Data Science: Launch Student Stories
Discover first-hand experiences of past Launch students in the Data Science track.
*If you aren’t familiar with our Launch internship program, visit joinforge.co/launch.
Resumes and Prep
The Resumes/interview prep were really helpful because that part is really whats most important in landing an internship. I feel that many people tend to go for the person with a more positive energy and eagerness to work well within a team rather than the person that knows every technical thing. The resume workshops really vamped up my own resume and the interview prep helped me with the social connection aspect in the midst of an interview. I feel that without the resume workshops I wouldn’t have had many call backs for interviews and that without the interview prep days I wouldn’t have landed an internship for the summer. A lot of other educational institutions tend to focus solely on the technical/academic aspect of teaching but gloss over the social/networking aspect. Forge, on the other hand, prioritizes both.
— Daniel Tohti, Launch ’21
Daniel worked at Cherry in the summer of 2021.
The Interview/Matching Process
My matching process took a few months actually. I didn’t get a ton of interview opportunities over the matching process, but once I did I was able to use all the skills I learned in interview prep to secure a position after my third interview! The thing that people responded to best in the interviews were the stories that I told. Focusing on telling an engaging story with context and a resulting lesson or takeaway always got my interviewer to ask follow-ups and really engage in the interview, making it more of a conversation than a Q&A session. Training was an incredible learning process. Never have I focused so much and grown so much in one area of my learning. Having that focused time in a group of others totally engaged with the same thing created an environment in which everyone is lifting everyone else up and lead to some of the most rewarding learning I have ever done, and I’m still using the skills I learned in Launch today.
— Silas Hayes, Launch ’21
Silas worked at Scenthound in the summer of 2021.
Training Process
Training days were long but very rewarding. The curriculum is project-based and encouraging of independent learning, so I grew a lot in my ability to rapidly learn new concepts and produce high quality deliverables. I enjoyed learning high-value technical skills (SQL, pandas, matplotlib) that I used all of the time in my internship and working on group projects, because I’ve found that being a good team member is one of the most important abilities you can have. I also loved meeting everyone else in my track — I’m still good friends with many people I worked with in summer training, which is a great bonus!
— Anna Grace Calhoun, Launch ’21
Anna Grace worked at CuriosityStream in the summer of 2021.
Advice For Future Students
Become a sponge! The training and the internship flies by fast. Take the time to absorb all the content you can and ask tons of questions. Your instructors are some of the most knowledgeable people within your track, and they will absolutely enjoy going down the rabbit hole about data science, marketing, UX design, or whichever track you choose. Make sure you ask questions to your supervisor and coworkers during your internship as well. They’re the experts of their fields and are super important when it comes to learning job relevant practices that standout to employers. Regardless of whether your internship is remote, flex, or in person, take the time to build relationships with your supervisor and coworkers. This can help you stand out by blending into the company culture and help land you the full-time gig after a successful internship. A good relationship will also extend beyond an internship and be invaluable when looking for the next one or the full-time job after graduation.
— Donald Cooper, Launch ’21
Donald worked at ENSCO in the summer of 2021.
If you have any further questions about the data science track of Launch, Launch in general, or even just about Forge, do not hesitate to visit our website! Launch is a program that many people find value in, whether it be to learn new skills, get a summer internship, or both. If you’re an upcoming Launch student for the summer of 2022, or are thinking about applying next year, we hope you found this article helpful, and feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.
