Category Archives: Coffee Chat Series

Graduate Coffee Chat with Anastasiia Potashina, Account Strategist at Google

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Anna Lelashvili

As part of the Graduate Coffee Chats series in collaboration with Foresight Business Group, TBR’s Chief Financial Officer and Foresight President Anna Lelashvili spoke to Anastasiia Potashina, Account Strategist at Google to get insight into life as a graduate at Google.

The Account Strategist Role – What is it?

As an Account Strategist supporting the UK and Ireland market, Anastasiia works with small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to develop and implement effective digital marketing solutions. This involves managing a portfolio of clients and acting as a trusted advisor, understanding their unique needs and aligning advertising strategies with their business goals. 

This role, within the Google Customer Solutions (GCS) team, blends client engagement with strategic planning. Offering exposure to diverse industries from travel to technology, the team fosters both industry knowledge and thought leadership. GCS Account Strategists empower SMBs to grow and achieve their objectives by bringing them the best of Google’s resources. The role provides continuous training and mentorship, fostering professional development within a supportive team environment, and offers direct interaction with business leaders to build a strong professional network.

** Anastasiia noted that the entry-level position for this role is now referred to as Customer Growth Associate. 

Career Progression

Career progression is an ongoing process that requires upskilling and demonstrated performance, with Account Strategists evaluated on performance metrics. The company also encourages personal development and exploration of individual interests. As Anastasiia is passionate about inclusion and belonging, her contributions outside of her usual team responsibilities include being an inclusion ambassador, which entails running training sessions for her team, as well as being a ‘buddy’ to three Nooglers (new joiners at Google), helping them settle in.

The Interview Process

The Google interview process for this role involves a series of steps designed to assess your overall fit and qualifications. It begins with an initial call with a recruiter, followed by three video interviews with the hiring manager and Googlers from related teams. The interviews will focus on your alignment with Google’s culture and values, exploring whether you would thrive in the company and team environment. Another interview will assess your understanding of Google Ads and the specifics of the role, determining your ability to successfully perform job duties. This explores your business acumen, stakeholder management skills, and ability to achieve targets.

Work Culture 

Anastasiia described the work culture at Google as ‘helpful and open’ and also culturally diverse, which stood out to her when she first started working. As Google’s Dublin office is the EMEA head office, employees relocate from all over the world to work in Dublin. 

‘It’s a culture of sharing experiences openly. Prioritising growth, not just for yourself but for others as well, which I really appreciate within Google and there aren’t too many companies like this.’

While Anastasiia had some experience with Google Ads during her time at Trinity College Dublin, she was able to fully deepen her knowledge in her role. Luckily, her Noogler cohort included professionals who had gained experience in other technology companies, allowing Anastasiia to ask them for help. When joining Google, Anastasiia went through the onboarding process, where not only did she learn the ins and outs of Google Ads, but also helped her make friends and feel a sense of belonging. Additionally, each Noogler gets a strong layer of internal support – that being their team members and managers with additional access to more senior team member’s inputs to help them settle in and succeed in the new role. 

‘When I just started, imposter syndrome was definitely affecting me quite a bit. However,  that happens to every single person who starts here. It does go away a little bit, but it’s always there in your subconscious, allowing you to strive for continuous learning.’

Advice to Students 

  1. Reach out to Googlers! : Reaching out to those who are already in Google will help you understand what the job is about. Anastasiia did this and found it very helpful. It was Trinity that recommended her to do this. They advised her to look at the Trinity College or Trinity Business Alumni LinkedIn page and go through alumni to find who works in Google, specifically on the potential team you are interviewing for, and ask for 15 minutes of their time! 
  2. Office Visits: As part of the Masters in Marketing, Trinity Business School organised a variety of office tours to allow students space to understand the roles they have on offer to graduates. Anastasiia recommended attending these visits, if they are offered as part of your course, as it is a good opportunity for networking.  
  3. CV & Interview: For your CV, make sure you are very impact-focused, adding quantitative measures of your impact. For interviews, use the STARL method. While many of us are familiar with the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action & Result), Anastasiia recommended adding the L (learning) component to discuss what you learned from the situation and how you have implemented the learning experience since.

