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Harry posted:You'd probably be blown away how many people press the copy button and then press the paste button.  Good Excel skills are a no-joke super useful thing. It's cool that you can use build a logistic regression model to predict some poo poo, but throwing together a bunch of pivot table/charts which clearly answer the business questions 10 minutes before the meeting will make you look good to the management.
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Jun 30, 2013 19:49
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I used to list my excel skills as average because I assumed everyone knew how to use vlookup and shortcuts and all those kinds of formulas. A recruiter I worked with said "haha no put master you're deeply underselling" So if you're any good at all at least out advanced.
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Jun 30, 2013 23:54
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Kim Jong Il posted:You can post specific questions, I'lltry to keep them here in public unless necessary. I work as a data analyst/researcher for a government contractor that also works with a lot of non-profits/think tanks, but as you can imagine things are very incestuous. I mainly work in operations, but my policy bonafides are pretty strong and I've been angling to move more in that direction. Mine is more of a small shop, so I've very often had to do IT administrative/IT support roles even though it's not my job at all. It's a good way though to ingratiate yourself in with upper management and/or get face time with clients. Thanks a ton, then here are my questions, based mostly on wanting to know more about the field: -What are the big-name/top public and social policy research companies? I do social policy research for my job, but I haven't been doing it long, so I don't know a ton about the field (though I'm learning a lot over time). -What are the usual locations (in the U.S.) where most companies are based? I'm thinking NYC, Boston, SF, and D.C., but I don't know if that's an exhaustive list. -What current skills are most in-demand or the "hot new thing"? Right now, most of my job involves a lot less analysis and a lot more project management. I'm wondering if skills in programming, web dev, or even knowledge of using social media in research will be valuable to develop long-term and have on a resume. You mentioned Excel skills, which I've been building, along with knowledge of statistical software, but I'm wondering if there's anything else I'm missing. -As someone who's as interested in what's done with the data as much as collecting it, are there any orgs that focus on both research and advocacy? My company only focuses on data collection, but I'm wondering if that's common or not. -In what kinds of directions can people go in this field? My current job focuses a lot of project management and analysis, but I'm wondering if there are other main areas I could branch out into. Of course it'll differ by company, but I guess I'm just wondering what positions and career paths are common. Sorry for the ton of questions, and thanks again.
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Jul 1, 2013 02:26
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I actually have a master list of competitors saved at work, I can grab that tomorrow (hopefully I remember) if that works. Research is mainly NYC and DC, but in NYC there's a lot of similar stuff in finance, marketing, etc... I clicked your history because I am a pathological researcher - I think we have some openings in Boston, if you send me your info I can pass it along. I dunno if it'll be a good fit because we mostly recruit at entry levels for research, but who knows. What I use on a daily basis: a LOT of Excel, SAS (similar to STATA/R), SQL. You probably should know the basics in Excel and SQL, and some at least basic functions in statistical software for an entry level one. Of course a lot of the advanced positions will require sophisticated statistical programming for building models and such, along with an advanced degree. Programming is useful in the sense that we're using statistical packages all of the time, and VBA/scripting is really useful for data cleaning, manipulation, etc... It's also useful to be able to have a good framework for interacting with developers if you are going to be managing projects and interfacing between the developers and management, but you're probably not going to be using something like Java or C++ very often if at all outside of a strongly quantitative position. In terms of how you should sell yourself, it depends on how big you're shooting for. Are you going to be interviewing directly with HR people who don't know anything about the field (and might be impressed if you threw in a lot of random data mining terms), or with researchers who value relevant experience and know what questions to ask? When I interview for my group, I look for a mix of these good practical skills (useful to have, but can be taught) and a strong theoretical background. E.g., are you a substantive person who knows about your field and can think abstractly about it? I think the other stuff you mentioned is less useful in a bigger company, but where I'm at now I've had to do a lot of it mainly because my colleagues are mostly either prominent academics or sales staff who don't have a clue how technology works. Project Management is very useful in an abstract sense, the formal IT definition depends on how much or any software development your firm is doing. Data presentation is always useful and an in-demand soft skill if you're any good at it. Plenty of groups do research and advocacy, but you are going to have a thick skin about others taking credit for your work. I have ghostwritten the bulk of the copy for a lot of prominent stuff. I've collaborated on the core analyses and even proposed ideas, but it can be difficult getting any credit/respect if you're working with prominent experts in a given field. That being said, some people/companies are pretty good about sharing credit and giving opportunities for professional recognition, and others are terrible in taking all credit and making subordinates do all the heavy lifting. That's basically every industry though. I