Networking evening for Career Options in Data & Analytics

Imperial students networking

On Tuesday 11 February 2020 we welcomed 5 companies to the City & Guilds building to talk about Career Options in Data & Analytics.

In eight-minute snapshots the speakers talked about how data is used to solve problems in publishing, broadcasting, the energy sector, supermarkets, telecoms and banking – covering topics like ‘what skills do we look for in graduates’ and ‘the differences between data analysis in education and in the workplace’ (spoiler for that last one – the answer is ‘messy data’!)

Top comments from the night:

1. Demonstrating you have the ability and enthusiasm to learn coding languages can be more important than demonstrating mastery in one language over another.
2. ‘Data Science’ is a broad term, encompassing data engineering, data visualisation, data analysis and so much more. Bear this in mind when looking for graduate jobs and think carefully about what you want your analytical and data skills to achieve.
3. Future-proof yourself! Data and analytics-focused careers evolve quickly – ten years ago most of the data science jobs we see today didn’t exist, and who knows what the sector will look like ten years from now? Keeping an adaptable attitude to your career will ensure it stays rewarding whatever happens next.
4. One for your CV – competitions and internships can enhance your CV, but keep in mind that employers don’t want to see CVs that all look the same. Don’t panic if your experience includes ‘less traditional’ examples – as long as you can demonstrate you meet the requirements of the role and tailor your CV to show you understand the company you’re in with a shot.

The Careers Service would like to say a huge thank you to all our speakers and representatives who made the event such a success, from Bertelsmann and Penguin Random House, Informetis, BBC, Ab Initio and Invenia Labs.