Starting my career in a data analytics
We are living in an age of big data, and business needs to sift through it all to figure out which combination of data counts and which does not. The success of a business in the current global economy is pegged to how well the management can leverage on the available market data, such as changes of demand, new competitors, the economic reforms, among others, which can be understood through conducting proper market data analysis. EMC Digital Universe Study suggests that there are 1.2 trillion searches on google per year; over one billion people use Facebook every day, and trillions of photos taken. Companies collect this kind of information but rarely use it to understand the market environment effectively. Therefore, I have resolved to make a Business Analytics to get trained on capturing, analyzing, and generating meaningful business insight from big data.
My education at the University of Waterloo, majoring in Mathematics, played a significant role in instilling in me the right background of creativity and analytical skills. These were afforded by taking courses, that demanded unboxing of facts from complex case scenarios, and relating figure to the reality. One of the courses that I covered was Mathematical statistics, which exposed me to the tools of data analysis such as R, SQL, MATLAB, Python, Tableau, thus amplifying my analytical and quantitative abilities. Through this course, I learned how to collect, clean, analyze, and interpret market data, and present the same using graphs and tables for easy making of pertinent decisions. The entire exposure aligns with the requirement for a Business Analytics specialization, whose basis is finite ability to make solutions from complex data. Such, I am suited to progress my career in this path of business analytics.
To gain practical working experiences, I interned at Deloitte as a financial crime analyst. I analyzed the client’s business problems and provided solutions. I leveraged on the large dataset extracted from the SQL queries, which enabled me to understand the performance of the client’s business. The interaction with diverse clients and exciting ideas with the team members improved my communication skills, a trait that I will use to relate with international students. In the same vein, I gained strong management and analytical insight from assisting with different areas of project management, including internal or external status updates, technical documentation, and meeting minutes. The effectiveness of decisions made out of analyzed data made me consider business analytics as an appropriate path for me.
I look forward to starting my career in a data analytics role within a consulting practice where I have a chance to apply the quantitative skills, technical skills, and people skills that I will have learned from the MBAN program to make a real impact in the business world. After three to five years, I hope to become a business analyst manager with the role of assessing processes, determining requirements, and delivering data-driven recommendations to executives and stakeholders. I am confident that Ivey Business School will assist me in achieving these goals of mine since it offers summer practicum, which will allow me to gain real working experience. Also, Ivey has a solid career advisory board and Alumni network, that will assist me in translating theoretical knowledge into practicability. if granted this opportunity, I will contribute a unique and informed voice to your classes and research projects