Sometimes a road to the success can be bumpy and painful, so one of the main skills that job seekers might need to hone is persistence. Almost every second of our graduates confirms: “your efforts will always pay off, just push harder and don’t give up”. So said Ann Perkas, our Practicum alumnus from the first Data Analyst cohort in Israel.

Today she works as a Junior Data Analyst at Mobileye, but the journey to this position was not easy. She started searching for a job when the course was still going and even though she was pretty motivated, she still felt that her experience might not be enough to get a desired spot in a good company.

Based on the return rate on my applications it was pretty clear that investing all my energy into searching specifically for a DA position would not make sense. I understood that I may need to reorient myself and maybe use another position as a stepping stone for breaking into the field.

Having a degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology, she still did not have relevant connections in the hi-tech industry. Her working experience and the army service were in different circles and getting her foot in the door without the skills and expertise that speak for themselves felt too tricky. So she also started searching for QA, technical support positions. Simultaneously, she decided to invest some time in improving her interview skills. Approaching interviews as a regular conversation, apparently, did not bear fruit, so Anna realized that she has to practice to make a better impression:

Setting the tone of the conversation during the interviews is an art as it is not a regular talk, it is a fast-paced introduction during which you need to cover all the important stuff in a short time while keeping the vibes rolling. As I did not have experience in high tech, I had to count on my ability to display confidence.

After a few months of sending around 100 applications she got a job as a technical support engineer. The job was for a startup that provides e-commerce solutions. She had to do a crash course on Web development so that she could successfully install widgets for the clients and she was given just three weeks to master her skills at the required level. Soon after she realized she has to start looking for new opportunities again:

I was an external contractor and there were financial disagreements between the startup and the company providing manpower, so at some point it became apparent that the job would not go anywhere.

Yet, working in a stressful environment and being able to deal with challenges made Anna more confident. So did her manager who was happy to provide references underlining her ability to adapt very quickly to unfamiliar tasks and workflow. At that point, she decided to try Mobileye again since in the previous applications she got rejected not because of failing in the interview but simply because after all the stages the company proceeded with another candidate. The manager that interviewed Anna the first time was impressed by her motivation and way of thinking, so when Mobileye opened the same position in a different team, Anna was invited for another interview. This time she got the luck!

In terms of dealing with challenges, I realized that I should not take myself and the interview process too seriously. I became more focused on my performance as opposed to how interviewers reacted to me. I cannot control their reaction, but I can control how I posit myself.

Apparently that turned out to be exactly the perfect strategy. Today Anna creates data samples for statistical analysis, analyzes them, calculates probability and prepare reports. Being a data analyst means to her providing unbiased results and thinking big, considering what the end result of the work is, and delivering relevant answers. It also means never stopping to learn new things. That’s why today she is taking courses in Mathematics and Statistics just to get broader knowledge of the field. To float through the industry, you need to keep your skills sharp and fuel your curiosity.

I’ve always been interested in researching and fact-checking and I have an ever-curious mind but it took me a while to find a profession where my personality and skills come so nicely together and it all makes sense to me. I like that my job, at times, requires deep thinking and it feels good. I also like that the job can be both, a team work, and work on my own that requires a lot of concentration and sometimes, good music to help with the thinking process. As I can combine multiple elements into my workflow, it is never boring.

One of the main advices Anna has for those who are in a job search process is not compare yourself to others and measure your success against your own progress:

Seeing people getting jobs easily might discourage you, they might try to play down their connections or education to make it all appear a coincidence, but you do not know what went into their success. You do you. For some, getting one response or technical assignment is an achievement while for others, getting an offer from a major company may not be enough if they don’t have cool benefits. Everything is relative. Remember where you started and what you have achieved.