Katie Ferguson is a specialist in quantitative marketing. She helped launch Burtch Works’ mid- and junior-level analytics practice and has been working with analytics professionals for 13 years.
The past year has been a difficult time for many as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although we’ve seen that data science and analytics professionals are still in demand, the job market has been challenging for many early-career professionals looking to get their start during this “new normal.”
Academic programs, internships, career plans, and interview schedules have all been disrupted. Many of these events may be out of your control, but following are some tips for those who want to proactively manage their early career and job search during this uncertain time.
Keep your existing skills fresh and look for new marketable skills.
While keeping your skills fresh is always advisable, it is especially prudent now. If you have time while job searching or finishing your coursework/internship, review potential job opportunities and see if there are any skills/tools you should be adding to your toolkit. There are tons of online data science and analytics resources (such as Coursera) to help you get exposure to different tools or refresh your knowledge.
Python and SQL experience continues to be in high demand, and even if you haven’t had experience with these tools in a professional setting (yet), having a fresh foundation can be helpful when you’re in the market for a job.
Update your résumé.
Keeping your résumé updated is something I strongly encourage data scientists and analytics professionals to do, even if they’re not looking for a job. First, it’s much easier to describe your projects and experience shortly after you’ve worked on them. Additionally, you never know when the right opportunity might present itself, and if your résumé is ready or at least fairly current, you’ll be better prepared.
If you don’t have professional work experience yet, make sure to highlight past analytics projects, such as market mix or predictive modeling projects. This is especially helpful if you’re able to highlight tools or techniques you’ve employed that are requirements in the job you’re applying for.
Practice video interviewing skills.
It’s never a bad idea to practice interviewing skills with friends, especially your fellow colleagues in data science and analytics, and get comfortable with video interviewing. There are unique challenges to consider when getting ready for a video interview. With everything moving to Zoom for the foreseeable future, don’t wait until your interview is scheduled to make sure you’re adequately prepared.
Look for data science and analytics virtual networking or meetup groups.
As we know, lots of groups are having virtual events and conferences, where you can meet other data scientists and analytics professionals for networking or to expand your knowledge. You can check out local analytics meetup groups, your local chapter of the American Statistical Association, or INFORMS to see if they’re having virtual events.
Practice your quantitative skills with a Kaggle competition.
Need to practice using your new skills and tools? Do a Kaggle competition. Kaggle is an online platform that hosts data science competitions, and I’ve consistently recommended it as a great way to keep your skills sharp. Any way you can gain practice time is going to be beneficial.
Stay up to date on analytics industry news.
Industry research is something I always recommend as part of interview preparation. It’s now even more prudent to be aware of what is happening in data science and analytics, regardless of whether you’re interviewing. Also, stay well-versed in related topics to see how they affect analytics, especially if you’re looking for a job.
Reconnect with your recruiter, or find one to help you.
It’s always smart to keep in touch with recruiters so they are apprised of your situation. Let them know what you’re working on and what’s going to be best for you in the future. Since data science and analytics is such a specialized field, I’d recommend finding a recruiter who focuses on this area.
If you’re looking for more job search resources, check out the COVID-19 Job Search Guide for Data Scientists and Analytics Professionals, which gathers resources such as LinkedIn profiles, résumés, company research, interview preparation, and salary negotiation in one place.
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