know of plenty of companies who do strictly data collection (e.g., D&B) for business intelligence. As far as the specific field, most do both, although there's a divide between companies who are focusing more of survey type data, and others who have their own custom taxonomies and knowledge corpuses. If you're just doing data collection, my understanding is that is considered business intelligence, while there are a few non-profits/advocacy groups/etc... who just do analyses and get their data sources from elsewhere - most on that end of the spectrum will at least do surveys though. Mine is kind of a hybrid with software development and hasn't been around for all that long. There have been promotions to project management positions, and others to more of a higher, managerial role in data collection or analysis. I think the field's structure is relatively flat though. edit: here are my company recommendations: Research - Mathematica Policy Research MDRC RAND The Advisory Board The Brookings Institute Insert other think tanks here Business Intelligence - Bloomberg Dow Jones Dun & Bradstreet McGraw Hill Reed Elsevier Also look into finance, marketing, and consulting (Deloitte, PwC, Booz Allen, Accenture, etc...) Kim Jong Il fucked around with this message at 16:20 on Jul 1, 2013 |
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Jul 1, 2013 04:05
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edit - nm, wrong place
A CRAB IRL fucked around with this message at 13:35 on Jul 1, 2013 |
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Jul 1, 2013 12:43
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Kim Jong Il posted:tons of useful info Thanks so much, this is definitely helpful. It also confirms that I need to beef up on more technical skills if I really want to move forward on this career path. I'd be happy to send you my info, thanks for offering; what email address would you like me to send it to?
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Jul 1, 2013 23:16
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Can you PM me a link to a resume, save it on a Google drive or something like that?
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Jul 2, 2013 02:29
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Kim Jong Il posted:Can you PM me a link to a resume, save it on a Google drive or something like that? Do you mind if I do the same? 
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Jul 2, 2013 02:42
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Kim Jong Il posted:Can you PM me a link to a resume, save it on a Google drive or something like that? Sure, no problem, I just sent you a PM with a Google drive link. Thanks!
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Jul 2, 2013 13:03
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Xguard86 posted:I used to list my excel skills as average because I assumed everyone knew how to use vlookup and shortcuts and all those kinds of formulas. A recruiter I worked with said "haha no put master you're deeply underselling" The things people don't know how to do in Excel is mindblowing. You figure they could at least understand that Excel is more than something used to track project progress.
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Jul 2, 2013 21:55
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But it works so well when I put an X in the box.
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Jul 2, 2013 22:15
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Thanks to this thread I now know how to (very roughly) use macros, vlookup, and nested equations. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, hah. Now, what is with this "SQL" thing and is it important to learn? (I am assuming yes) Where is the best place to learn such a thing?
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Jul 3, 2013 00:45
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Xovaan posted:Thanks to this thread I now know how to (very roughly) use macros, vlookup, and nested equations. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, hah. Now, what is with this "SQL" thing and is it important to learn? (I am assuming yes) Where is the best place to learn such a thing? SQL is basically the programming language for databases. It shouldn't take long at all to get a basic understanding of it - try SQLZoo for interactive lessons, or Quackit for stuff to read.
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Jul 3, 2013 00:58
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SQL is a pretty serious "minute to learn, lifetime to master"-type thing. There are tons of tutorials out there--and some of them are even good--but at some point it's probably worth reading up on the relational data model to understand why databases work the way they do.
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Jul 3, 2013 01:11
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He's not going to be a DBA from day one. If you can do a Boolean search on Google you can learn SQL. Think of it like this, instead of having a giant spreadsheet with millions and millions of entries, you have a bunch of tiny little tables so you can only take what you need. Two tables can be joined together if they have a common characteristic. E.g. T1: ID|Population|Year 1|1000000|2013 2|344323|2009 3|2290900|2005 T2: ID|City 1|New York 2|Boston 3|Chicago Join the two together, and you've matched the cities to their population figures. That's a part of it (JOINs.) Select statements are basically saying, do you want everything in those joined tables, or do you just want a few columns? Then the WHERE statement is filtering. Here is some real world syntax. SELECT * FROM table1 t1 (this is saying where you're initially pulling the data from, and then renaming table1 to t1 for shorthand) LEFT JOIN table t2 (nolock) on t2.id=t1.id WHERE t1.year='2012' and t2.city='Boston' That is basically 80% of the SQL I have to use on a day to day basis. Add as and COUNT in select statements, GROUP BY, ORDER BY, HAVING, ROW, and CASE statements and that is 90% of the stuff you'll likely need. The hardest part by far (for me, again I'm not writing data or administering it) is knowing what tables to join together, it can be tricky with more complex databases.
