What's your job about?
In February 2022, I started my role as an Associate Consultant in the Data and Services team as part of the Mastercard Graduate Launcher program.
Our team consists of over 80 people across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and New Zealand, fulfilling various functions such as strategy consulting, analytics, business experimentation, and marketing services. Our client base consists of most of the largest financial institutions and retailers in Australia and New Zealand.
My work primarily revolves around combining analysis and insights into key deliverables for various clients of Mastercard. The process involves structuring analysis in an effective manner leveraging existing and new resources and collaborating with teammates to develop key findings and recommendations.
On a day-to-day basis, some of the tasks I would carry out include preparing PowerPoint Slides, building financial models in Excel, conducting market research using both publicly available information as well as Mastercard exclusive information, meetings with team members and managers, and a whole host of other smaller tasks.
What's your background?
My life has been defined by the constant upheaval of moving around. Over the past 23 years, I have found myself travelling across suburbs, cities, states, and even countries. Born in South Australia, my family quickly found it a little too quiet for raising a family. After a short stint in Melbourne, we found ourselves moving to Sydney and settling in fast. It was here where I spent much of my youth, growing up in the numerous suburbs of Sydney.
When I was 13, my family decided to go back to my parent’s homeland, Kurdistan. It was a difficult change in many ways. Learning how to fit into a new culture was difficult, even if I already had a rough grasp of the language. But it was also an eye-opening experience as well as I saw firsthand just how different life outside Australia can be. And there were many positives as well, such as the opportunity to get to know my extended family. When I was 16, we decided to return to Australia. This was ostensibly in pursuit of a first-class education that only Australia could provide, but I also believe we were a little homesick.
Mastercard Advisors is a relatively recent part of my story, having joined at the start of 2022. I actually discovered the position via the GradAustralia website and only applied because of the “wide net cast” approach. I’ve certainly not regretted that decision, and look forward to 2023 and what it brings.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Absolutely! While I do think it helps to have the information and context provided by an economics and finance background, I don’t see any real barriers stopping someone from an alternative path from doing well at Mastercard Advisors as a consultant.
Personally, I believe that the real qualities which will allow you to shine are the intangibles. Self-belief, mental resilience, responsibility, empathy, problem-solving and most important of all, a positive attitude. Everything else can be picked up along the way.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
What I love most about my job is the huge opportunity for growth. From the very start, you are given a sizeable level of responsibility. I remember presenting a portion of my work to senior client stakeholders within two months of joining!
On an organisational level, Mastercard has so much potential. The combination of strategy, data, and technical excellence has in many ways only just begun, and there is a lot more to come from both our consulting teams and the rest of the firm. If you work strategically to create value, you can go very far, very fast.
What are the limitations of your job?
In terms of workflow, most of your time will be spent in collaboration with at least one other person. Teamwork is a fundamental part of consulting, without which not much can be done. If you are someone who prefers to work alone or on their own schedule, this might be difficult, but not impossible, to navigate. Consider carefully your preferred ways of working, as it can be one of the main factors that determine whether you can enjoy yourself and excel in your graduate role.
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