Background
Daniel Kaseumsouk (MSBA ’18) is an alumnus from our inaugural cohort of the Master of Science in Business Analytics program at UW Tacoma. After finishing an undergraduate degree in Communications from the UW Seattle campus, Daniel spent several years working as an Account Manager at Softchoice and a Renewals Representative at Infoblox. Currently, Daniel works as a Client Success Manager at PayScale, Inc. in Seattle, WA.
Why UW and why Milgard?
While working at Infobox, the UWT campus was right next to my work in downtown Tacoma and the MSBA program was very flexible with my work schedule. I was able to maintain my full-time job while balancing a full course load of classes. Also, the program itself had interesting course work, such as data mining, which I knew would help to further my career.
What were some of the highlights and challenges of your time as a graduate student?
I would say that a highlight was partnering with Metro Parks Tacoma on my Applied Project. This experience allowed me to act both as a Consultant and Project Manager. It was fun to collaborate with a major organization in the community and have valuable face-to-face interactions to help resolve their business needs. One challenge that I faced in the program was collaboration with my peers. There were a lot of team projects in the program, and I found that many of my classmates were balancing other priorities, such as work and family. Trying to find balance amongst the team was initially a challenge, but we were able to overcome this hurdle by setting expectations with one another early on.
How did you land your current role?
I didn’t search for a new role immediately following the program because I was already employed. About 8 months after graduation, I began thinking about my next career move and applied to around four positions. I received offers from three of those companies. I chose to work at my current company, PayScale, because they are an organization that focuses heavily on data. Our main goal as a business is to ensure that employers are compensating their employees fairly by leveraging salary data that we collect.
Where do you see yourself going from here?
The MSBA degree has opened doors for me to explore more analytical roles than in my past career. In my current role, I do more relationship management, which is what I enjoy. However, I have taken a stronger analytical approach in my work, which has allowed me to be a top performer in my position. In the future, I see myself moving to a more data focused role, perhaps in a data science position that combines my expertise in customer experience.
What advice would you offer to an incoming MBA student?
I’d say dedicate as much time as you can to the program. Take advantage of the professors, your advisor, and your Applied Project sponsors. Network as much as you can, and always seek out more opportunities for growth and personal development. Find other students in the program early on who you are compatible with. Then, build a team with them and tackle the MSBA program together. Also, I wish I had known more coding before I started. Make sure to strengthen your skills in the prerequisite areas before beginning the program.
Outside of work, what is your favorite thing to do in Seattle?
I enjoy cycling, hiking, and running. I’m a big outdoorsman and have really embraced the Pacific Northwest. I like to photograph all the nature I experience through my hobbies. If people are curious, they can follow me on Instagram @viphongoesoutside.
