Starting a Career In Analytics? Here are some lessons from Jon Snow.
Game of Thrones Style…
Two decades in corporate analytics have taught me many lessons. Lessons that can leave you moody and even a bit angry. Sometimes you just feel like the lone man on an icy wall, protecting the kingdom from dangers they don’t understand, don’t care to know, and have relegated to their local group of outcasts.
Then you realize you are being a bit melodramatic, but maybe that makes for a great hook? I have been a fan of Game of Thrones for many years now and the trials and tribulations of Jon Snow are the makings of some solid analogies. Our hero in black can teach us many lessons, especially for folks just coming into the realm of analysis.
You are a Bastard!
No, I don’t know the marital status of your parents or whether you have a stunning disposition. But analysts are not created the same way others are…
Join a typical analytic team in this world and you will discover a ragtag group of people from a vast array of backgrounds. Everyone doesn’t have a degree in computer science, business, or statistics. And most that do will be departing for a job in marketing or product management soon…
Lawyers go to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Engineers come from CMU, MIT, and Penn State. Chicago and Wharton have a hold on business majors and doctors go to Hopkins… you get the idea. Analysts come from every corner of the educational world and often the stranger the better.
You Know Nothing Jon Snow!
Part of the reason for this broad diversity in the background of analysts likely stems from the fact that college is really not a great place to learn how to be an analyst. At least not in the applied sense, because academia can not replicate the environment you will find in the business world. And it gets worse…
Jon Snow comes to the Wall in Game of Thrones with a strong education. His father has provided him the best teachers and instructors. But he learns quickly that these lessons don’t apply… or at least not directly.
The business world is very similar. Theory is a great resource to draw on, but on the job experience is crucial. Theory often doesn’t apply — or at least you weren’t given enough of it to help. Holding on to the delusions of understanding, will not serve you. And much like Jon, this is not a one time thing, when you go beyond the Wall, it will all happen again.
You Are Going To Have A Lot Of BIG Decisions To Make
Fans of Game of Thrones know Jon has had to make a lot of big choices. Work assignments, job titles, alliances, relationships, who to trust, and when to move are just a few. Career choices for an analyst can come at similar speeds and with similar consequences (allowing for the compressed timelines of typical TV series season).
Analytic projects move at high speeds, so many analysts are making assignment decisions several times a quarter. Opportunities to hop between teams (in large companies) or between jobs (in general) are a regular event. And just as Jon’s choices have had huge impacts on his world, yours will too.
The career of most analysts is one of carving your place in the universe. It often lacks clarity. Remembering all you don’t know is a huge asset. You will deal with politics and big decisions. And your actions and choices will have huge impacts.
Granted you are not likely to find yourself standing between the world and an army of undead ice zombies. But if you ever get the opportunity to sit in a room with government regulators, you may rethink even that.
Originally published at www.linkedin.com.
