Stand Out from the Other 499 Data Scientist Job Applicants | by Sambarger | May, 2022
Hone your soft-skills to land an interview and seal the job offer
I have managed analytics, data science, and data engineering teams for the last decade across companies large and small. I have interviewed scores of candidates and hired dozens. I recently sifted through 500+ applicants for an analyst role that was open for two weeks. Yes, you need to know SQL and Python. BUT you’re missing the non-technical skills that will get you in the door and seal the deal, the ‘Soft Skill Sandwich.’
I’ll walk you through networking, oral and written resumes, interviews, and negotiations in a series of posts. This is not a ‘shortcut’. Each step is time-consuming but well worth it and far more valuable than blindly submitting to another twenty LinkedIn applications. Up first, networking!
I am generally an introverted person and don’t love networking, but I have landed each of my jobs in analytics at least in part through networking. I also made several good friends along the way. Yes it can be painful, but most people are willing and eager to help so view it as a chance to meet new, interesting folks. Let’s walk through the Why, When, How, What, and Follow-up.
Why: your two primary goals of networking are:
- to learn about companies and relevant positions
- to establish a personal connection with people at those companies who can provide you a strong referral
Yes, it is possible to ‘network’ with a hiring manager, but this is typically called an interview or at least an ‘informational interview.’ Your target here is the ‘internal referral’ flag in every recruiting software that separates your application from the other 499, dramatically increasing the chances the hiring manager will review it.
When: ideally you’re always networking as it leads to cool, new opportunities (this is particularly valuable in a recessionary environment). Realistically you’re doing this 3–6 months before you’re planning to leave your current job. Whatever your current employment situation it’s never too late to start.
How: Networking can be everything from an in-person coffee/meal/beer, to a Zoom, to a phone call, to a chat at a conference. Think of people you already know: friends, family members, or classmates, ‘first connections’ in LinkedIn parlance, who are working in Analytics or at companies that have Analytics/Data Science teams. Start your conversations there! It’s much easier to have that first networking phone call or coffee with someone you know.
Networking is not peppering people you don’t know with LinkedIn connection requests. However, it might be reaching out to someone on LinkedIn with whom you’re not connected, explaining your interests, and asking if they’d be game for a quick phone call.
What: Prepare for each conversation by reading about the person’s background, company, or industry. Write down intelligent questions to ask. In the conference or meetup setting, this is challenging but you can still prepare by researching speakers or likely attendees.
Start the conversation by introducing yourself and explaining why you’re excited to speak. For example, Hi Katie, I’m Sam. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. I’m just getting started in analytics and am excited to learn more about Newco’s work. This is not the time to show your analytical skills, it is the time to ask intelligent questions about the company or the person’s career path and current work.
If you’re getting coffee/breakfast/lunch, offer to pay for the other person. It’s a small gesture of gratitude for their time.
At some point in every networking conversation ask: Who else should I be speaking with? (hence ‘networking’).
Follow-up: Congratulations, you’re networking! Don’t forget the critical step of following up. Follow-ups should be something you addressed during the conversation. They should not be out-of-the-blue asks.
Send a thank you email. Highlight next steps if there are any — i.e. please introduce me to ______. Try to provide value to the person who is helping you. Perhaps link to an interesting article related to a project she’s leading.
Despite their flaws, resumes are the accepted standard of job applications. Spend time ensuring your written resume is polished. Also spend time walking through your resume verbally. Let’s discuss the Why, When, What, and Practice.
Why: the goal of your written resume is to sell yourself and your experience in one page to someone who has never met you. Remember the recruiter is looking through hundreds of resumes as quickly as possible trying to determine who to screen. The goal of your ‘verbal’ resume is to sell yourself to the interviewer who probably hasn’t had time to read your resume before meeting with you. Remember, your interviewer is swamped, running from meeting to meeting. Help her get up to speed quickly.
When: update your resume at least annually. This exercise is a good prompt to focus on new skills in your current job as you prepare for your next move. Polish your resume as soon as you start a job search.
What (written): There are a lot of resources on resume writing, but here are a few important bullets below.