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Jul 3, 2013 01:51
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Kim Jong Il posted:SELECT *
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Jul 3, 2013 03:12
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I'm thinking about leaving my current job in the next 6 months, but I'm worried that my resume is turning into swiss cheese. Job #1 SQL Tech Support (1 year 1 month) I wanted a SQL development job straight out of college, but since I had a degree in Economics, the best I could get was a SQL tech support position. I accepted this position (as an independent contractor) with a verbal agreement of a senior title,large pay raise, and employee status on my 1 year anniversary. As my 1st year approached, I wasn't given a promotion and only received a small pay bump. I started applying to new jobs and was quickly offered a SQL Developer/Analyst position at new company with a 5 figure salary increase. Job #2 SQL Analyst (7 months) I was happy was the new job for about 3 months before things started going downhill. My team was reorganized twice and I ended up with a new manager who had no experience in managing. My job focus switched from development/reporting work to mainly writing software change requests that offshore/Indian developers would complete. I was unhappy with my position and had a feeling that I was about to be outsourced, so updated my resume and started applying again. With 7 months on the clock, I left for my current job and another 5 figure pay raise. Job #3 Associate SQL Analyst (Present) I'm now on my 3rd job in less than 3 years. I have some decent coworkers,regular hours, but I'm not where I want to be. Our 401K match was just removed and I'd need about a 20% pay increase to be making an industry average salary. I'm annoyed that I have "associate" in my title because new employers will look down on that. I'd really like to move from my middle-of-nowhere east coast town to D.C. or NYC ASAP. With my skills I could easily make 6 figures in a large city. Would I be able to make one more switch without being labeled a serial job hopper?
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Jul 3, 2013 03:22
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I'm interested in this answer too - I too have had 3 jobs in the past 3 years and so far my longest stint at a job has been 11 months.
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Jul 3, 2013 03:26
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Probably a bit obvious but is putting together a database considered a separate skill from just using it like the above examples? I.e. if the job ad says "Data analyst - must know SQL", can you get away with just knowing those commands?
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Jul 3, 2013 03:42
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Ragingsheep posted:Probably a bit obvious but is putting together a database considered a separate skill from just using it like the above examples? Designing and implementing a database is much more involved than just using it to query data. I don't know what a 'data analyst' does though, sounds pretty vague.
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Jul 3, 2013 04:05
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Ragingsheep posted:Probably a bit obvious but is putting together a database considered a separate skill from just using it like the above examples? Yes. If the title is "analyst" or something to that effect, they're likely looking for someone who can make some sort of sense of an already existing database (or set of databases) -- i.e., not necessarily building DBs or anything. But, to be honest, it really depends. My advice to people is always apply and figure out later at the interview exactly what they're talking about if you're unsure.
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Jul 3, 2013 04:06
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What programs do you use for SQL at your jobs? We've been using QMF for ages, and are just now switching to Rocket Shuttle (DataQuant). My company is over 150 years old, but some of our computer systems that we rely on are pushing 30 years old.
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Jul 3, 2013 13:26
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Yeah, 3 jobs in 3 years is a bit suspicious (though I wouldn't disqualify anyone for this), even if you actually have legitimate reasons. Your current one doesn't sound too terrible so I'd try to stick to it for another 6 months as you said, or a bit more, and negotiate for a competitive salary and better title. This should give you some time to save up for the move and put you in a better position for getting a new job there as well. Nocheez posted:What programs do you use for SQL at your jobs? We've been using QMF for ages, and are just now switching to Rocket Shuttle (DataQuant). Most analyst-facing systems are SQL Server, then on top of that R, or BusinessObjects software depending on the goals.