Coffee Chat with Jane Brazil, Deals Advisory Associate at PwC 

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Kate Lynch 

As part of the Graduate Coffee Chats series in collaboration with Foresight Business Group, Foresight Vice President Kate Lynch spoke to Jane Brazil, Deals Advisory Associate at PwC and former TBR Editor-in-Chief to get insights into her life as a graduate. 

PwC Deals Advisory Associate Role 

Jane, a Trinity Law and Business graduate of the class 2023, is currently working as a Deals Advisory Associate at PwC. In PwC, they have a specific deals programme known as “The Edge Programme”, which lasts 3 and a half years and occurs in Irish offices, across EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and Asia Pacific. In this programme employees get the opportunity to rotate across different business units, which Jane described as “very useful, because you get an insight into different stages of the deal lifecycle”. Jane described it as a global programme, as you get the opportunity to visit Madrid at the start of the 3 years and meet other graduates from many offices across EMEA. 

Jane is currently in her second year of the programme and has done rotations in the Transaction services (TS) and then Capital Projects & Infrastructure (CP&I) department. Her home department is M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) within corporate finance, being situated in this department day-to-day. Jane emphasises that “no two days are the same, one day I could be doing financial modeling, then the next day I could be doing market outreach…it’s so diverse”.

Career Progression 

Jane is currently starting her career as an associate, with career progression then leading to senior associate, manager, senior manager and eventually director or partner. This direct trajectory allows for continuous professional development with a clear vision of what’s next. 

Interview Process at PwC 

Jane came into this role from a summer internship position, so she didn’t go through the interview process for the graduate programme. However, she did experience the process for the internship position, which began with the usual online application involving a CV and academic background. If shortlisted, you’re then invited to participate in an online psychometric assessment and a group interview. If you’re successful after that stage, you’re brought for a private interview with a senior member of the team. Jane described it as a multi-stage process, but pretty similar to many other companies’ interview processes. 

Skills gained from Internships: Are they Still Relevant? 

Jane previously did an internship with KPMG in audit and “found it really beneficial in terms of your general knowledge about the different business functions”. She was able to transfer this knowledge to PwC and it helps her with the “day-to-day work in deals”. She emphasises the importance of “getting exposure to what different roles do, especially in the corporate world as it is all interlinked”. In certain transactions, Jane “would be working with lawyers and tax specialists” so it’s good to have a general understanding. 

In terms of soft skills, Jane says the internships are great for “pushing you out of your comfort zone..during the eight weeks and meeting loads of people”. During the Summer in PwC a lot of the associates go on study leave. These associates are replaced with the summer interns which puts the interns on actual live projects, giving them the opportunity to gain an abundance of hands-on experience, which Jane found so invaluable and an excellent opportunity experience all round. It’s also a great way to become more aware of what the graduate programme is like as it’s a very similar environment to the internship. 

Work Culture 

Jane describes the work culture in PwC as “very dynamic, very collaborative and very supportive, especially in deals, because we’re quite a small team”. Jane, as an associate, works directly with partners and directors where they will ask for her opinions and thoughts on projects, which is “daunting at the start, but they genuinely do want to hear your thoughts and ideas”. Jane expresses that it’s great to work so closely with the partners and directors because “they have so much experience and you learn from that”. Since the team is small, you become so close with everyone and it makes it a lot easier when working on different projects.

Insights into a Current Project 

Although Jane couldn’t give us too many details on a project, she did talk about how she has worked across a lot of different industries over the past 18 months. From “industrial and real estate to consumer goods, you get the opportunity to work in all different sectors”. This structure is very specific to PwC Ireland, getting the ability to work on projects from multiple different industries. In the likes of the UK, you tend to specialise early on, for example specialising in only real estate. Whereas in Ireland you can “bounce between all different industries, which is great. You learn so much”. 

