Career Corner in Ask the Professionals: Data Science Project Manager of Mass Mutual Tim Casey ’14
Q: What advice do you have for first years and sophomores who are still exploring their academic and career options?
A: I think the best advice I can give to these students is to choose a minor that makes them uncomfortable.
For students who are leaning towards a STEM major, I think that minoring in a writing/communication heavy discipline can be an invaluable experience because of how important it is to be a great communicator in any workplace. My most successful technical colleagues are not necessarily the best coders, but are the ones who can easily communicate their project needs and accomplishments to a broad audience. Minoring in English or Performance and Communication Arts, for example, makes for a much more attractive prospective junior data scientist or software engineer than someone who has an academic background that is strictly technical.
For students who are leaning more towards the humanities and social sciences, I would highly suggest minoring in Computer Science. While taking on such a technical minor may seem daunting, the benefits are substantial. In my own experience, I selected the Master’s degree program in Business Analytics and Project Management at the University of Connecticut, over a more traditional MBA, because of the heavier computer science curriculum. This technical knowledge was critical for landing my current position, because it distinguished me from other candidates. While I currently use the project management and writing skills, which I gained from my respective masters and undergraduate degree in Government and History, as part of my everyday work, the technical knowledge I gained through other parts of my education has allowed me to effectively communicate with technical colleagues and more easily resolve problems as they come up.
By minoring in a subject that is outside of your comfort zone, you will simultaneously make yourself more attractive to prospective employers and provide yourself with a foundation for continuous career growth.