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Jul 4, 2013 00:11
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Since March I've been covering for the front-end work of our agency so I've been covering two jobs without any increase in compensation. I was told at my monthly review that I'm a great worker and even easier to work with than the girl that left. Glowing reviews all around, except I won't get a raise until my 1 year anniversary. I'm getting really sick of this carrot dangling in front of me, but it would seem like it would be too early to jump ship? Should I hold out until October so I do have 1 year of agency development and to see how my compensation works out? I was at my previous job for 8 months and before that was tons of temp internships with local companies. I didn't graduate green at all. My skill set: I'm proficient in HTML, CSS and have a good grasp of JavaScript and can read and write some PHP. I'm taking an interest in Ruby and even have a grasp of Objective-C. I'm familiar with a few frameworks and am going to start using SASS to make myself a faster developer. We've been trying to switch our customers and account execs over to a mobile design perspective with desktop as secondary. I feel like my boss and I are trying to turn the Titanic sometimes. If I do switch jobs I want it to be out of Kentucky as well. I'm so sick of this state. cheese eats mouse fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Jul 8, 2013 |
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Jul 8, 2013 19:27
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cheese eats mouse posted:Since March I've been covering for the front-end work of our agency so I've been covering two jobs without any increase in compensation. There seem to be multiple issues in your post. First is that you are 'covering' extra work and that may have become full time in addition to your other job (you don't state your other job really, though it probably has to do with coding or web design?). Have you had the discussion with your boss about those extra duties and when you will either be compensated for them or when they will end? As for your raise, how long has the carrot been dangled? An employer waiting to give a raise to someone until they have been there a year is pretty standard. Did they promise you something different in the past? As for jumping ship, your summary of background and job changes would already be a red flag to me if I were interviewing you, moreso if you changed again. If you are in a BAD work environment get out of there but if you can tough it out your future employers will likely take you more seriously. Moving out of state is yet another entirely different topic. Start looking NOW for where you want to move and what job opportunities are there. Maybe by the time you have been at your current job for a year you will know where you want to live and have made progress with potential employers in that location!
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Jul 8, 2013 21:29
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if you're expecting a raise before even a year you're nuts.
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Jul 8, 2013 22:23
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Xguard86 posted:if you're expecting a raise before even a year you're nuts. And an employer expecting their employee to do two people's jobs for the price of one isn't?
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Jul 9, 2013 01:10
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kells posted:And an employer expecting their employee to do two people's jobs for the price of one isn't? Hence the need for the employee to have a candid and honest discussion with the employer. Even to get on the same page as to expectations would be good for both parties, if not fix the problem. Maybe the employer decided to change the job description and have the person do both jobs forever (queue employee exit), but maybe the employer doesn't know it's a problem because the employee is doing it so well. So many times people avoid these conversations until it is too late and the employee quits or is termed.
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Jul 9, 2013 03:37
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At my first job, I was an analyst making 40k with 1 year experience steering software changes to a ~24 million dollars a quarter system. This was in addition to my actual job description which was basically sql monkey. I was doing the work of 2 people, one of which would be 2x my experience and 2.5x my salary at a sane company, it was pretty nuts. I did it for two years, received no extra money or even recognition. When I decided to get a new job, I had 2 full offers in two weeks for substantial pay bumps, on top of the like 3 recruiter calls I got in a day for kinda blah positions. Your first job or two is pretty much always going to be your employer getting the better end of the deal and they are probably never going to fix that. This is especially true if you're ambitious and willing to take on more. The good news is that you can probably take all the experience and burden and leverage it into what you're actually worth. The bad news is that it will probably not happen at your current employer.
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Jul 9, 2013 15:54
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Yay  just got word that I got a 11% raise.The biggest thing coming out of the meeting is that I need to start learning how to be a much more strategic thinker. Does that basically mean I need to be able to anticipate what executives want to hear and be able to communicate to them in a way that makes sense to them?
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Jul 9, 2013 19:17
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Edit: never mind
Paper Diamonds fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Jul 10, 2013 |
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Jul 9, 2013 19:22
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Shadowhand00 posted:Yay Congrats! I guess. I don't know if 11% is what you were expecting or not. Strategy can mean almost anything depending on your company. It may mean hiring 20 people, it may mean firing 15 people, it might mean a new marketing campaign, it might mean using Mac OS instead of Windows. So your best bet is to ask directly what the heck that means. But in my experience it's usually associated with something that you/your company tries to be better than the competition over the long term. In my company we have tactical solutions for problems, and strategic solutions for problems. Tactical solution implies it's sort of a stopgap measure, something we throw together quickly (often locally/regionally) to prevent a problem x from getting out of hand. However the strategic solution is something like replacing our entire architecture which will solve problems x y and z. But doing the latter is drastically more complicated so has a longer timeline, bigger budget, more people involved, global sign-off, etc. etc. requires more resources. Pretty sure this stems from the military definitions of the words. In business a lot of people just summarize to say strategy is the "what" and tactics are the "how."