Advice for Students 

When posed with this question, Jane immediately spoke about the importance of reaching out and making the most of your college alumni network. You’ll come across loads of alumni who work in the company you’re interested in, and the best way to get insight into what it’s like (aside from actually doing an internship) is to “just reach out to them and ask them, go for a coffee with them… that’s the best approach” 

Jane also recommended making the most out of all the college talks set up by societies. For example, the SMF: “they bring in amazing speakers…even the most random ones…just go and hear what they have to say…because you will probably hear things you never thought about before or programmes you never knew existed”. Attending these talks and events can help you be more up to date with current affairs as that’s something they really value in the interview process. 

Jane also emphasises the importance of getting involved in more societies and “quality over quantity”. Jane believes that when it comes to societies, “just get involved in one or two, because you can learn a lot of the soft skills that you need in the professional world” such as communication, leadership and time-management. And of course, “it does look really impressive on your CV!”. It shows that you’re not just about the academics, that you can also get on with people and work effectively in teams.

Coffee Chat with Emma McLoughlin, Private Equity Analyst at HSBC Asset Management 

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Kate Lynch 

As part of the Graduate Coffee Chats series in collaboration with Foresight Business Group, Foresight Vice President Kate Lynch spoke to Emma McLoughlin, Private Equity Analyst at HSBC Asset Management to get insight into her life as a graduate at HSBC. 

HSBC Private Equity Analyst Role 

As a Private Equity Analyst in HSBC’s London office, Emma works within the Asset Management team. Her team specialises in fund investment, focusing on multinational private equity funds like KKR and  Blackstone. Emma’s day-to-day responsibilities involve analysing fund managers, their historical track record and the companies they previously invested in. Alongside fund investments, her team also focuses on participating in direct investments in partnership with other privacy equity firms.

Emma reinforces the value of hard skills, such as Excel, which she didn’t initially recognize as crucial until her role at HSBC. She also highlighted the importance of developing problem-solving skills. “You would be surprised how many day-to-day things come up”, she commented. Her course, MSISS, was “very good for teaching us overall problem solving skills which [she] found very useful in [her] day-to-day role”. Although Emma is on the investment team where she isn’t required to interact with clients daily, she still emphasised the importance of being a people person to build rapport and create a nurturing work environment. Despite her position as analyst, Emma notes that there are projects that mandate strong ownership, where the ability to lead is vital when engaging with directors and senior managers. Although originally under the impression that leadership skills wouldn’t be relevant till much later in her career, she attested that this is not the case and rather needed from the get-go. Emma concluded that you are not expected to have all the necessary skills on day one and “as long as you’re willing to learn, you will build up your hard and soft skills over-time”. 

Although Emma couldn’t share specific information on her favourite project that she’s worked on, she did mention that they recently looked at a venture capitalist fund. This involves investing in small start-up companies that have substantial growth potential; “for example Snapchat was a company that venture capitalists invested in when it was very small”, she detailed. Emma expressed her enthusiasm for this project, as it is different from other funds that she would typically be working with. She also mentioned how interesting it was when they directly  invest in companies, as it requires research and understanding of the market that they’re investing in. For example, one of the companies that Emma’s team looked at was a bakery chain in the US. It was “really cool”, she commented, as they had to think about how the industry of baked goods has been evolving recently with fitness trends.

The problem-solving element of Emma’s job is her favourite part. Some tasks might seem impossible at first glance, but thinking about and working through them is a very satisfying process for her. Managing time and day-to-day deadlines was also a new challenge for Emma, as it was vastly different from her days in college. However, she still enjoyed the challenge, as it encouraged her to work on these time management skills.

Career Progression 

If you were to stay in this role, the stages of progression are quite straightforward. It begins as an analyst (Emma’s current role), and then progresses to Associate and then to Vice President. Once you become a Vice President it is difficult to pivot into a different area. As an analyst, Emma explains that she’s currently in indirect investment but as she is so early on in her career she could probably pivot to direct investments if she wanted to move to the likes of KKR or Blackstone. Another option would be to stay in her current field and work her way up to becoming a senior, a role that focuses more on client facing deal sourcing.

