Career Advice for a Current College Student

[cmakelky]

I'm currently a sophomore statistics student (junior nearly in credits) in college. At first I was drawn to the actuarial science route due to the high pay out of college and ease of finding a job provided that one passes the first two preliminary exams, but now I've realized that a statistician, specifically in the sports statistic field would be much more satisfying and interesting to me. From looking for summer internships, it seems like many sport franchises want employees with experience some combination using R, SQL, and Python. Personally I have some experience with R and SAS. Do you think SQL and Python knowledge is essential? And any other programs that I should familiarize myself with? What can I do to make myself appealing to get a foot in the door?

[J.E.]

I'd say SQL is definitely a "must-have". I'm sure potential employers would be OK with you not being a Python expert if you know other scripting languages like Ruby and Perl, or if you've got good programming skills in general (Java, C#/++, etc.). Though there's certainly nothing wrong with learning Python. If you do go with Python, being familiar with sklearn is a big plus

[Crow]

Scott Sereday was an actuary I believe, who eventually went to work for Nets. Don't think he is still there. You might try to track him down on twitter or otherwise.

Doing an internship with anyone can help later.

[schtevie]

If financial remuneration (however discounted) remains a relevant consideration, never mind job satisfaction, I would think long and hard...

[EvanZ]

What can I do to make myself appealing to get a foot in the door?

Most importantly, DO SOMETHING. Do a project related to what you are actually interested in. Not only will this help you figure out what you need to learn (if anything more than SQL and Python), but it will effectively serve as your "portfolio".

I can pretty much guarantee teams will be more interested in you if you accomplish something on your own using publicly available data. And once you DO SOMETHING, write about it in your blog (if you have one), so you have some record of your method and thought process.

Many people talk about doing something, but I find few people actually do it. So that will set you apart.

[cmakelky]

Thanks! I really appreciate the advice. I just started a blog and did my first study using what I know, SAS. I'd really appreciate any feedback, it's posted at http://statisticaldish.blogspot.com/?m=1

[Crow]

A very meaty post. For those who like / encourage meaty posts, definitely read this one. Looks to me like you are off to a strong start. But listen to others with more credentials.