From Data Intern to Rideshare Expert
Day in the Life of a Financial Services Data Analyst
A member of the inaugural Data Analyst Intern class of 2017, Tom Burke joined Earnest Research full-time after graduating from the University of Virginia — which happens to be Earnest founder Kevin Carson’s alma mater.
Since joining the Financial Services team as a Data Analyst last spring, Tom has focused on the ridesharing, sporting goods and theater industries.
Read on to learn more about the life of a Data Analyst on the Financial Services team at Earnest, and check out all our open positions here.
9:20 am: Arrive at the office after a quick walk from the East Village. We always have an ongoing (office-wide) correspondence chess match at the front table, so I like to start my day by strategizing on the next move.
9:30 am: Get to my desk and look over my coverage universe. Analysts cover a collection of companies and intake new data on a daily basis, so there is always a fair amount of new information to digest when I get to work. Client calls with Account Management, data quality control meetings with Engineering and sales pitches with Business Development are all fair game when it comes to coverage responsibilities.
10:30 am: Attend a weekly meeting with my ‘pod’. The Financial Services Data Analyst team is structured so that small groups (pods) can discuss data relevant to the companies within our coverage set. We have been doing a lot of work around Uber and Lyft following their recent IPOs and clients are interested in all insights our data can reveal regarding the health of the ridesharing industry and the prospects of the two leading players.
12:30 pm: Pick up lunch nearby. One of the perks of our office is the location — 23rd and Park — has a great selection of takeout spots within walking distance. A group of us frequently eat lunch on the roof of our office — a nice way to get some fresh air during the day.
2:30 pm: Continue working on the first of our sector-driven content pieces. This month, we released an analysis of competitive dynamics between Uber and Lyft with a focus on rider loyalty. Some of our research on driver loyalty was featured on CNBC when John Elton of Greycroft came on to discuss Uber’s stock.
4:00 pm: Sync up with a member of our Data Science team to discuss improvements to one of our workflows. Data Analysts and the Data Science team share resources, so we are always looking for ways to strengthen internal communications and leverage each other’s outputs.
5:00 pm: Our new summer class of Data Analyst Interns just started and I like to check in with the interns I supervise at the end of the day. Each intern is tasked with adding a company to the existing coverage universe, guided by a mentor on the analyst team. As a former intern myself, the opportunity to directly impact client deliverables was a key reason I decided to join Earnest after graduating.
6:30 pm: Wrap up work for the day, and head over to our office’s golf simulator. I like to play a few holes as a warm-up before I go to the gym. I’m also a member of most of the Earnest sports teams — we play in basketball, volleyball, and dodgeball intramural leagues run by NYC Social.
If you want to learn more about joining the Account Management team at Earnest, check out our open positions here.
