Lecture 18
Career in Data Analytics
October 18, 2024
DANL Career Session
DANL Career Session - 1. Marcie Hogan
- Background
- Graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 2023 with a degree in Geography and minors in Mathematics and Physics.
- Took several data analytics courses and was a tutor in the Data Analytics Lab.
- Initially worked at Crown Castle as a Geospatial Data Analyst, including an internship, totaling about two years.
- Career Path
- At Crown Castle, Marcie managed database operations for spatial data, frequently working with Python and spatial packages.
- In July 2024, she began a new role at Meta as a Community Project Manager within the Maps Organization, working on a contract basis.
DANL Career Session - 1. Marcie Hogan
- Role at Meta
- Works extensively on Mapillary, an open-source street-level imagery hosting platform acquired by Meta.
- Conducts analytics to understand the user community and guide product development.
- While her job title doesn’t explicitly mention data, data analytics is heavily integrated into her role.
DANL Career Session - 2. Jaehyung Lee (Andy)
- Background
- Graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 2022 with a major in Mathematics and a concentration in Data Analytics.
- Served in the South Korean military for two years before resuming his academic and professional pursuits.
- Took several data analytics courses and was a tutor in the Data Analytics Lab.
DANL Career Session - 2. Jaehyung Lee (Andy)
- Invisible Technologies
- Works as Analytics Associate at Invisible Technologies, a fast-growing startup that partners with leading AI platforms like OpenAI, Cohere, Google, and Character.AI.
- The company specializes in refining AI models through techniques like Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) and Supervised Fine-Tuning (SFT).
DANL Career Session - 2. Jaehyung Lee (Andy)
- Role at Invisible Technologies
- Holds monthly business reviews for executives.
- Provides visibility on departmental targets for hiring, people operations, and client services.
- Analyzes client data to ensure targets are met, particularly for clients like OpenAI.
- Creates numerous data pipelines using Python and develops data models with SQL.
DANL Career Session - 2. Jaehyung Lee (Andy)
- Projects
- Self-Evaluation Project: Tracked over 20 personal metrics daily for two years to improve his lifestyle and productivity, such as wake-up times, tasks completed, reading, and meditation.
- Used this project to enhance his coding skills and had valuable discussions during job interviews.
- Emphasized the importance of personal projects in learning and showcasing skills.
DANL Career Session - 2. Jaehyung Lee (Andy)
- Impact of Academic Courses
- Took courses like Data Analytics 100, 200, 210, and 310, which helped him build a meaningful relationship with data.
- Learned programming languages like R and Python, and developed skills in data visualization and presentation.
- Created interactive dashboards using Shiny, which impressed interviewers and aided in job acquisition.
- Stressed the applicability of classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios.
DANL Career Session - 3. Jason Rappazzo
- Background
- Graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 2023 with a major in Economics and a minor in Data Analytics.
- Served as a tutor in the Data Analytics Lab and was part of the track team alongside Marcie.
- Role at Momentive
- Works as a data analyst in the Global IT Automation and Reporting at Momentive, a chemical manufacturing company.
- The company produces a wide array of products found in everyday items, from tires to mattresses and aerospace components.
- Responsible for automating manual business processes and turning complex data into actionable insights.
DANL Career Session - 3. Jason Rappazzo
- Technologies Used
- Alteryx: For data extraction and consolidating data from various company sources.
- Snowflake: Serves as the data warehouse where data is transformed and prepared.
- Tableau: Used to create dashboards and visualizations for different departments.
DANL Career Session - 3. Jason Rappazzo
- Insights on Learning
- Emphasized the importance of adaptability and the ability to learn new technologies in a rapidly changing tech landscape.
- Encouraged persistence in coding, highlighting that overcoming errors and frustrations is part of the learning process.
- Believes that proficiency in one programming language can facilitate learning others.
DANL Career Session - 3. Jason Rappazzo
- Projects
- SG&A Dashboard: Acted as the project manager for a dashboard visualizing the company’s Selling, General, and Administrative expenses.
- Digital Growth Dashboard: Visualizes online sales data and tracks the company’s shift toward automated online product sales.
- Regularly combines data from various ERP-related tables into coherent views for analysis and presentation.
DANL Career Session
Challenges Faced
- Marcie
- Experienced corporate instability at Crown Castle, witnessing four rounds of layoffs, a CEO change, and office closures.