- Use action verbs that put you at the forefront (owned, led, designed, etc) to start each bullet. These are more powerful than (helped, participated in, supported, etc)
- Rank your bullets under each position by order of importance (most important, higher on page)
- Use numbers to highlight impact (even if rough/SWAG estimates). Think Owned optimization of carrier bills saving $600k annually vs. Supported carrier billing process
- With the above and action verbs, you can stretch the truth, but ensure your resume is defensible relative to reality
- Provide context/description of various roles you’ve had. A data scientist or analyst at company A is often different from a data scientist at company B, so rather than listing “analyst” list “product analyst: reporting to Sr. Director of Analytics partnered with product team to design A/B tests and reporting for product launches…”
- Include an “Interests” section to talk about a few of your hobbies. This should be short, no more than a line, but I always read this when it’s included. Often it is the first thing I ask about during an interview to (a) put interviewee at ease and (b) humanize them. When recruiters/hiring managers are reading 50+ resumes a day these bring some levity. If you have an interests section, make sure you can speak to it and actually know something about the interest.
- Make sure spelling is correct and spacing/punctuation are consistent.
- Limit yourself to one page (unless you have 10+ yrs work experience).
- PROOFREAD. Wait 24 hours, then PROOFREAD AGAIN.
- Your resume can/should be slightly different from your LinkedIn profile but they should be aligned from a title/responsibility standpoint.
What (verbal): Often referred to as the ‘resume walk’, you must be able to walk an interviewer, or networker through the high points of your resume. This is the answer to “Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your resume.” Your ‘walk’ should be ~2 minutes. Your goal is not to speed-read your resume. Instead, highlight important work you’ve done, what you’re looking to do now, and why you’re interested in/qualified for ‘x’ job for which you’re interviewing. This should feel like an engaging story. Remember ~2 minutes.
PRACTICE THIS OUT LOUD, SEVERAL TIMES.
Woohoo!! You’ve beaten 90+% of the other candidates and gotten to the interview stage! Congratulations! Unfortunately, the job is not yet yours. There’s work to do. Let’s walk through the Why, When, What, and Follow-up.
Why: your goal during the interview process is to make a great first impression and subsequently a lasting impression that you’re smart, qualified, and professional.
When: the ‘when’ here is largely controlled by the company. What you control is preparation. Prepare, prepare, prepare for each interview, even initial phone screens. Be early for each interview. If the interview is in-person, make sure you know how to get there and get there early. If via video conference, login early to ensure you don’t have to download software.
What: Interview processes can vary widely. They are typically divided into: recruiter screens, hiring manager screens, technical screens, and final round ‘interview battery’ with multiple stakeholders/members of the hiring team. Again this may vary a great deal based on company stage, size, and industry. You can’t control the format, but you can control your preparation.
Recruiter phone screens: Recruiters are trying to assess if you are a fit for the role and the company culture. These interviews are usually not technical in nature. In preparation,
- Research the company. Read recent press releases. Know/understand the company’s products. Take notes as you do this. You will need them in the future.
- Look at the recruiter’s LinkedIn profile. Where did s/he go to school, work, etc? Helps with small talk and shows you’ve done your research.
- Think through why you’re interested in this company/job. Your answer should be specific to the company and the role. I am a long-time user of ‘x’ product and am thrilled by the opportunity of working for the company that designs this product… Your answer should not include: a) need visa sponsorship (even if this is true, lots of companies provide sponsorship, be specific to the opportunity); b) I hate my current job (instead phrase as I am looking for more growth); c) I want to take my hiring manager’s role in 6 months and run data science (displays arrogance).
- Think through questions the recruiter is likely to ask. Why do you want to work here? What do you know about our company? Why do you think you’d be a good fit? Why did you leave your last job?
- Be ready to do the resume walk
- Try to be specific in your answers (recruiters smell bullshit in generalities) but don’t get overly technical and don’t drone on. Keep answers to ~2 minutes or less.
- Be positive about past employers and managers. Negativity/pessimism is a red flag.
- Ask (at least) two questions: a) what is your email address, so you send a follow-up email thanking the recruiter for his time; b) what are next steps, to highlight your interest and so you can prepare.
