Career Path of a Talent Consultant Data Science at Eden Smith Group
Raven's career path is unconventional, starting with events management and sales roles before a COVID-19 layoff led to a pivot into recruitment; this experience sparked a passion for data science, resulting in a current role as a Talent Consultant at Eden Smith Group, where they are "immerse[d] in that kind of data-centric environment" while retraining to become a data scientist. The journey showcases a proactive approach to career exploration and adaptation, leveraging transferable skills like relationship building across diverse sectors.
Career Exploration, Career Development, Overcoming Challenges, Building Relationships, Data Science
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Raven McMenemie
Talent Consultant - Data Science & ML
Eden Smith Group
None
N/A
General Studies / Not Applicable
Recruitment, HR & Related Professional Services, Technology
Data and Analytics
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Raven's career path demonstrates that a traditional college degree isn't always necessary for success in tech. Her experience in various roles, including sales and account management, developed crucial skills applicable to talent consulting and data science.
2. Raven's pivot from sales and business development into tech recruitment highlights the transferability of skills. Her passion for relationship building translated well to her role and ultimately spurred her interest in data science.
3. Raven actively sought opportunities for growth and reskilling. Facing COVID-related job loss, she used the time to reflect on her career goals and pursue retraining in data science, showing initiative and adaptability.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
Yes, of course. I didn't go to college or university; I wanted to get out into the world and start working as soon as I could. I started off in London with an events management organization, then moved back home to the east coast of the UK. There, I had time to really evaluate what I wanted to do.
I love building relationships, so I felt that sales and business development would be a great avenue for me. This quickly developed into stakeholder management, account management, and onboarding new clients and colleagues. This was across telecoms, media, and business consumables.
Unfortunately, I was affected by the COVID layoffs. This gave me more time to evaluate what I wanted to do. I still wanted to build relationships but with a different perspective. I really wanted to have an impact on somebody's life and help them.
I found myself in recruitment, which is me, through and through. I worked with a tech specialist on the AI desk, and that's where I very quickly fell in love with everything data and data science. I decided to requalify and retrain as a data scientist.
I moved to my current employer, Eden Smith, a very niche data organization. It gave me the opportunity to remain in talent consulting and also get involved with their data consultancy and data education. This is really helpful for me to immerse myself in a data-centric environment as I hopefully transition into data science within the next 12 months.