How I found my first job as a statistician through networking
A pivotal decision to stay at a networking event led to a meeting with my future boss
It was my first time in Toronto, and I knew nobody here.
I came to the University of Toronto to pursue a Master of Science degree in Statistics. I needed to support myself financially upon graduation, so it was important for me to find employment. I had to apply for jobs while completing my degree over the next 8 months. The degree itself was challenging enough; seeking employment at the same time made it even more stressful.
Near the end of my first semester, I went to a SAS User Group Meeting. (It used to be the best networking event for data & analytics in Toronto. It no longer exists today.) This event had two parts:
A morning session based on SAS programming.
An afternoon session based on SAS’s point-and-click software.
I learned a lot during the morning session and met some interesting people. “That was a productive day,” I thought.
I strongly considered leaving. I was tired, stressed, and hungry; I wanted to study for my exams, write my essays, and go to my department’s Christmas party to eat some free food.
Ultimately, I decided to stay. That turned out to be a fruitful decision, because the first presenter in the afternoon session was my future boss.
He delivered an engaging presentation, and I asked a thoughtful question. Afterward, I approached him to ask for an informational interview, and he gladly provided his business card.
We spoke over the phone, exchanged several emails, and then met 3 times over the course of 4 months. I also met 2 other people in his company over video calls.
A few hours after I finished my last final exam in my university education, I received a job offer from this company.
There were 4 employers that seriously considered my candidacy (and a 5th firm was about to interview me based on a trusted referral). I attended roughly 10 job interviews (and one long technical exam), one of which required me to fly to a different city. I did all of this while completing a very intense Master’s program.
I received only 1 job offer……but it was enough for me to start my career.
Networking and an informational interview paved the way for me to get that job.