Technical interview: scores of Medium articles have cover this in depth, so I won’t spend much time here. However I will note, know your SQL, especially window functions, joins, and aggregations.
Interview panel: after you rock the phone screen, you’ll get invited to meet multiple folks at the office (or via Zoom)
Pre-arrival prep:
- Confirm names/positions of the interviewers with the recruiter. Research these people. Google their names, read their profiles (but don’t connect with them yet), read articles they’ve written. Take notes on each of them.
- Confirm attire (suit, business casual, etc). Even if the recruiter says, attire is casual — wear business casual.
- Confirm address/parking/office entry/Zoom link
- Arrive early (even if virtual to ensure you have appropriate software downloaded and your audio/video work)
- Bring a notebook with names/notes/questions for interviewers, a pen, copies of your resume.
Interviews:
- stand up and greet (shake hands if appropriate) with each interviewer as they enter
- make eye contact
- be aware of your posture. Lean forward slightly. Don’t slouch and don’t recline.
- see recruiter interview notes above
- be careful in how you talk about career growth — highlight why you’re excited about the current role for which you’re interviewing, don’t already put yourself in the next position.
- ask questions from what you’ve learned in other interviews, your research on the interviewer/company in advance
- at the end of each interview, ask the interviewer for his/her email address so you can follow-up with questions as they come up.
Follow-up: Congratulations! You survived a long day of interviews, but you’re not done yet.
- SEND THANK YOU EMAILS to everyone who interviewed you. They can be brief, but thank them for their time, reference something you learned in the conversation, and highlight your excitement for the role. It is so rare that people do this. It’s not going to get you the job, but it will make you more memorable and might put you over the edge if you’re tied with another candidate. It’s also just the right thing to do. The interviewer has sat in a room for ~6 hrs that day asking strangers questions and knows she is now going to have to work late to do her day job. Acknowledge that sacrifice.
- Send a thank you to recruiter as well and clarify next steps. Don’t forget to highlight your excitement for the role.
Negotiations
You crushed your interviews, you sent your thank yous, and you now have an offer!! You should negotiate your offer. It is not disrespectful if you do so professionally. But remember, money isn’t everything. PTO, start date, benefits, stock options, etc are all part of the offer.
- Negotiations should be done by phone, Zoom, or in person, usually with the HR representative, or occasionally with the hiring manager. Even in the Covid era, I strongly discourage you from negotiating via email as negotiations should be a conversation through which you learn what’s important to your prospective employer where she is flexible.
- PREPARE IN ADVANCE (seeing a theme with the above?) Research the offer. How does it compare to your current/prior job. What’s better, what’s worse? Ultimately, what’s important to you?
- Before negotiating, emphasize your excitement for the offer and the role. Then highlight what you’re requesting and why in a respectful manner. Think: Raschelle, I’m so excited about this offer at Newco. I enjoyed meeting the team and am thrilled about the chance to work on ‘x’ projects. Before accepting the offer, I would like to discuss compensation. Based on my experience and salary surveys, I’m targeting $xyz.
- When negotiating salary, ensure that you’re calibrating relative to salary discussions you may have had with the recruiter.
- When negotiating salary, make your negotiating request within ~10% of the offer — i.e. if offered $80k, don’t counter requesting $120k. If the offered salary is way off, you should likely decline the offer.
- Usually companies have an approved offer range for a candidate and the initial offer is not the top of the range. That said, be prepared for “No, unfortunately we can’t meet that salary request…” Usually, if you get that response, there will be a “but” in which case they may provide a one-time signing bonus, moving compensation, etc.
- As you negotiate, choose the item or two you want to negotiate (not all of the above). If you get firm “no’s” on them, that’s ok. Thank the HR rep for his/her time and say you’d like to think about it. Not getting additional benefits out of the negotiation doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the job nor that you’re a bad negotiator, it just means they didn’t have much flexibility.
There’s a lot here — so read it again! If you only do two things out of this list, make them: over-prepare for interviews and send thank yous.
Once you get your new job, send another follow-up thanking members of your network again and telling them where you landed.
Good luck!
