On Wednesday, March 3, the Milgard School of Business hosted its second Alumni Panel of the 2020-21 academic year. This event highlighted the Milgard Center for Business Analytics and four alumni of the Master of Science in Business Analytics program. These four individuals, who currently work for high-profile companies in the tech and healthcare fields, offered valuable insights about working in the field of data and analytics. Throughout the hour-long virtual event, the panelists shared their wisdom on making the most of the MSBA Program, tackling the job search, and continuously improving one’s skill in analytics.
Here are just a few takeaways from our alumni about working in the field of analytics:
Pay less attention to the job title
Titles can vary from company to company, so cast a wide net during the job search process. Don’t rule out jobs based just on a title; dig into the job description to see what skills they are looking for. You may find that your dream job goes by many different names.
Highlight your hands on experience
For MSBA students currently engaging in an Applied Project, highlight the specific skills that you acquired and honed during the project. Get into the specifics on your resume and interview, and don’t sell yourself short! Don’t be afraid to own your experience; use “I” rather than “we” to highlight the active role that you played on your team project and celebrate the wins, even if they seemed small at the time. Having a real story to tell about your experience working with real company data is gold during the interview process.
Find your niche
Use your time in the MSBA Program to hone your skills in a specific niche area. Data Analytics is a broad field, so use your time as a student to figure out what you’re passionate about and grow your skills in that area. The Applied Project is the perfect opportunity for students to try on different roles on a project team and see what fits best.
Data is the future
While nobody knows for certain what the future holds for big data, all agreed that there are huge opportunities ahead in this growing industry. Data is everywhere and it is not industry-specific, so regardless of what career path you choose, data fluency will be key.
Tune in for the next Alumni Panel: Highlighting the Milgard Center for Leadership and Social Responsibility
Title: What does leadership & social responsibility mean in our current world? A conversation with CLSR Alumni.
Date: Tuesday, May 11 at 12:30PM
Our Panelists:
This article is authored by
Ellen Hermansen
Executive Education and Alumni Engagement Manager, MBA Advisor
Milgard School of Business | University of Washington Tacoma
