Having worked in crisis management at multiple agencies since graduating from college, I saw how consequential the recommendations my colleagues and I would make could be on outcome of any particular situation. However, it wasn’t until I started working at Weber Shandwick that I saw the impact of data-driven decision making come to life. The value and importance our clients placed on the insights we were able to distill from various data sources were the driving force behind my decision to leave crisis management and pivot toward data science, which I intend to use to help companies make key decisions that meaningfully impact their bottom line.
I had my first experience working with datasets during my time at Colgate, as I supported my thesis advisor as he examined media narratives around events taking place in the Middle East. In my first job out of college, I had the opportunity to work with even larger data sets, as I helped clients monitor for potential issues and themes that could come up in traditional media or on social media. In each of these cases, I built a strong foundation of how to use various tools to find and isolate specific themes and issues, and communicate our findings to key stakeholders.
Ultimately, it was the invitation to join the Corporate Issues team at Weber Shandwick that was instrumental in my journey towards data science. As part of a leading global communications firm, the Corporate Issues team worked on many high-profile issues and crises for some of the world’s largest and most recognizable companies.
During my time at Weber, several of my colleagues and I were able to create space on the team to focus on how we and the company could continue to develop and expand upon the team’s data and analytics capabilities. Additionally, I was able to hone my abilities in the realm of social and traditional media listening and analytics, helping to provide clients with real-time insights and recommendations based upon ongoing and emerging trends.
As the world changed with the spread of COVID-19, the team and I worked nearly around the clock for months on end to help clients around the world manage the impact on their business and communicate actions to key stakeholders. Similarly, we supported clients during the protests this past summer, as many companies reckoned with the actions and changes they would need to take to make their workplaces equitable and inclusive for their current and future employees. And when the future direction of the country seemed uncertain in the final weeks before the election, we advised clients on how to best remain true to their core values while still being transparent with their stakeholders. Throughout these crises, I was part of the process of exploring and developing the key insights we used to provide actionable insights to our clients.
In a year full of crises, I saw the value clients placed on the data and insights we provided, and how the insights, coupled with strategic recommendations, drove our clients to make operational changes. As companies continue to work with and manage large amounts of internal and external data, I want to use the skills I’ve learned in my prior roles, along with the tools I’m learning in General Assembly’s Data Science Immersive course, to help make decisions that have a positive affect on a company’s performance.