Career Pathways

Common Pathways

The following roles can be found across all major industries and most commonly found in finance, technology, consulting, manufacturing, healthcare, media, and government.

Business Analyst

• Level: Bachelor's, Graduate Degree in business, computer engineering, computer science, or information systems, or equivalent experience.

• Business analysts collect and analyze information to help their business reach its goals. They identify specific business opportunities and influence stakeholders to support business projects, to lead projects, and to coordinate with other teams to produce better results and outcomes. They also test out the business processes and recommend relevant improvements. Candidates should have a strong attention to detail, are fluent in statistics, and are able to demonstrate critical thinking and consulting experience. They rely on data and analytics, research, and recommend improvement measures and protocol to impact and improve a company’s logistics more efficiently or directly.

Data Analyst

• Level: Bachelor's, Graduate Degree in business, computer engineering, computer science, or information systems, or equivalent experience.

• Data analysts research and use data to solve problems, optimize profit, minimize turnover, or streamline logistics, and to help companies make better business decisions. They assess a company’s complex information including sales numbers, market research, or behavior, with the goal of reaching simpler, smarter conclusions, and use their technical expertise to stress test the data for quality and accuracy. Candidates are expected to work with a wide range of business intelligence and analytics tools such as Excel, SQL, R, SAS, and Python. To work as a data analyst, it’s important that you’re comfortable using such tools and languages to carry out data mining, statistical analysis, database management, and reporting.

Data Scientist

• Level: Master’s or PHD in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science or another quantitative field

• Data scientists utilize their analytical, statistical, and programming skills to collect, analyze, and interpret large data sets. They then use this information to develop data-driven solutions to difficult business challenges. Data scientists have a wide range of technical competencies including: statistics, coding languages, databases, machine learning, and reporting technologies. Candidates should be familiar with statistical and data mining techniques such as GLM/Regression, Random Forest, Boosting, Trees, text mining, and social network analysis. Experience creating and using advanced machine learning algorithms and statistics like regression, simulation, scenario analysis, modeling, clustering, decision trees, neural networks, are imperative. On top of being familiar with statistical coding languages: R, Python, SQL, a strong skillset must include excellent written and verbal communication skills for coordinating across teams.

Financial Analyst

• Level: Bachelor's, MBA, CPA a plus

• Financial analysts are responsible for tracking a company's financial performance against a plan, analyzing business performance and market conditions to create forecasts, and helping senior management make tactical and strategic decisions by providing periodic reports. Candidates should be very good with numbers and solving problems, and should be familiar with the workings of the economy, tax laws, and money markets. An ideal skillset includes a strong working knowledge of financial modeling, excellent analytical problem solving skills, and high attention to detail.

Market Research Analyst

• Level: Bachelor's, MBA

• Market researchers gather, analyze, and interpret data that is used for marketing purposes. Their work commonly involves compiling and analyzing both qualitative information and quantitative data. They collect input and feedback from customers or specific target audiences using tactics such as surveys, focus groups, interviews, and automated polling tools. They often work in collaboration with a cross-functional team that may include sales and communications. Market researchers typically have a bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related business field, and commonly have a background in marketing, surveys, or market research. Candidates require strong analytical skills, including extensive data analysis capabilities. The ideal skillset includes high levels of organization, attention to detail, and proficiency with survey and research tools.

Operations / Supply Chain Analyst

• Level: Bachelor's, MBA, Work Experience

• A Supply Chain Analyst collects data and then analyzes in order to make improvements to the supply chain system. A Supply Chain Analyst serves as the contact point for many large purchases made from outside of the company for projects. Operation research analysts use advanced mathematical and analytical methods to help organizations solve problems and make better decisions. They identify and solve problems in business, logistics, healthcare, or other related fields and collect and organize information for various sources, including computer databases, sales histories, and customer feedback. They gather input from workers involved in all aspects of a problem or others who have specialized knowledge to solve the problem. Candidates should have experience working in and maintaining databases using Excel and have an interest in inventory management, purchasing, logistics for large-scale projects, and vendor negotiations. An ideal skillset includes leadership and critical thinking skills to lead to timely decision making, professional communication skills, and experience with business process analysis.