Recap: Women In Data Tech Panel

On March 29th, McWiCS had the pleasure of hosting a Women in Data Panel where students got the chance to hear from data analysts and recruiters from top companies such as Ubisoft, CGI, Psycho Bunny, McKinsey & Company, Autodesk, Unito, OROHealth, and Le Wagon. Panelists shared their experiences as data analysts within their respective companies, and recruiters offered advice to students interested in immersing themselves in the field.

Here's what they had to say.

1) What does a day on the job look like?

A key task the panelists have to deal with everday is prioritization. Prioritizing tasks is key to supporting the team and helping the company as a whole. Weekly tasks are sorted and tackled according to urgency. There are also many questions on what the key performance indicators of data analysis should be and what the best metrics to evaluate this performance should include. The panelists' job entails coming up with metrics to relate qualitative and quantitative data and supporting other team members in analyzing their data. As such, some days are packed with attending several meetings with other team leads and project managers to process the data coming in, identify its source, and make it easy to work with using any kind of data analysis tool. Panelists expressed how fun it is to work with developers as well as the many different teams within the company. Interacting with diverse groups of people from many different fields was an unexpected part of the day-to-day job, and the ability to adapt quickly is key. Panelists advised students to consider whether or not they would enjoy this. Last but not least, free alcohol on Fridays was also cited as one of their favorite parts on the job :)

2) What was an important learning moment for you?

A significant lesson panelists learned from their job was the need to be detail-oriented and ask the right questions: Where is this data coming in from? What does it imply? How can we explore these questions deeply enough to not jump into conclusions and be as unbiased as possible in our analysis? A critical eye is especially important as these women are usually working alongside people from different teams who may not be specialized in data analysis.

Another thing they learned, and this is something no one tells you when you are in school, is that if you are aiming for something, you have to go get it. You must figure things out on your own because in the real world, things are not served to you like they are in school. Be proactive! Approach people and expand your network to learn from them and ask questions.

In addition, panelists urged students to follow the ever-changing trends in the market. Develop a growth mindset. In that regard, take the time to rewrite your resume yearly and ask yourself: What aspect of your skillset do you want to sell to the company? What have you learned? You need to develop close connections with your bosses and peers; you will not have a great career by doing everything on your own. (Answer is recruiter-approved).

On a different note, one piece of advice was to always check your own biases. If something feels off, speak up. Often, the panelists find themselves in big teams, so if they do not speak up about something, it will get overlooked. They way they use the data available to them and analyze it can have huge, far-reaching impacts on many people. This is why it is extra important to listen to their intuition when something feels wrong.

3) What are the soft skills you look for in a candidate, and how do you assess them?

Recruiters stressed the importance of soft skills even in a technical role. They already know that all candidates come in with a very good technical toolbox, so soft skills will set you apart. They are looking for people who can articulate their approach to how they work within a company. They want someone who can communicate clearly with many different people from many different teams (technical or not). In terms of how these skills are assessed, they indicated that the interview process helps them determine how good of a fit a candidate might be. Candidates are expected to come to the interview prepared and well-researched. Research must be done not only on the company but also on the job itself. Panelists advised students to ping people on LinkedIn to learn more about a specific role. A learner's mindset is also very important as candidates are expected to not be afraid to tackle challenging problems that have no ready-made solution. Demonstrating an ability to think on your feet is therefore a must.

Recruiters also like to hear feedback from candidates and have them show their true colors. They enjoy hearing about what candidates are passionate about in specific and what they truly think of the job/internship not just generic feedback that makes the candidate seem bland.

4) Are soft skills only measured during the interview process or via a candidate's resume as well?

The general consensus was that soft skills are a bit hard to measure just by looking at a resume, and the interview portion is usually where these skills should shine. Recruiters want candidates to not be afraid to sell themselves. They want to get to know the candidate and their side projects as much as possible. In addition to that, at CGI, candidates are usually placed in teams for recruiters to gauge how well they can take charge and act as the leaders of the group as well as what they can bring to the table, not in terms of technical knowledge, but in terms of leadership skills and enthusiasm.

A product manager pitched in and asserted that one can learn a lot about candidates from their CV. Have you participated in hackathons? Have you taken part in extracurricular activities beyond the classroom? The panelists agreed that they usually love to see well-roundedness and curiosity across many diverse fields, not just tech.

5) Students have so many options in terms of the courses they can take and the clubs they can join. What are the most important courses/clubs/extracurriculars for students to boost their resumes?

The panelists generally agreed that the answer varies depending on the role that the candidate is applying for. For data analysis specifically, recruiters generally assume basic knowledge in statistics and data visualization. The latter is important to be able to communicate results clearly and intuitively to non-specialists within the team. Summarizing the main ideas and condensing the details is necessary for effective communication. Panelists also recommended doing further, self-directed learning through online courses or books (O'Reilly books for example) and focus on skills that can be applied to the real world.

6) Based on your personal experiences, do the college classes students choose to take matter for what they work on later?

Panelists emphasized that projects were more significant than courses in helping them navigate their careers. They suggested that students explore different roles (managerial, technical…) within a project to see what they like best. One could be a business analyst and talk to stakeholders, or be the data analyst in the team, or be in charge of UI/UX design... From there, one can discover their strengths and passions and pick their courses accordingly. In addition, when applying for internships or jobs, candidates should highlight their side projects on their GitHub. If you are aiming to work for a specific company whose work interests you the most, you should complete projects relevant to the company's goals and mention these projects in your cover letters. This will set you apart from the average applicant.

7) What are the difficulties in searching for data analysis roles as a woman? How do you deal with microaggressions?

There is a certain hype around AI and ML, and there are great advantages to that. However, data analysis is seen as less technical. One panelist had colleagues who viewed themselves as superior because they were AI/ML specialists while she was not. In reality, though, every technical role is important and adds a lot of value to a company.

As a woman in general, in some companies, it is harder to find equal footing. There sadly still exist many employees who hold on to outdated stereotypes that can make women feel unwelcome within the companies they work for. Instead of immediately quitting a company because of a discriminatory experience, however, panelists encourage women to speak up to a trusted person within the company to raise awareness about the microaggression faced. More often than not, the company is very receptive to that. People nowadays are open to these issues when they are brought up from the right angle. Change can and does happen even though it may take a while.

Other panelists asserted that the easiest and best way to prove yourself is to simply be unafraid to do incredible work and show your abilities.

Another thing that helps when dealing with microaggressions is to count on each other as a community. Panelists often discuss these issues with women from several different fields and find that their experiences are quite the same across the board.

Furthermore, there is much talk about stereotypes that other people have, but how you view yourself is equally important. Women tend to hold themselves back. Imposter syndrome is more prevalent in women than in men. If you know something, show it. You don't have to be at the top of the top. Women don't put their foot in the door unless they have all the skills required for a job, but it's okay not to know everything and still put yourself out there. If you think you can acquire the skills and learn, show that.

Maxine from Mckinsey & Co relayed her experience of when she wanted to help out on a cool data project. When someone she approached told her that she did not have a certain skill she needed to be able to do the job, her immediate response was that she could just go ahead and learn it. “Have confidence. The worst case scenario is that you get rejected, but that is not end of the world.”