Graduate Profiles Detail India

Black Hawk Network is based in the gift card industry where I work on the data side of the team. I analyse the key sales trends of cards across the industry to create an efficient model that will leverage sales for the company as much as possible. My masters in data science is directly related to the work.

I really enjoy the range of challenges the role brings with it. There is so much to learn! I actually started as an intern and, based on my performance, became a permanent employee. I therefore started as a beginner and have had a steep learning curve, but is has been so rewarding as I have seen my skills and abilities steadily grow. The company has shown a lot of faith in me, giving me the freedom to start developing from very early on. The analysis part of my role is something that always feels new. There is always a lot of research and you can always get better at spotting and using trends.

Studying abroad in a country with a strong reputation like the UK can really make a difference – especially at masters level. I was actually in the first cohort that did the masters in data science, so it was very exciting. I came onto the course from completely different background, so the content was very new to to me, but it really helped me to transition to the data-sided work I wanted. The course started with the fundamentals, for example, the basics of coding, especially in Python programming language, before enabling me to choose between options such as focusing on big data, machine learning and Power BI. We also did statistics, which was something new and very important to data science roles.

Something particularly valuable about the course was the way it helped me to develop key skills such as communication. A key part of my role is talking to multiple product teams in the US part of our company, and the course has helped me to break down and present the technical work I do in an effective way to the them, explaining complex data in a way that is clear and relevant.

Networking is key! LinkedIn is a very good tool for building a good network in our sector. I would say be shameless! Research as much as you can, and then reach out to anyone who may be able to help you. I approached a lot of people when looking for this job, and it was a contact that told me the company were looking for a position like this. You need to be patient, and you need to be active.

Also keep learning skills. There is a lot of training out there that is easy to access and often free, such as LinkedIn learning, Udemy, Github and on Youtube. You should certainly take up these opportunities.