make mistakes and improve.
She also remembers the relationships she built with the other graduates. They arrived as strangers but became, in her words, “siblings for life.”
For Sharon, the programme was about more than gaining work experience. It was about being part of a group of people who were learning and growing together.
From KPI graduate to Revenue Operations Analyst
Today, Sharon works as a Revenue Operations Analyst at Prophix, using data analysis, forecasting and reporting to support better decisions across sales and marketing teams.
It’s a natural progression for the graduate who loved working with numbers and wanted to understand how data could make a difference in a business. The programme helped her put that knowledge to work, with the practical experience and the confidence to match.
Graduate development is about more than technical skills
Graduate programmes are often measured by the qualifications participants hold, the technical skills they acquire and the projects they complete. Those things matter. But Sharon’s experience highlights another important part of professional development.
Someone can have the knowledge to do a job without yet having the confidence to demonstrate what they know. That confidence develops through experience, encouragement, constructive feedback and repeated opportunities to practise.
At KPI, we believe developing young talent means looking beyond technical training. It means creating an environment where graduates can practise communicating their ideas, learn from their mistakes and recognise their own potential.
Sharon’s story is a reminder that developing talent isn’t simply about teaching people what they don’t know. Sometimes it’s about helping them discover what they’re already capable of.
About KPI Management Solutions
KPI Management Solutions focuses on developing data talent and building the practical skills organisations need.
Through our graduate development programmes, we help bridge the gap between academic learning and professional experience, preparing young professionals to contribute meaningfully in the workplace.
