Meet our intern: Astrid Giron

In July 2022, we welcomed our next cohort of interns to Credera's UK offices. We caught up with intern Astrid Giron to learn about her experience of working with us.

Astrid Giron

Intern

Tell us a little bit about your background. What were you doing before starting your internship with Credera?

Born and raised in France, I moved to London for the start of my studies. I finished my third year of study in the BSc ‘Language, Culture, and Society’ at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) before joining Credera for the summer. This joint honours programme combines social sciences courses with advanced Mandarin language classes. My fourth and final year will take place in Taipei, Taiwan.

What made you decide to apply for an internship with Credera?

In the past few years, I have been increasingly attracted to consulting. However, consulting is an umbrella term that encompasses many different roles and industries. Despite an experience in a student-led consultancy during the year, I still did not feel like I knew what consulting had to offer. Credera appeared as a timely opportunity to delve deeper into consulting: from the different roles, projects, clients, and every-day tasks, to the people, culture, opportunities, and the different career paths. In addition, the implementation of technology - from the processes required, to its impact on companies, people, and society - had always appealed to me. Credera, as a technology consultancy, offered me the opportunity to gain experience in a field I had previously not had the chance to explore, yet had always been interested in!

What most excites you about your internship with us?

During this internship, I was very excited to learn more about technology consulting and discover which role interested me the most. Through my rotations, I enjoyed gaining hands-on experience by engaging with different projects which added value to the team’s work. The varied interactive and insightful workshops provided great opportunity to discover new areas, while developing new skills or honing existing ones. In addition, I really appreciated how welcoming and approachable Credera people were. It was a great opportunity to meet interesting and talented people who are experts in their field, and gain valuable insight on different roles, projects, and experiences.

What do you think was your most significant accomplishment whilst working at Credera?

During my first weeks, I collaborated with the head of HR to design a report providing insights and recommendations on attracting and hiring diverse candidates at senior and leadership positions. From carrying out research, to conducting interviews with seventeen Credera people, this fast-paced project was very stimulating. I was delighted to work on a meaningful project while gaining valuable insights.

What are your goals for the future?

For my final year of university in Taiwan, I aim to perfect my Mandarin skills whilst spending time discovering a new city. After my studies, I hope to gain further work experience, either in Europe or in Asia. Credera has reinforced my desire to explore consulting further. Most importantly, Credera has showed me the importance of a good work environment and a people-first culture. I have been trusted to work on meaningful tasks alongside interesting and supportive people in a space where I can learn and grow. I hope to find a similar environment and culture in my future work opportunities.

In your own words, how would you describe Credera’ s culture?

From the first day, what immediately struck me was how adamant Credera’s people were about the great culture of the firm. By observing day-to-day interactions, talking to people, and experiencing Credera’ s culture first-hand, I came to realise that Credera does indeed has a very unique and special culture! What struck me was how people talked about one another, genuinely praising their skills and personality, emphasising their expertise and their friendliness. I think that this represents Credera’s culture very well. Even people who are experts in their field remain very humble. People elevate one another in a supportive and open-minded environment. I have also come to see that people are not just experienced in their line of work but are also well-rounded and interesting people outside of work.

Throughout my internship, I have felt encouraged, supported, and trusted, and this has given me the confidence to try new things and take initiative. I am very grateful for the many people who took time to introduce themselves, chat over a cup of coffee, or organise workshops!

How would you describe your overall experience of interning with Credera?

My six weeks at Credera went by very quickly and I learned a lot through my rotations, the many workshops, and the people I have met. I really enjoyed being given autonomy and creative freedom, allowing me to take initiative, present my ideas, and take the lead on projects. At the same time, I also felt supported and encouraged. The daily check up with my team’s lead, or the weekly meetings with my three mentors, are telling examples of that support. I also really appreciated having the opportunity to explore new roles and industries, as it has allowed me to gain valuable experience and strengthen my skills. I developed a better understanding of technology process (which I knew relatively little about) and now have a renewed interest for consulting.

I am very grateful for the warm welcome I have received at Credera, and I’m thankful to everyone who has made my internship so enjoyable and insightful!