Allie Firebaugh decided to pursue a career in teaching after graduating Emory & Henry College with three majors: physics, math, and French. Although she never considered teaching her dream job, inspiring young minds was a rewarding experience. Over time, however, it became clear to her that something was missing in her professional life. “I’m a perfectionist,”…
Today’s world revolves around data—there’s no getting around that fact. Every time we use our smartphones or log into our computers, we leave a trail of data behind us. That data holds key insights into our behavior, our likes and dislikes, and the products we purchase. How do businesses make sense of all that data?…
A lifelong artist, Hillary Hardiman has always been a creative person. But at 18, she put her creative juices on the back burner. Instead of majoring in art, Hillary studied biomedical engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University—and continued there to earn her master’s degree in product innovation. Hillary went on to become operations consultant at Bank of America—but…
Just a year ago, Patrick Chu was the general manager of a chain restaurant in Virginia. He had never touched data analytics software, nor thought much about the field. Today, he’s a data analyst for one of the country’s largest banks, Capital One. According to Patrick, this major transition was simple and surprisingly fast—thanks to the University of…
Alexa Oswald remembers her first day at boot camp vividly. Feelings of uncertainty and inadequacy clouded her head. Her experience as a taekwondo instructor hadn’t prepared her for this. As she entered the classroom for the first time, her class advisor held open the door and said something that made Alexa scoff: “Get ready. This class…
There’s never been a better time to learn data analytics and enter the growing field. The job landscape is expanding, with a wide range of opportunities in a variety of industries. When preparing for a career in data analytics, the volume of information to master can be very overwhelming. It’s always best to do some…
For John Blackwell, the rigors of a career in the hospitality industry were getting old. He was tired of working nights and weekends. He felt there was no more room for professional growth. And to top things off, he had just proposed to his girlfriend and was eager to start what he calls an “adult life.”…
Jeremy “Jay” Krauss always built things. Classic cars, mobile games, houses, computers. You name it, he’s made it. But after nearly a decade in the automotive industry, most recently as a diagnostic mechanic, Jay was looking for a way to use his problem-solving skills to build himself a new career. So when a friend told Jay…
By all accounts, Patrick Lehmann had a good job. His work as a natural gas mechanic in the Virginia area was paying the bills—but that was about it. “My typical day as a gas contractor was pretty much blue-collar stuff. I worked rough, 14-hour days, and on top of that, it usually took me an hour to…
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