Hone your soft-skills to land an interview and seal the job offer
I have managed analytics, data science, and data engineering teams for the last decade across companies large and small. I have interviewed scores of candidates and hired dozens. I recently sifted through 500+ applicants for an analyst role that was open for two weeks. Yes, you need to know SQL and Python. BUT you’re missing the non-technical skills that will get you in the door and seal the deal, the ‘Soft Skill Sandwich.’
I’ll walk you through networking, oral and written resumes, interviews, and negotiations in a series of posts. This is not a ‘shortcut’. Each step is time-consuming but well worth it and far more valuable than blindly submitting to another twenty LinkedIn applications. Up first, networking!
I am generally an introverted person and don’t love networking, but I have landed each of my jobs in analytics at least in part through networking. I also made several good friends along the way. Yes it can be painful, but most people are willing and eager to help so view it as a chance to meet new, interesting folks. Let’s walk through the Why, When, How, What, and Follow-up.
Why: your two primary goals of networking are:
- to learn about companies and relevant positions
- to establish a personal connection with people at those companies who can provide you a strong referral
Yes, it is possible to ‘network’ with a hiring manager, but this is typically called an interview or at least an ‘informational interview.’ Your target here is the ‘internal referral’ flag in every recruiting software that separates your application from the other 499, dramatically increasing the chances the hiring manager will review it.
When: ideally you’re always networking as it leads to cool, new opportunities (this is particularly valuable in a recessionary environment). Realistically you’re doing this 3–6 months before you’re planning to leave your current job. Whatever your current employment situation it’s never too late to start.
How: Networking can be everything from an in-person coffee/meal/beer, to a Zoom, to a phone call, to a chat at a conference. Think of people you already know: friends, family members, or classmates, ‘first connections’ in LinkedIn parlance, who are working in Analytics or at companies that have Analytics/Data Science teams. Start your conversations there! It’s much easier to have that first networking phone call or coffee with someone you know.
Networking is not peppering people you don’t know with LinkedIn connection requests. However, it might be reaching out to someone on LinkedIn with whom you’re not connected, explaining your interests, and asking if they’d be game for a quick phone call.
What: Prepare for each conversation by reading about the person’s background, company, or industry. Write down intelligent questions to ask. In the conference or meetup setting, this is challenging but you can still prepare by researching speakers or likely attendees.
Start the conversation by introducing yourself and explaining why you’re excited to speak. For example, Hi Katie, I’m Sam. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. I’m just getting started in analytics and am excited to learn more about Newco’s work. This is not the time to show your analytical skills, it is the time to ask intelligent questions about the company or the person’s career path and current work.
If you’re getting coffee/breakfast/lunch, offer to pay for the other person. It’s a small gesture of gratitude for their time.
At some point in every networking conversation ask: Who else should I be speaking with? (hence ‘networking’).
Follow-up: Congratulations, you’re networking! Don’t forget the critical step of following up. Follow-ups should be something you addressed during the conversation. They should not be out-of-the-blue asks.
Send a thank you email. Highlight next steps if there are any — i.e. please introduce me to ______. Try to provide value to the person who is helping you. Perhaps link to an interesting article related to a project she’s leading.
Despite their flaws, resumes are the accepted standard of job applications. Spend time ensuring your written resume is polished. Also spend time walking through your resume verbally. Let’s discuss the Why, When, What, and Practice.
Why: the goal of your written resume is to sell yourself and your experience in one page to someone who has never met you. Remember the recruiter is looking through hundreds of resumes as quickly as possible trying to determine who to screen. The goal of your ‘verbal’ resume is to sell yourself to the interviewer who probably hasn’t had time to read your resume before meeting with you. Remember, your interviewer is swamped, running from meeting to meeting. Help her get up to speed quickly.
When: update your resume at least annually. This exercise is a good prompt to focus on new skills in your current job as you prepare for your next move. Polish your resume as soon as you start a job search.
What (written): There are a lot of resources on resume writing, but here are a few important bullets below.