Interview Process at HSBC 

Before graduating, Emma did a summer internship with HSBC. She expressed how the interview process with HSBC is quite different to the traditional process found at other banks. There is no cover letter or mathematical assessment involved, but instead a “workplace simulation”, a 30-40 minute scenario-based assessment where you have to rank your preference of how you would react in given situations. The second round interview was a similar simulation, however it was more specific to asset management. The final round involved four in-person interviews with 4 different people within Asset Management, two behavioural and two technical interviews. They expressed to Emma that they knew she didn’t know everything but that’s what they’re there to do, to teach her what’s needed for this role. Beyond simple technical skills, the team assessed her interest and passion for the position. 

After scoring a spot in the graduate programme, there were three criteria needed to succeed in to get offered a full-time position: first, on-desk performance; second, a project she had to complete and present; third, a final interview on trends in the market and how HSBC could capitalise on them.

Emma explained how the work culture in HSBC is unique, as they place a big emphasis on work-life balance. With work-from-home ingrained into HSBC’s culture, she only finds herself working in the office twice per week. However, Emma’s team is slightly different to the rest of the company. However, congruent with banking culture, her team tends to work late until around midnight during a couple of days of the week. Emma believes that starting her career in a job like this will continue to teach her to be resilient and more productive with her time. Although the work culture is quite tough, Emma emphasises that the team’s culture is great and that she loves the overall environment of HSBC. 

Advice to Students 

Emma reinforced that being involved in societies such as the Trinity SMF gave her so much confidence in public speaking, teaching her the jargon of the financial world that she still uses to this day. She would highly recommend getting involved as much as possible, believing that extracurriculars are greatly important and shows the employer or interviewer that you get on with people, a big thing that they look for. These hobbies and interests make you stand out in comparison to everyone else. As a final piece of advice, Emma emphasised to “stress a bit less, college is great! Enjoy every bit of it, you’ll never get the time back so make the most of it”.

Coffee Chat with Laura Lynagh, Strategy & Transactions Analyst at EY-Parthenon

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Rhea Singhal

As part of the Graduate Coffee Chats series in collaboration with Foresight Business Group, TBR Correspondent and Foresight Chief Strategic and Financial Officer Rhea Singhal sat down with Laura Lynagh, a Strategy & Transactions Analyst at EY-Parthenon and former TBR Freshers Convenor, to get insight into life as a graduate at EY-Parthenon.

What Does a Strategy & Transactions Analyst Actually Do?

EY-Parthenon, the global strategy consulting arm of Ernst & Young (EY), has over 9,000 professionals worldwide. EY Parthenon is split into three key teams: Transaction Strategy & Execution, Strategy and Turnaround & Restructuring. Laura’s role focuses on post-merger integration and separation. “After a transaction, my job is to figure out how to integrate two companies in terms of operations, finance, legal, and HR.” She also takes part in due diligence, including HR and operational due diligence, and works with distressed mergers and acquisitions. She describes her role as “very broad, dynamic, and interesting,” emphasizing that no two days are ever the same.

“I find the area of M&A really interesting—it’s so dynamic, it moves so quickly, and it’s quite broad. You’re not pigeonholed into one thing. And you get to do your accounting exams in the graduate programme, so it felt like a natural fit.”

The EY-Parthenon Graduate Programme 

EY’s graduate programme is designed to be social and supportive. “You start with lots of people your own age, so it’s really sociable,” Laura shares. She also praises EY’s learning and development team: “They really support you. For example, if you’re doing exams, they put on revision lectures.”

The Strategy & Transactions (SAT) team is also a great place for graduates because roles aren’t set in stone. “If you want to take on work, they’ll let you. They really let you grow and contribute to the team.” The firm is also flexible about team changes, though, she says, “You often end up in a team that suits you since they try to match you well after interviews.”

The Interview Process

Laura had a positive interview experience at EY-Parthenon. “I applied to the EY Strategy & Transactions graduate programme general application and then selected EY Parthenon.” On the day, current graduates were there to greet her, making for a friendly and welcoming environment.

