I’m a Physicist, Why Did I Choose to Work At If?
We talked to Nora Irene Jensen Pettersen, a Data Engineer in If with an unlikely background.
How did you, a physicist, end up in If?
I heard about a job opportunity as a Data Engineer in If from another physicist, Emma Linnea Wiström. Emma is now pursuing her PhD in Switzerland.
How do you benefit from your physics degree in your day-to-day work?
My master’s degree is in nuclear physics with medical applications, where I researched a method of creating two isotopes that can be used in diagnosis and treatment of cancer. This kind of work seems completely different from working with data and technology, so you might understand that I wasn’t sure how I would fit in a role as a Data Engineer and if I had the right qualifications. But after having thought about it, a physicist is used to doing experiments and evaluating the data, and the processing principle is very similar to the work in data & analytics. I’m dealing with a lot of data on a day-to-day basis, and I frequently have to ask myself this one question: does this make sense? This approach is common for data processing in both physics and in data warehousing. It is important that the information you are working with follows a logical structure from the origin to the end product.
I’m used to working with large data sets with a lot of information, a big part of my studies consisted of sorting and visualizing the data. I’m taught to think critically and to be patient throughout the process. All of this made a valuable foundation of skills for me to choose this job in If. I wanted to learn new things. I knew a thing or two about programming. I had an open mind. I felt that I had something to offer.
What does your typical day look like?
As a data engineer my days can vary a bit. I’m working both in the Sales data product squad (making data easily usable for the rest of the organization) and in If’s internal competence development offering: the Analytics Academy. I have tasks that range from fixing source data in Teradata that make up tables and reports used all over If, to creating courses for If employees. But every day starts the same: checking what is for lunch, I’m a foodie and really look forward to enjoying lunch with my colleagues. Then I usually start the SQL editor to recap what I did yesterday before I continue with my to-do list for the day. As a relatively new employee (February 2021), I still have a lot to learn and during our squad stand-up meetings every morning, I have the opportunity to ask for anything that I need and discuss problem solving with my colleagues.
What is your overall impression of If after the first 12 months?
Starting a new job straight out of my studies, I couldn’t have asked for a better employer. I started during Covid-19 which had its disadvantages, but the amount of help and follow-ups during this period was very reassuring. I had good courses to lean on and I was able to be in the office everyday where I always had someone to ask for help. This, for me, was important.
