Would You Data Scientist?

This week on Would You Data Scientist, Wendy is joined by Nikolay Bashlykov, an expert in data science and machine learning. Find out Nikolay’s tips on getting into data and why he thinks that machine learning should not be the be all and end all of your skillset. There’s also Wendy’s usual deep dive into ethics, diversity, and the challenges you may face when you pivot into data.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Nikoley’s favourite piece of tech...

Head of Data Science & AI at Sia Partners, Simon Hessam Hessami joins Wendy this week on Would You Data Scientist, not just to talk about his career in data but also to discuss being part of the LGBTQIA+ community. As it's Pride Month, it's important to talk about how to make sure LGBTQIA+ people aren't facing any challenges in the workplace, especially those challenges that can be easily avoided with a little understanding. Th...

Head of Data Science at Intechnica, Tom Matcham joins Wendy this week on Would You Data Scientist to talk about his work, how he got into data, the difference between C and C++, and video games. Find out Tom's advice for dealing with frustration, how to get hired in data, and how a degree in data might not actually be as helpful as you'd think. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Tom's favourite piece of tech is the prog...

James Edgell, Lead Data Scientist for the UK's largest hotel brand Whitbread joins Wendy on Would You Data Scientist this week to tell you about his career in data. As it's mental health awareness week, Wendy and James also have an open and honest conversation about depression, loneliness, burnout, and stress. If you find yourself struggling with any of the issues raised please see the help links in the resources below. 

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Today's guest Sayali Sonawane has just been promoted to Data Science Manager at Sykes Holiday Cottages. Sayali joins Wendy this week to talk about how she got into data, how she found working in data at a time when businesses didn't even know what to call it, and the usual chat about ethics, diversity, and Apple. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Sayali's data career began at Manchester University. She initially planne...

Mark Stevenson is the Head of Applied Data Science at the global sports streaming company DAZN. He joins Wendy this week on Would You Data to discuss his work at DAZN, how he thinks you can pivot into data, what he looks for when hiring, and why you should take a lower paying role for your first position.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• As a hiring manager Mark looks for problem solvers, people with persistence, and someone with a suitable level o...

Head of Data Science and Engineering at Collinson, Mohit Joshi joins Wendy this week on Would You Data Scientist. Listen into the discussion on Apple, the attitude you need to get into data, if a master's degree will help you get hired, and all the usual questions on ethics, bias, and Earth destroying supervillains. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The job role of a data scientist changes so often with new parts of th...

Natalia Koupanou is a Senior Data Science Manager at Tide. She joins Wendy this week on Would You Data Scientist to discuss her role at Tide, how she pivoted into data, how you can too, the rise in fintech, the three pillars of data, hiring failures, and so much more. You can find Natalia's article ‘The secret sauce for growing from a data analyst to a data scientist' in the resources below. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Sathish Sankarpandi. Sathish is head of data science at The Orbital Group, which incorporates digital marketing and innovation. They discuss all things data science, the power of data science in the world of healthcare and why all data scientists need to always be learning and evolving.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•  The Orbital group work across the globe, mostly focusing on products f...

Bianca Ferri is Lead Data Scientist at SparkBeyond and joins Wendy this week on Would You Data Scientist to discuss diversity in the workplace, why AI isn't scary, the advantages of University, and how networking can be so helpful when you're getting started in data science. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• One of the early data projects Bianca worked on was using genetic algorithms to find the optimal design of massi...

How does keeping your GitHub page up to date make you more employable? Yiannis Pitsillides, Lead Data Scientist at Endeavor joins Wendy this week on Would You Data Scientist to discuss that topic, the future of data, photography, his advice for starting out in data science, and Yiannis shares the story of how he worked his way up to where he is today. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The main hurdle Yiannis had to ove...

Joseph Cooper is the Head of Data Science at Club View. He joins Wendy this week on Would You Data Scientist to share his advice for getting into data, tell you about the work he does at Club View and how he's trying to beat sports clubs' own models, and find out his thoughts on diversity and the future of data science. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Being made redundant or losing your job is not the end of the worl...

Does sending messages to companies on LinkedIn when you're looking for a job really work? Predictive Analytics Manager in Data Science at Vodafone, Mousami Mishra joins Wendy this week on Would You Data Scientist to tell you not to be afraid to slide into those DMs. Find out how the sponsorship program can work for foreign hires, how some CVs are thrown out before a human even sees them, and how often a company will actually reply ...

How do we know if we're being affected by imposter syndrome? How do we start to work on removing those doubts from our work life? This week on Would You Data Scientist, Wendy is joined by Data Science & Analytics Leader at MarketFinance, Mike Holmes. Hear Mike's story of dealing with imposter syndrome, his work in data, his thoughts on improving diversity, and how one of the first things he had to learn was 2+2.

KEY TAKEAW...

Gerardo Lemus is a data science consultant at Lamat UK and joins Wendy this week on Would You Data Scientist to explain in simple terms what a blockchain is, what a token is, how NFTs are generated, and what is web3. He also tells us about his work in data and what advice he would give to someone pivoting into the field. Apologies for Gerardo's creaky chair!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Blockchain is simply put, a ledger of numbers ...

Sorcha Gilroy is the Head of Data Community and Data Science Team Lead at Peak and joins Wendy this week on Would You Data Scientist. Hear Sorcha's story of getting into data, being a woman in data science, finding allies in the industry, and Sorcha tells us the advantages of using R. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• It's never too late or too early to learn a new skill set. You might find that learning R of C++ will ...

Can a neurodiverse person get into data science? And when you do, how do you make sure people see you for your ability, not what they see on the outside? This week on Would You Data Scientist, Meltem Ballan joins Wendy to tell her inspiring story of seeing something and deciding to go and get it. She also answers all the diversity questions you can think of around neurodiversity and how it impacts data.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Neurod...

Data Analyst and founder of 10in6 Inc, Victoria Cocco joins Wendy on Would You Data Scientist to tell us all about the work she does and how she went from business analytics to data analytics. Also join in the discussion including how women feel in the workplace,  data collection, Leonardo DiCaprio's Don't Look Up, and Pokemon. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Find the software that you like and use it until you can't ...

What is it that data science recruiters are looking for in an ideal job candidate? Ben Auffarth is Head of Data Science for Loveholidays and joins Wendy on this week's Would You Data Scientist. Ben talks through what he looks for in a potential new hire, as well as how you can develop after pivoting, and how we can keep AI diverse. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Ben's advice for someone looking to pivot is to develo...