She interviewed with a Director and a Manager. “It was very conversational. I really liked that they made an effort to read my application, CV, and all my answers beforehand.” Because of this, she emphasizes the importance of knowing your application inside and out: “They’ll ask you to expand on things you wrote. So, don’t just write things down—make sure you can talk about them.”

Laura shared some key interview tips:

  1. Do some research!: When you are going through the interview process, research the company, the department and the role itself. If your role involves taking the accountancy exams, research them, explain why you have the “right skill set” for the exams.
  2. Be comfortable talking about yourself: As said by Laura, “They don’t expect you to have five years of work experience.” Be ready to talk about any college societies or clubs you have been involved in and any experience you may have gained while in college. 
  3. Practice: Laura emphasised practising interview questions and developing the “skill of thinking on your feet”. Additionally, Laura said the interview questions are not very technical and are more competency based such as ‘‘Tell me about a moment when…?’”

Advice for Students

Should you start broad or specialise early?

“It depends. It’s a combination of your interest area and the company. Even if it’s a narrow interest area, joining a large company should give you insight into a wider range of projects. You should conduct an in-depth assessment of yourself.”

How do you figure out what works best for you?

“First, research the company. Talk to people. Reach out to people. Open days can really help as well.” She also suggests looking beyond job descriptions: “Find out what they actually do day to day. For example, Audit can be really cyclical—maybe you’re the type of person who really likes a routine.”

Something Laura Wishes She Knew When She Was In College:

“I was a little bit concerned with how it was all going to work out—was I going to like the day-to-day? Would I like my colleagues? I wish I knew how supportive and understanding everyone is. I didn’t need to worry so much!”

She also realized that college exams aren’t the end goal. “The accounting exams are a whole different ball game, and it’s really important to research what works for you.”Laura’s biggest takeaway? “Be prepared, be yourself, and don’t be afraid to reach out to people for insights!”

Coffee Chat with Anoushka Qazi, Management Consulting Senior Analyst at Accenture

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Rhea Singhal 

As part of the Graduate Coffee Chats series in collaboration with Foresight Business Group, TBR Correspondent and Foresight Chief Strategic and Financial Officer Rhea Singhal spoke with Anoushka Qazi, a Management Consulting Senior Analyst at Accenture, to gain insight into life as a graduate in the consulting industry.

Management Consulting Senior Analyst – What Does It Involve?

Accenture, a global professional services leader, helps businesses, governments and organisations streamline operations, integrate digital solutions, and drive large-scale transformations. Anoushka specialises in change management within the consumer products industry, working closely with clients to ensure business transformations happen smoothly and seamlessly.

One of her projects involves a UK-based client undergoing major shifts in supply chain planning, HR and data management. Effective change, she explains, hinges on securing employee buy-in. “You can’t implement change without bringing people on the journey with you,” she says. Her role bridges the gap between strategy and execution—assessing how employees currently work, gauging their openness to change and guiding them through the transition.

She compares her work to persona mapping, stepping into the shoes of employees to understand their needs and concerns. One of her biggest challenges is shifting mindsets, as resistance to change is natural. “I totally understand the resistance to change. It’s about getting people to think about the long-term,” she shares. This highlights a core aspect of change management: overcoming short-term discomfort to achieve lasting improvements.

Finding the Right Fit in Consulting

For graduates entering Accenture, the first year offers exposure to different areas—Financial Services, Software & Platforms, Talent & Organisation, Strategy, Tech Consulting and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & Enterprise Value (EV). This flexibility allows new hires to explore different areas of interests before specialising.

“I knew I was very people-oriented. I like working with people and the human resources element,” Anoushka explains. Initially, she explored financial services but realized it wasn’t the right fit. Still, she values that experience, as it gave her a broader perspective and an edge in understanding different industries.

 “Even though I didn’t love it, what I learned there still gives me an edge—it’s not time wasted. The one thing common across every industry is dealing with change, and you build skills that transfer everywhere.”

This adaptability is crucial in consulting. Some graduates enter with a fixed idea of their career path, but Anoushka emphasizes the value of starting broad and flexible. 