- Use action verbs that put you at the forefront (owned, led, designed, etc) to start each bullet. These are more powerful than (helped, participated in, supported, etc)
- Rank your bullets under each position by order of importance (most important, higher on page)
- Use numbers to highlight impact (even if rough/SWAG estimates). Think Owned optimization of carrier bills saving $600k annually vs. Supported carrier billing process
- With the above and action verbs, you can stretch the truth, but ensure your resume is defensible relative to reality
- Provide context/description of various roles you’ve had. A data scientist or analyst at company A is often different from a data scientist at company B, so rather than listing “analyst” list “product analyst: reporting to Sr. Director of Analytics partnered with product team to design A/B tests and reporting for product launches…”
- Include an “Interests” section to talk about a few of your hobbies. This should be short, no more than a line, but I always read this when it’s included. Often it is the first thing I ask about during an interview to (a) put interviewee at ease and (b) humanize them. When recruiters/hiring managers are reading 50+ resumes a day these bring some levity. If you have an interests section, make sure you can speak to it and actually know something about the interest.
- Make sure spelling is correct and spacing/punctuation are consistent.
- Limit yourself to one page (unless you have 10+ yrs work experience).
- PROOFREAD. Wait 24 hours, then PROOFREAD AGAIN.
- Your resume can/should be slightly different from your LinkedIn profile but they should be aligned from a title/responsibility standpoint.
What (verbal): Often referred to as the ‘resume walk’, you must be able to walk an interviewer, or networker through the high points of your resume. This is the answer to “Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your resume.” Your ‘walk’ should be ~2 minutes. Your goal is not to speed-read your resume. Instead, highlight important work you’ve done, what you’re looking to do now, and why you’re interested in/qualified for ‘x’ job for which you’re interviewing. This should feel like an engaging story. Remember ~2 minutes.
PRACTICE THIS OUT LOUD, SEVERAL TIMES.
Woohoo!! You’ve beaten 90+% of the other candidates and gotten to the interview stage! Congratulations! Unfortunately, the job is not yet yours. There’s work to do. Let’s walk through the Why, When, What, and Follow-up.
Why: your goal during the interview process is to make a great first impression and subsequently a lasting impression that you’re smart, qualified, and professional.
When: the ‘when’ here is largely controlled by the company. What you control is preparation. Prepare, prepare, prepare for each interview, even initial phone screens. Be early for each interview. If the interview is in-person, make sure you know how to get there and get there early. If via video conference, login early to ensure you don’t have to download software.
What: Interview processes can vary widely. They are typically divided into: recruiter screens, hiring manager screens, technical screens, and final round ‘interview battery’ with multiple stakeholders/members of the hiring team. Again this may vary a great deal based on company stage, size, and industry. You can’t control the format, but you can control your preparation.
Recruiter phone screens: Recruiters are trying to assess if you are a fit for the role and the company culture. These interviews are usually not technical in nature. In preparation,
- Research the company. Read recent press releases. Know/understand the company’s products. Take notes as you do this. You will need them in the future.
- Look at the recruiter’s LinkedIn profile. Where did s/he go to school, work, etc? Helps with small talk and shows you’ve done your research.
- Think through why you’re interested in this company/job. Your answer should be specific to the company and the role. I am a long-time user of ‘x’ product and am thrilled by the opportunity of working for the company that designs this product… Your answer should not include: a) need visa sponsorship (even if this is true, lots of companies provide sponsorship, be specific to the opportunity); b) I hate my current job (instead phrase as I am looking for more growth); c) I want to take my hiring manager’s role in 6 months and run data science (displays arrogance).
- Think through questions the recruiter is likely to ask. Why do you want to work here? What do you know about our company? Why do you think you’d be a good fit? Why did you leave your last job?
- Be ready to do the resume walk
- Try to be specific in your answers (recruiters smell bullshit in generalities) but don’t get overly technical and don’t drone on. Keep answers to ~2 minutes or less.
- Be positive about past employers and managers. Negativity/pessimism is a red flag.
- Ask (at least) two questions: a) what is your email address, so you send a follow-up email thanking the recruiter for his time; b) what are next steps, to highlight your interest and so you can prepare.
