Informational interview

The following paper was a result of an “informational interview” I had to complete for the MMC Scholars program. We were instructed to interview someone in the field we potentially wanted to enter and had to ask questions about their field. I found this very enjoying and learned a substantial amount of information about data analytics through this inteview.

 

I was interested in interviewing Jennifer because she is currently working as a data analyst at Ohio State. She graduated from Ohio State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. She also received her masters at the John Glenn college. She was inspired to go into her work field because she liked data when she was younger because it was like solving a real-life puzzle. She wanted to do something that wasn’t part of the big corporate world. She also wanted to see the cost-benefit of her work.  She works in a three-floor office building and the atmosphere is casual. She has her own office, but this is because she is working in an old building. My first impression of the atmosphere is positive, the only downside being communication can be difficult because of the isolated office buildings.  

For people working in the Data Analytics field, there are many skills that are needed. One of the most important skills are asking questions. This was reinforced by Jennifer. Because Data Analytics is all about reading data and understanding it, Data analytics must ask questions to get a better understanding of what they are interpret. Most Data Analytics should have a good mathematical understanding of statistics, but also a knowledge of a variety of programming languages including Python, R, and Java. Jennifer believed that the use of visual software like Tableau is important because Data Analytics must interpret the information into something that can be visualized and understood by everyday people. The knowledge of Excel is also very important. Since Data very easily input into Excel, it becomes easier to manage the data. For most data analytical jobs, a bachelor’s degree is enough, but for the higher-level jobs, a master’s degree could be required.  

The Data Analytic field is one of the fastest-growing jobs in the world. With the rise of A.I and the exponential improvement with technology, many people expect the Data Analytic field to change a dramatic amount. Since the amount of data is increasing at an ever-infinite rate, more and more people will be needed to read and interpret the data coming in. Most of the skills needed will not go away, but newer skills will be in high demand for Data Analytics. Jennifer believes that programs like Excel will never go away due to the convenience it brings to Data Analytics. As of skills going away, Jennifer was not sure what exact skill would go away because the flexibility of Data analytics makes it hard to predict which direction the major will go long term.  

For Data Analytics, there are many possible career paths/options they can go. Most are related to business in some way but can bleed over to other subjects as well. Some career paths include: Business analyst, management reporting, Corporate strategy analyst, Budget analyst, etc. They can go into health care, sports, business, engineering, and many others. To be honest, Data Analytics is a widely interdisciplinary field that will go into many different subjects. This is one of the reasons why Data Analytics is so sought after by many different corporations. The need for data interpretation is important because every company needs to use data to make the most optimal decisions now that data is more accessible. As more and more data analytics are hired, there will have to be more people to guide this new generation of data analysts, so the opportunities for higher level data analyst should be plentiful.  

Jennifer explained that she did not know if the place she worked (Ohio State) accepted any internships, but she was certain that there were many student workers. When looking for someone to hire, what they first look for is experience. Previous work experience is always the best, but Internships and education are also important for them. If someone has lots of experience, they can dive straight into their work and can make everyone more efficient. If they have a well-documented education, the potential candidate can bring a wealth of knowledge to the workplace that can help everyone with their work. They also look for what ideas the candidates can bring to the table. Jennifer explained that there tends to be a generational gap between older people and younger people (Older members tend to have a strong foundation because of their experience, while younger members tend to bring new ideas and perspectives to the company). Because of this, the company she works at looks at both age groups depending with the idea to diversify their workforce for the company.  

Looking back at the interview, it was not all I had expected. I was very nervous about the interview because I typically don’t give interviews to other people, but I would say it went well. There were times where we went on tangents, but those tangents really helped me understand what a life of a data analyst was really like; as it helped me understand a mind of a real-life data analyst. I had expected to read off a list of questions and receive a list of information in return, but I learned that Data Analytics is more than just looking at data. Everyone can read lines of numbers, but everyone can also interpret numbers differently. Therefore, there is a need for data analysis. I realize that theoretically, there is an infinite amount of data being generated and there is only the limited amount of people that can read it effectively. This is why data analytics is needed. People think that A.I can do this job for us but can A.I really interpret data? If A.I is having trouble predicting the weather, the economy, etc., how is it supposed to predict the unpredictability of data? These are some of questions I thought about when preforming the interview and what I really learned.  

After some deep thought about what I had learned, I believe that the data analytic field may be a fit for me. Even though the unpredictability of data might cause some frustration in the future, I find it enjoying challenging myself that way. There is no shortage of data and no shortage of work that could be finished. After this interview, I found myself more motivated to be successful in this field and to make an impact somewhere using the knowledge I will receive through my experiences at The Ohio State University. As for my future plans, I will look toward an internship my sophomore or junior year of college, depending on what opportunities are given to me during that time frame. As of now, I will focus on school and try to do my best to get accepted into the data analytics major.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Me!

Joey is a first-year undergraduate student currently attending The Ohio State University. He is looking to become a Data Analytics major and is part of Media, Marketing, and Communication (MMC) Scholars.

During his free time, Joey likes to run, read, and talk with others. He believes that the growing field of Data Analytics has limitless potential and is ready to be apart of it given the chance. He is excited about what the upcoming year brings and cannot wait to meet all sorts of people during his time at Ohio State.

 

 

 

 

 

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]