“The nice and scary thing about consulting is that you start as a generalist. You pave your own way. I studied BESS in college, which was quite broad, so I said, ‘Let me go in as a generalist,’ and two years later, I found my passion for change management.”

Why Consulting?

For Anoushka, the appeal of consulting lies in teamwork and variety. She enjoyed group projects in college, which naturally translated to her work at Accenture. “Consulting is all about teamwork—there are layers of support from analysts to consultants to managers.” The dynamic nature of consulting also keeps things engaging, with new challenges and projects keeping the work fresh.

Her involvement in student groups like ISCG and DUCG helped her pinpoint her passion early on. “Only after working on projects with these societies did I realize I enjoyed it.” This further underscores the importance of extracurricular experiences in shaping career interests.

What I Wish I Knew in College

While many students prioritise academics, Anouskha emphasises the importance of being involved on campus to develop your soft skills.

“The leadership, teamwork, public speaking and time management skills I developed as President of DUCG really stand out in my job today. Don’t underestimate those skills!”

She also highlights the relevance of everyday academic tasks. “Say you’re writing an essay—think about the skills you’re using: critical thinking, simplifying information, getting feedback, rewriting. That’s exactly what you do in consulting.” While technical expertise can be learned on the job, adaptability and communication skills are what truly set candidates apart.

Her advice? Take on opportunities that push you beyond your comfort zone. 

“Any opportunity to step outside your comfort zone—like public speaking—go for it! It will stand to you.”

For students worried about a lack of experience, Anoushka reassures them that it’s not about having the perfect resume. 

“Don’t feel pressured. We know you’re coming straight out of college. Extracurriculars are differentiators! They make your application stand out. Even part-time jobs show skills like time management. Focus on what you learned from your experiences—it’s all about self-awareness.”

The Intern-to-Grad Process

Anoushka transitioned from an intern to a full-time graduate role at Accenture. Following her remote internship during COVID, she underwent a review process that included self-reflection and a discussion with a senior manager before receiving a graduate role offer.

For those applying directly, the process involves:

  1. Online application
  2. Online assessment centre (problem-solving exercises)
  3. Second assessment centre (collaborative tasks)
  4. Final interview with a senior manager – “This is where you show your personal flair and ask questions. It’s more about problem-solving approaches than technical knowledge.”

Work Culture: College 2.0

Accenture fosters a highly social work environment, easing the transition from college to corporate life. “They bring in new grads every few months, so there are always events happening. There are clubs for everyone—book clubs, film clubs and more.” This community-driven culture helps new joiners feel at home.

She also appreciates Accenture’s inclusivity. “I organised Accenture’s first-ever Eid event! I’m passionate about women’s leadership and organizing panels. If you care about something, you can make it happen here.”

Beyond project work, Accenture encourages employees to explore additional interests through “plus ones,” which allow them to work with different teams. “You can tailor your experience based on what interests you.”

Travel is also a major perk. Accenture recently reintroduced a four-day trip to Madrid for global collaboration. Additionally, Anoushka frequently visits the UK for client site visits, reinforcing the firm’s global network.

Advice for Students 

Finally, Anouska concludes the coffee chat by offering the advice below:

  1. Mentorship: Anoushka emphasises the value of mentorship, both in college and at work. She encourages students to seek guidance, even informally. “In Accenture, if I liked a manager I worked with, I’d ask to catch up—even if we weren’t on the same team anymore. You’d be surprised—people genuinely want to help!”
  2. Asking questions: Consulting thrives on curiosity, but Anoushka advises structuring questions thoughtfully. “No question is a stupid question, but don’t rush into it! Take time to reflect and structure your thoughts. If you’re stuck, frame it like: ‘I’ve done this, but I have a question about X.’ That way, it’s clear and productive.”
  3. Put yourself out there:  “The best thing you can do is put yourself out there. Whether it’s public speaking, leadership roles, or networking—every experience will help you in ways you don’t even realize yet.”

For students considering consulting, Anoushka’s journey highlights the importance of adaptability, continuous learning and stepping outside one’s comfort zone.

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