Industry Expert Review

Introduction:

Name: Devon Jarquin

Title: Advanced Analytics Analyst

Organization: The Walt Disney Company

Brief background on why you selected this person: My cousin, Devon, is the oldest of the immediate cousins, and I have always looked up to him. Devon would often tutor me and offer insight into school and work-related issues. I admire his work ethic and am lucky to have someone like him as one of my mentors. His current job of Advanced Analytics Analyst with The Walt Disney Company is very interesting, and falls very closely in line with what I wish to pursue in the future. In addition, he works for a company that gives him great benefits and perks, as well as many travel options for team bonding and networking within the company. Disney owns many sub-companies, and Devon gets to do analytics for many of them such as: ESPN, Hulu, 20th Century Fox, Pixar, FX, and Marvel. I hope to one day be as successful and happy in my career as Devon.

Interview:

Can you describe your career path and how you reached your current position?

“I have a Bachelor’s in Mathematics and a Master’s in Data Science. I’ve been in the data field for almost seven years and have experience in analytics, machine learning, and business analytics. Although my Bachelor’s was not in programming, math laid the foundation for many of the concepts in Data Science.”

What are the most significant challenges in your role?

“The most significant challenges have been developing my soft skills, such as how to lead a meeting, collaborate efficiently, write a proper synopsis, and better communicate the story the data is telling into an email such that the stakeholders can properly understand.”

What emerging trends or technologies are shaping the industry?

“My team is heavily involved in what is called the “clean room,” where Disney the publisher can work jointly with the advertiser and join their datasets without any PII (personal identifying information) crossing over, but we can still use the data to aggregate and gather insights.”

What skills or attributes do you believe are most valuable for success in your field?

“Technical skills such: as SQL, Tableau, Excel, cloud services, as well as soft skills such as: how to tell the story the data is telling, communicating clearly and efficiently, and how to collaborate in a team are the most valuable for success in the data science field.”

What advice would you give to students aspiring to enter this industry?

“Always continue learning and asking questions. Keep your curiosity and never be afraid to give things a try, creativity and innovation are key in an ever-evolving technological landscape.”

What is your favorite part about your job?

"I love that I get to work in something that genuinely interests me, and I enjoy working in a team environment. There have been times where we are working to predict sales trends for various products, and we will be given sneak peaks of upcoming films and projects. I also get free tickets to Disneyland, so that's pretty cool too."

Summary:

Career advice: Always strive to keep learning and staying up to date with the latest technologies and find ways to improve, whether it be your technical skill set or soft skills.

Insights into industry trends: Innovation is paving the way, so one must attempt to find ways to get ahead of market trends, and bring new products and insights.

Technical challenges: Some technical challenges in Devon’s role are that not all the data is available to him if there is anything that needs to be troubleshot. He must come up with creative solutions to work around the challenges.

Reflection:

This experience has influenced my understanding of career options in the industry in many ways. I can appreciate the amount of formal education that must be attained, as well as continuing self-education even after graduation as new technologies are always emerging and changing. There is a vast amount of companies who employ data scientists, and there are so many different facets of the field to explore. One thing that Devon said was of utmost importance across all of the jobs he’s had is teamwork and collaboration. Devon informed me that each of his programming jobs have utilized a team structure, and one can always improve upon group work soft skills.

Future Steps: 

I plan to apply this knowledge to my academic and professional journey through setting a goal of getting a Master’s degree. I will continue sharpening both my technical and soft skills throughout my education and career in order to stay up-to-date with current trends and innovations. It is important to stay informed on industry trends, and keeping curiosity and creativity at the forefront is key for success in the industry.