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Jul 10, 2013 01:56
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Shadowhand00 posted:Yay
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Jul 10, 2013 02:39
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Ultimate Mango posted:There seem to be multiple issues in your post. First is that you are 'covering' extra work and that may have become full time in addition to your other job (you don't state your other job really, though it probably has to do with coding or web design?). I would recommend staying until your 1-year review and see what they offer. If it's a lovely raise, then you can start seriously exploring other options while still employed. And you'll have the luxury of being able to pick the best offer without *needing* the work. Also if you're engaged with recruiters for bigger companies, they'll often have positions in other states which you can ask about.
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Jul 10, 2013 03:03
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I'm not sure if this is the right thread to ask but I wasn't sure. Essentially I'm asking for advice/experiences with moving into a new type of career, without anything in the way of experience. I don't have a degree or any qualifications of value as I moved from England to Australia at 21 (previous jobs were temp stuff), and have worked a full time job pretty much since then. It's an office job, working in superannuation and I'm really good at it. I started at the bottom with no experience but I did well in the interview, and over time have progressed through roles, learned a lot and I get paid pretty well considering my total lack of experience/qualifications. I'm just so bored of it though and for years have wanted to leave, but am never sure where to begin then I convince myself my job isn't that bad and I'm fortunate to have an income which is all true, but it's just so dull, and not at all something I'm interested in. I've got lots of interests but super/insurance/finance isn't one of them. I'm a good typist so gravitated towards that field but really don't want to spend my life there. I have checked Seek.com.au (seems to be Australia's most popular jobhunting site) and couldn't find a single job that didn't require previous experience or a degree..except for entry level office jobs 
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Jul 10, 2013 03:29
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Australian job market isn't great at the moment. What roles are you looking to get into?
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Jul 10, 2013 03:42
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Bloodbath posted:I'm not sure if this is the right thread to ask but I wasn't sure. Essentially I'm asking for advice/experiences with moving into a new type of career, without anything in the way of experience. I don't have a degree or any qualifications of value as I moved from England to Australia at 21 (previous jobs were temp stuff), and have worked a full time job pretty much since then. It's an office job, working in superannuation and I'm really good at it. I started at the bottom with no experience but I did well in the interview, and over time have progressed through roles, learned a lot and I get paid pretty well considering my total lack of experience/qualifications. I can rattle off stuff that doesn't need a degree. What are you interested in? Do you want money, a 30hr week, violence, sex, a job 10 minutes commute away, what?
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Jul 11, 2013 09:56
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BCR posted:I can rattle off stuff that doesn't need a degree. What are you interested in? Do you want money, a 30hr week, violence, sex, a job 10 minutes commute away, what? All of the above. Short commute, sex, money
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Jul 11, 2013 10:44
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Bloodbath posted:I have checked Seek.com.au (seems to be Australia's most popular jobhunting site) and couldn't find a single job that didn't require previous experience or a degree..except for entry level office jobs I'm in largely the same position as you. I never completed a degree, and started working full time when I was 19. However I've been able to move up pretty well at companies that I've been at, and I think companies like to see that. At this point I haven't even been asked about the degree in interviews or phone screens for new positions, and the last one made some noise about it but eventually gave me the offer anyway. I'm kind of in a quantitative type field, so a lot of companies will give a sort of competency test, and even in a qualitative field I've seen similar things, writing samples and the like. So don't get too worried about it, show personal career growth at companies you work at, and other ones will be beating down your door to hire you.
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Jul 11, 2013 18:56
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Shadowhand00 posted:The biggest thing coming out of the meeting is that I need to start learning how to be a much more strategic thinker. Does that basically mean I need to be able to anticipate what executives want to hear and be able to communicate to them in a way that makes sense to them? There has been a lot of good feedback about *strategic thinking* and the fact that it can mean all sorts of different things. There are also many books and videos and courses on Strategic Thinking, and I have gone through Anticipating the needs of the business is really important, so don't lose sight of that. However, if you are in a certain industry, understanding of trends and futures in that industry is also important. I just interviewed a candidate who claimed to be an expert in something that has/is part of Information Technology, and I asked 'Where is (x) going, what is the future for (x)?' I got like three stories of what people wanted at his last three jobs around (x) but no sense for what is happening in the market. The correct answer would have been 'Consumerisation of IT, Mobility, and incorporating Social and other new media types to reduce IT Friction.' Last bit of advice: Never stop asking 'Why?' Ask Why relentlessly and about everything. If you can understand why a certain thing is or is not happening or 'what if' things happened because of 'Why' you will gain a very strategic view of things. Then present facts, reason, and logic to recommend a course of action and you will be a hero, even if they don't take your advice (just don't be too  about telling them I told you so later).
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Jul 11, 2013 22:06
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