Masters Graduate in Statistics and Data Science Joins Qomply

Yiqing Li joined Qomply’s Intern Programme having recently graduated from University of Edinburgh with a Master's degree in Statistics with Data Science as well as a Bachelor's in Mathematics with Finance. In this interview, Yiqing explains how the internship aligns perfectly with her career goals and how she hopes to contribute to Qomply's high, data quality standards.

Why Qomply?

I came across the internship opportunity at Qomply on LinkedIn and found myself very interested in the technical skills mentioned in the job description. Before applying, I read all articles written by past technology interns and was very excited to discover that this position aligns perfectly with my goal of deepening my programming skills in the industry.

Personally, I am curious to learn how technical businesses operate to solve practical problems in the real world. I was excited to learn that Qomply excels in this area as an outstanding Fintech company.

When did you start coding and what is your coding background?

I started to code during my postgraduate studies, where I had some group projects solving interesting problems such as recommending cast for the Friends reunion show. After graduation, I started coding in Python for data analysis purposes, aiming to uncover insightful patterns within diverse industrial sectors. During this process, I ran across some interesting videos online teaching people how to code for diverse purposes. I followed the instructions and coded some simple games. I gradually gained interest in how to code for software development to create useful services, and that was the moment I met Qomply.

What have you learnt during the internship so far?

Since my first day in Qomply, I have been engaged in unit testing. It's been a critical experience for me to kick-start my industrial experience in software development whilst contributing to upholding the high data quality standards at Qomply. Additionally, I have participated in financial knowledge sharing sessions led by Sophia Fuluguyna, a former FCA regulator which really helped me understand our industry.

Despite having only spent a short time here, I am continuously gaining knowledge such as implementing effective version control and strengthening coding skills. I’m looking forward to being exposed to database management, front-end and back-end development throughout the rest of my internship journey and contributing to the team.

What is your favourite part of the internship?

My favourite part of this internship is that Qomply is a safe place for beginners like me to learn and ask questions until I fully master the skills. The development team is very friendly and inclusive, and all developers here are patient enough to teach me all details in projects. I don’t need to worry about asking stupid questions, which is a key reason that I am able to learn quickly.

I enjoy working with Jack, one of our developers at Qomply, to improve the code quality every day. He patiently guides me through the projects and supports my learning journey. I enjoy working within the team.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I enjoy playing table tennis, I have been a table tennis player from a very young age and now it’s still one of my favourite sports to relax. I also love art, especially doodle and Chinese art. I enjoy the process of creating my artwork from scratch. I am also interested in the topics of productivity, so I take time reading related books. In my free time after work, I journal every day to record the good thing happening in my life, and I will also exercise to maintain my energy levels for the following day.