Where There Be Lions
Leos are natural born leaders with a knack for building social circles. On top of that, they’re magnets for positive energy. So when better than Leo Season to charge towards our career goals and tackle uncharted data science projects? These three tips below are a good start:
Speak in Terms of Projects
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m not sure the standard resume templates we’ve harbored for years cut it in this day and age. Employers, like the rest of us, prioritize efficiency so it’s my belief that they care way more about the “what” in your background than the “where.” Obviously, education speaks for itself so that section stays. But I like to package “Projects and Experience” into one category while incorporating “Additional Skills” into the project descriptions. This way, you can highlight all of the languages you know without taking up space in the style section.
Know Your Territory
Coronavirus is making us all into global citizens faster than ever, but that doesn’t mean our local environments cease to matter. Coronavirus is affecting our respective economies in different ways and it is smart to make connections with people who can sympathize with our unique circumstances. Sure, you may not be able to hit up the bar down your street with a new friend or attend networking events. But having these area-specific prospects to look forward to inspires morale and can lead to cool in-person opportunities in the future.
Forget the Either-Or
Should I go back to school or stick to industry for “real-life” experience? That’s a valid question. But the truth is, it’s not a trade-off: you can have both!
In fact, being in academia is a great time to leverage connections and take on research projects to apply the skills you’re learning in the classroom. Not convinced? Take my word for it. When I was pursuing my MBA recently, my statistics professor hooked me up with an analyst in the Department of Undergraduate Retention to determine the factors most responsible for student attrition. Not only was I paid $15 an hour for my work, but I was able to utilize methods of statistical programming I was learning in both R and Excel through my classes and experiment with others I learned on my own.
The part-time gigs you pick up while in school through connections can shine as brightly as full-time opportunities on your resume. Plus, a little side cash for survival can’t hurt.
Find this useful?
This is only a taste. If you want more tips on career searching, resume structure or most of all building a data project portfolio, schedule a session with yours truly! They’re all 20 percent off throughout August with the promo code LEOSEASON.