Nitin Goyal, a Hootsuite data analyst, shared his career story and gave advice for those who are unsure about the direction their career might go.
Originally from India, Nitin moved to Canada over 10 years ago as a young student. He attended UBC’s Sauder School of Business, graduating with a degree in marketing. He made an unexpected discovery while he was working at UBC’s Business Career Centre, as a marketing coordinator. Nitin discovered that he actually enjoyed working with data and Excel, opposite to what his coworkers thought. He became passionate about it after realizing he had a talent for it, which led him to pursue data analytics.
Nitin decided to learn on his own even though he didn’t have a formal degree in data science. To expand his skills, he used online resources and enrolled in classes at BrainStation. It serves as an important reminder that sometimes pursuing your curiosity might take you in unexpected directions.
His explanation of how math plays a part in data analytics was encouraging. You don’t have to be an expert in calculus to be successful in the industry, although having a foundational understanding of math is helpful. He uses programs like Tableau, Amazon Redshift, and Excel for the majority of his everyday tasks. He made a great analogy when he said that working with data is similar to scooping water out of a lake. Just the appropriate amount of data is needed for analysis and insight gathering; the full lake (all the data) is not necessary.
Nitin also highlighted how crucial data cleaning is. Consider it like filtering that bucket of water to get rid of contaminants before using it. In the context of data, this involves removing mistakes and discrepancies to guarantee the accuracy of your study. Businesses depend on this information for decision making purposes, so skipping this stage could have serious consequences.
He discussed algorithms and how they affect the social media information we see. He explained it simply; platforms use algorithms, which are basically sets of rules, to determine what information is shown to users. They are made to keep you interested, frequently by displaying tailored material and promoting passive consumption (like endlessly scrolling through reels or videos).
Nitin highlighted the need of understanding measures such as return on investment (ROI) and key performance indicators (KPIs) for those thinking about a career in data analytics or social media. Even if you’re not a “numbers person,” these indicators are essential for proving the value of your work and helping you make informed decisions.
Nitin encouraged us to pursue our curiosity and spend time figuring out what truly sparks our interest. We can prioritize our job search and find more significant contacts in our chosen industry through discovering sectors, organizations, and positions that align with your passions.
All things considered, Nitin’s path serves as an example to the strength of pursuing your passions and remaining open to where it might take you.
-Sabrina
11/14/2024