Three years ago I graduated from Creighton's Heider College of Business with my MBA and MS-BIA. There were a lot of things I learned throughout my graduate studies: Python programming, statistics, marketing strategies, and more. However, the biggest and most valuable things I learned were to "bet on myself" and "know my worth" -- two phrases that have served me well in my career and life, becoming personal themes!
Thinking back, a lot happened in the last five years... and also a lot did not happen. I decided to make a visualization of this period of my life. Some might take a look and say I was being a control freak and "limiting my variables to control the outcome of my life" but in reality, I had just a few major life themes I was focused deeply on.
Note: I was trying to use cute logo icons for each square that would represent a change in company, but Tableau was not letting me. Alas, I am a busy woman and gave up. Likely something in how the underlying data is structured prevents me from using custom shapes.
Here are some highlights from that time connecting to each theme:
March 2017: The thrill of checking my application status on my phone in the bathroom of a job I hated, knowing that I had just taken a big step towards the career I envisioned. This started when I began researching graduate schools and decided to bet on myself. Despite seeking out analytical experiences in my diverse roles so far in my career and knowing I could do the job and learn fast, I couldn't get onto the career trajectory I wanted. (Sidenote to employers: do not disregard a candidate because they lack the skills on paper!!!) I was fed up with working jobs where I wasn't using my best skills, and being underpaid, too. Quitting work and moving to someplace for school was not a feasible option, so I researched graduate schools that allowed distance students. Yes, I went to school online before it was cool or a global pandemic made it necessary. I decided to pursue graduate school to make myself more attractive to employers and bypass entry-mid-level roles. This was a big bet on myself -- actually liking my field of study, ability to finish the degrees on time, financing my education, balancing school with all other, and more.
January 2018: My dual degree program was supposed to take three years. It became evident after one semester that I was able to handle more course load, and I wanted to get to the good part of finding the type of job I wanted one year sooner. (Wait, did the toxic culture of St. Olaf's academics OVERPREPARE me for graduate school?!) The dean wasn't on board with me going beast mode on my education, so I had to ask special permission to take additional classes and prove that I could handle it academically. Again, I bet on myself and knew I could handle it. Did I mention that I maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA in my primary field of study and 3.92 in my secondary field of study?
May 2019: Graduation! The day was incredibly special - the culmination of two years of hard work, a celebration with friends and family, and excitement for the future. But it was also an interesting time as I told others in my immediate and distant circles what I had accomplished. I didn't go to grad school for accolades or to impress others; I did it for myself and to further my career. This was definitely a "know your worth" era as I worked to not let others' negative reactions, or reactions different from my expectations, or lack of support or enthusiasm taint what I had worked so hard to accomplish.
At my graduation ceremony, "know your worth" made a surprise appearance! Creighton basketball star Kyle Korver gave an amazing speech. He talked about being traded as a pro basketball player and his old team used the money from trading him to buy a new copy machine. As Kyle said, "that copy machine broke and I'm still playing basketball." I think of that quote often. Seriously, take 25 minutes to listen to his address. And I say that as a total non-sports-ball-person.
June 2019: After graduation, I took a well-deserved "break" to enjoy the summer. During this time, I took advantage of the calm and my newfound extra time to reflect on my long-term career goals. I was able to gain clarity and hone in on the types of job opportunities I wished to pursue. After working so hard to finish graduate school a year early, and finally gaining the qualifications for the career of my dreams, I was going to be choosy. Many job seekers focus on the quantity of applications. I decided to focus on the quality of applications, putting my best foot forward, and the only applying for roles I could see being a great longer-term fit. I was worth more than a low-paying entry-level analyst role at a company of zero interest to me and I was not going to settle!
March 2020: I officially began job searching in the fall of 2019, and was busy doing phone screens, interviews, and networking when the pandemic hit. No one could predict a global pandemic! In fact, the afternoon before everything in Iowa shut down I had an especially exciting phone screen with a company! I understood that the pandemic meant uncertainty for individuals and companies, alike. It was difficult to suddenly have my plans, goals, and dreams put on indefinite hold. But I was grateful! I had been extremely choosy during this time (I did not bust my butt for two years just to take a"meh" job!) which was a blessing because I likely would have lost any new job. Still, it was hard to be un/under-employed and no companies seemed to be hiring or wanting to hire me. It was hard, and I had to keep reminding myself that this challenging time did not negate everything I had accomplished and everything I knew I could do. I had to keep reminding myself of my worth. If you are going through a similar season, here's a post on the subject.
June 2021: While my visualization shows me continually employed full-time, what it does not show is SUCCESS! Finally landing the career path I wanted. It was in an industry I had zero prior knowledge of aside from passively forwarding through commercials on TV, but I bet on myself knowing that I am a fast learner, unafraid to ask questions, and able to research and figure things out.
I get asked often if pursuing graduate school was worth it... worth it for the career outcomes, worth it for higher pay, worth the stress, worth the additional student loans... For me, I would say yes. Despite unforeseen circumstances getting in the way and causing delays that definitely affected my ROI, my degrees did help me learn additional technical skills needed to succeed in a data science/data analytics career path. My degrees undoubtedly helped me get noticed when applying for jobs, too. My advice to anyone is to think about what you want to be doing in your career. Who is currently in those roles? What do the job postings ask for? Do you have the needed skills and background? Would graduate school help fill in your gaps? Will it lead to measurable career progress? But aside from career benefits, there are also personal benefits to consider along the way. For me, those were the confidence in myself and my abilities and knowing my worth and not settling for less. That personal growth that comes from breaking out of your routine and comfort zone, doing something challenging, and succeeding is immeasurably valuable in one's career and life as well!
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