Technical interview: scores of Medium articles have cover this in depth, so I won’t spend much time here. However I will note, know your SQL, especially window functions, joins, and aggregations.
Interview panel: after you rock the phone screen, you’ll get invited to meet multiple folks at the office (or via Zoom)
Pre-arrival prep:
- Confirm names/positions of the interviewers with the recruiter. Research these people. Google their names, read their profiles (but don’t connect with them yet), read articles they’ve written. Take notes on each of them.
- Confirm attire (suit, business casual, etc). Even if the recruiter says, attire is casual — wear business casual.
- Confirm address/parking/office entry/Zoom link
- Arrive early (even if virtual to ensure you have appropriate software downloaded and your audio/video work)
- Bring a notebook with names/notes/questions for interviewers, a pen, copies of your resume.
Interviews:
- stand up and greet (shake hands if appropriate) with each interviewer as they enter
- make eye contact
- be aware of your posture. Lean forward slightly. Don’t slouch and don’t recline.
- see recruiter interview notes above
- be careful in how you talk about career growth — highlight why you’re excited about the current role for which you’re interviewing, don’t already put yourself in the next position.
- ask questions from what you’ve learned in other interviews, your research on the interviewer/company in advance
- at the end of each interview, ask the interviewer for his/her email address so you can follow-up with questions as they come up.
Follow-up: Congratulations! You survived a long day of interviews, but you’re not done yet.
- SEND THANK YOU EMAILS to everyone who interviewed you. They can be brief, but thank them for their time, reference something you learned in the conversation, and highlight your excitement for the role. It is so rare that people do this. It’s not going to get you the job, but it will make you more memorable and might put you over the edge if you’re tied with another candidate. It’s also just the right thing to do. The interviewer has sat in a room for ~6 hrs that day asking strangers questions and knows she is now going to have to work late to do her day job. Acknowledge that sacrifice.
- Send a thank you to recruiter as well and clarify next steps. Don’t forget to highlight your excitement for the role.
Negotiations
You crushed your interviews, you sent your thank yous, and you now have an offer!! You should negotiate your offer. It is not disrespectful if you do so professionally. But remember, money isn’t everything. PTO, start date, benefits, stock options, etc are all part of the offer.
- Negotiations should be done by phone, Zoom, or in person, usually with the HR representative, or occasionally with the hiring manager. Even in the Covid era, I strongly discourage you from negotiating via email as negotiations should be a conversation through which you learn what’s important to your prospective employer where she is flexible.
- PREPARE IN ADVANCE (seeing a theme with the above?) Research the offer. How does it compare to your current/prior job. What’s better, what’s worse? Ultimately, what’s important to you?
- Before negotiating, emphasize your excitement for the offer and the role. Then highlight what you’re requesting and why in a respectful manner. Think: Raschelle, I’m so excited about this offer at Newco. I enjoyed meeting the team and am thrilled about the chance to work on ‘x’ projects. Before accepting the offer, I would like to discuss compensation. Based on my experience and salary surveys, I’m targeting $xyz.
- When negotiating salary, ensure that you’re calibrating relative to salary discussions you may have had with the recruiter.
- When negotiating salary, make your negotiating request within ~10% of the offer — i.e. if offered $80k, don’t counter requesting $120k. If the offered salary is way off, you should likely decline the offer.
- Usually companies have an approved offer range for a candidate and the initial offer is not the top of the range. That said, be prepared for “No, unfortunately we can’t meet that salary request…” Usually, if you get that response, there will be a “but” in which case they may provide a one-time signing bonus, moving compensation, etc.
- As you negotiate, choose the item or two you want to negotiate (not all of the above). If you get firm “no’s” on them, that’s ok. Thank the HR rep for his/her time and say you’d like to think about it. Not getting additional benefits out of the negotiation doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the job nor that you’re a bad negotiator, it just means they didn’t have much flexibility.
There’s a lot here — so read it again! If you only do two things out of this list, make them: over-prepare for interviews and send thank yous.
Once you get your new job, send another follow-up thanking members of your network again and telling them where you landed.
Good luck!
Denial of responsibility! Techno Blender is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials, please contact us by email – [email protected]. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.