College Experiences That Helped A Senior Data Scientist At Newfront Insurance Succeed
Matthew attributes success to the timing of undergrad studies, as data science was emerging, allowing for impactful coursework in data science and general coding that later proved beneficial when interviewing for data science roles by being able to lean on and talk about academic experiences. Furthermore, a background in statistics and statistical analysis aided in understanding and working through various projects and challenges encountered throughout their career.
Data Science, Coding, Statistics, Interviewing, Academic Experience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Matthew Slodowitz
Senior Data Scientist
Newfront Insurance
University of Michigan
Mathematics, Data Science, Statistics
Insurance, Technology
Data and Analytics
Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Taking data science courses during undergrad was beneficial for interviews and demonstrating academic experience.
2. Having a coding background, especially in languages like Python, facilitated faster learning and problem-solving in professional roles.
3. Experience in statistics and understanding different statistical analyses proved helpful in various projects throughout the career.
Transcript
What did you do in your undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
What do you do in your undergrad to set you up for success in your career? That's a good question.
One of the biggest things that I benefited from during my undergrad degree was the timing. I think it was during a time when data science was fairly new and exciting.
I took a lot of data science courses, and those have helped me in my career. When I was interviewing for my current role and previous roles, I could lean on and talk about the academic experience I had in data science.
Also, having a general coding background helped me pick things up faster, like Python. This really lent itself to working on and learning new coding languages in my roles.
Certain classes I took really helped when I was talking in interviews. Thinking about different projects I've worked on, having experience in statistics and understanding different statistical analyses also helped me. Those were the two big things that were super helpful for me.