From economist to data analyst
How Samuel leveled up his career to become a Senior Data Analyst at Disney
Samuel Wondim stumbled his way into data analytics. But once he discovered it, he doubled down and taught himself the necessary skills. He was gracious enough to answer some questions about his career journey and learning strategies.
What was your background before getting into data analytics?
I graduated from Pepperdine in 2015 with a degree in Economics without having any idea what the next 5 years would look like. After graduating, I worked temp job after temp job in the hopes of stumbling into a career I was good at and enjoyed.
Throughout that process I gained skills/experience that were integral in my current role—Excel and interpersonal communication. In 2017, I leveraged those skills and got my breakthrough moment when I was hired as a “Data Analyst” for a marketing company where I worked directly with one client: Epson.
I put Data Analyst in quotations because, despite the title, I felt my role was more on the Business Intelligence side.
What made want to pursue a career in data?
I’m not sure how great my strategy was after college, but it did introduce me to data. Even after the first 6 or so months of being a “Data Analyst”, the thought of having a career in data didn’t cross my mind.
I honestly can’t remember the event that sparked my shift in focus for my future. But once I knew I wanted to figure out what my next 5–10 years would look like, I did a lot of research on the best careers of the future. As I’m sure you know, Data Science and Data Analytics were on the top of that list.
There were a lot of reasons that I wanted to move on from my role at Epson. But one of the biggest drivers for me was always striving for self-improvement. Personally, there isn’t anything more gratifying in life than seeing the reward of hours of hard work.
How did you approach self-learning?
I took somecourses on Udemy for niche topics like Data Visualization, Time Series Analysis, SQL, etc.. But most of my learning was done for free by watching a LOT of YouTube! There is so much free content there. You just have to know what you’re looking for. Here are some channels I got value from:
For all things Python:
For statistics:
For all things Data Science/ Data Analysis:
To get practical experience, on top of completing a few Kaggle competitions here and there, I built an end-to-end data science project. I created a model that predicts the prices of houses in Los Angeles. I used the model to create a website that allows aspiring home buyers to estimate the price of the dream house based on features that are important to them (e.g. location, bedrooms, square footage, etc). I did all this with the guidance and support of my mentor Neal — who I found on SharpestMinds.
Were you still working full-time while doing all of this?
Yes, I was still working while self learning. If you’re lucky enough to have a position that is data science adjacent then you have the opportunity to take what you’re learning and apply it to your real job to get actual experience that you’re looking for.
Don’t take it for granted, however. You should not be discouraged if you’re coming from another field. There are plenty of forums/communities you can join with like-minded individuals that can guide/motivate you on your self-learning journey.
How did you find job openings to apply for?
I tried to use every source that was made available to me. Here’s a breakdown of where I sourced the jobs I’ve applied for:
LinkedIn: 45%*
AngelList: 35%
Indeed: 13%
College Job Board: 5%
SharpestMinds Job Board: 2%
*LinkedIn includes both job posts & jobs referred to by recruiters.
I received many more callbacks/interviews from AngelList and my college job board. Most of my job applications were from LinkedIn is because I found way more opportunities that interested me there. My current role at Disney was a result of recruiter reaching out to me on LinkedIn. I firmly believe years of preparation and failing at other interviews got me to that moment.
What surprised you the most during interviews?
The most surprising lesson I learned was how informal/relaxed most interviews are. If you’re like me (and many others in our field), you probably suffer from imposter-syndrome. The lack of confidence in your ability to perform for the job you’re applying for is a very common feeling. This feeling can cause a lot of anxiety leading up to your interviews; as it did for me.
However, that anxious feeling quickly goes away minutes into the interview. With each succeeding interview I experienced, the minutes quickly became seconds; and the seconds ceased to exist. Eventually I didn’t feel any anxiety prior to the interview.
What would you do differently, if you were to do it again?
I wouldn’t change a thing. I’d continue to follow the “Do’s-and-Don’t’s” advice SharpestMinds gave me, as they are continually monitoring the data job market. I’d continue to soak in all the knowledge and experience my SharpestMinds mentor (shout-out to Neal!) bestowed upon me.
I would, however, appreciate the journey a lot more. Protect your mental health and routinely take breaks. Trust the process; you’ll cross the finish line if you’re not cheating yourself.
Samuel is a Senior Analyst, Marketing at Disney Streaming. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.