- Had to make an earlier-than-expected career move due to the company’s uncertain future.
- Adjusted to Meta’s faster-paced environment and the need to learn new internal tools and processes.
- Navigated strict data privacy and legal considerations at Meta, a shift from her previous role.
DANL Career Session
Challenges Faced
- Andy
- Initially believed data analytics was primarily technical but realized the importance of interpersonal skills.
- Learned to communicate effectively with stakeholders to meet their needs and deliver valuable insights.
- Continues to work on improving communication and presentation skills.
DANL Career Session
Challenges Faced
- Jason
- Faced a learning curve due to a limited background in finance, necessitating on-the-job learning of financial data analysis.
- Recognized the importance of understanding data context to create meaningful visualizations for stakeholders.
- Learned that real-world data is often messy and inconsistent, requiring significant data preparation and cleaning.
DANL Career Session
Insights on AI
- Marcie
- Observed Meta’s significant investment in AI technologies, such as open-source models like Llama 3.
- Believes AI applications will expand across various sectors, including geospatial data and map-making.
- Emphasized the importance of having industry-specific knowledge to optimize AI models effectively.
DANL Career Session
Insights on AI
- Andy
- Acknowledged the hype surrounding AI and the possibility of an AI bubble.
- Mentioned that his company is preparing by diversifying into other industries beyond AI.
- Believes AI will become more prominent across all businesses, requiring adaptability and broader skill sets.
DANL Career Session
Most Fulfilling Aspects
- Marcie
- Finds fulfillment when her work aligns with her passions, particularly in geospatial data and map-making.
- Enjoys seeing the direct impact of her insights on public-facing products and contributing to an interconnected world.
- Prefers roles where she can witness the end results and user impact of her work.
DANL Career Session
Most Fulfilling Aspects
- Andy
- Derives satisfaction from building solutions from scratch and seeing them positively impact stakeholders.
- Values moments when his work translates into tangible benefits for the company and receives appreciation.
DANL Career Session
Most Fulfilling Aspects
- Jason
- Finds it rewarding when code runs flawlessly and data is accurately prepared.
- Enjoys impressing stakeholders with the final product, especially when it simplifies their work.
- Values making a tangible impact on colleagues’ efficiency and effectiveness.
DANL Career Session
Advice to Students Who Are Looking for a Job
- Marcie
- Encouraged students to leverage opportunities at Geneseo to build their resumes, such as tutoring, research, and extracurricular activities.
- Highlighted the competitive job market and the necessity of relevant experience to secure internships and jobs.
- Advised students to combine their data analytics skills with industries they are passionate about for a more fulfilling career.
DANL Career Session
Advice to Students Who Are Looking for a Job
- Andy
- Emphasized the significance of working on personal projects to deepen coding and data science expertise.
- Recommended mastering Python, R, and SQL as essential tools for data-related jobs.
- Advised students to have one or two significant projects to discuss during interviews.
- Encouraged networking with professionals in the field to gain insights and collaboration opportunities.
- Highlighted that exploring various projects builds confidence and aids in transitioning from academia to industry.
DANL Career Session
Advice to Students Who Are Looking for a Job
- Jason
- Recommended learning basic finance and accounting concepts to better understand and meet business needs.
- Advised developing strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively collaborate with non-technical stakeholders.
- Encouraged being open to learning new tools and technologies to stay relevant in the field.
DANL Career Session
Summary
- The speakers highlighted the importance of:
- Technical Skills: Proficiency in programming languages like Python, R, and SQL is crucial.
- Continuous Learning: Staying adaptable and willing to learn new technologies and methodologies.
- Interpersonal Skills: Effective communication with stakeholders and team members is essential.
- Passion Alignment: Combining data analytics skills with personal interests leads to a more fulfilling career.
- Practical Experience: Engaging in projects, internships, and leveraging academic opportunities enhances employability.
DANL Career
Useful Skills for DANL Students
- Data Analysis with Python and R
- Data Science with Python and R
- Programming Languages for databases such as SQL
- Business Intelligence Software such as Power BI and/or Tableau
- Version Control with Git and GitHub
- Data Analytics/Science Portfolio with a Capstone Project on GitHub
- Prompt Engineering in Generative AI
DANL Career
Data Analytics-related Certificates on Coursera
- General Data Analytics, SQL, and Business Intelligence
- Data Science
- Generative AI