Jennifer Nguyen (BMath ’12) took her statistics and computer science background to the highly respected Globe and Mail where she helps the prominent news outlet to understand their audience as a Senior Data Analyst.
Jennifer has several years experience applying machine learning algorithms and building predictive models through her past work, skills she brings to the Globe and Mail providing them with valuable insights into the minds of their readers.
Alumni Relations had the opportunity to catch up with Jennifer and ask about her new role and life after Waterloo.
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Can you tell us about the work you do at the Globe and Mail as a Senior Data Analyst?
I work as part of the Data Science team at the Globe and Mail where I help to measure the health of the company using Big Data. The work that we do spans the full analytics spectrum, from business intelligence (i.e., how is the company performing?) to predictive analytics (i.e., how well can we expect to perform in the future and how can we do better?). Based on the data we collect, I help to answer questions like what type of stories resonated with our readers, how to use readers’ reading histories to recommend other stories they would like, and how can we optimize our editorial resources to increase reader engagement?
One of the most common top read stories on the Globe and Mail online is the horoscopes, we find that interesting with the type of news outlet it is! What do you think about that?
That is a phenomenon that leaves the editors at the Globe wondering as well! Doing what I do, I can tell you that the majority of readers who read the daily horoscope come directly from Google. That is, their sole reason for visiting our site is to read their horoscope. My guess is that our readers like a fun distraction from their busy work day. They’ve made it a habit to check their horoscope, just like how some people make it a habit to check the weather. In any case, it’s flattering that readers trust us for not just our journalism, but for our horoscope forecasts too.
How have the skills you acquired through your math degree, helped you throughout your career?
I’ll admit that UWaterloo’s math program was not a walk in the park, but thanks to its rigor, I developed a strong work ethic that helped me earn my degree. I learned to be persistent and resourceful when challenges arose. That meant putting in the effort and using the resources available to me, like professors’ office hours, to get feedback and improve. When I face a challenge at work, I think to myself, “This isn’t as hard as proving Euclid’s Theorem, and I learned to do that in first year!” But in seriousness, I know that someone else has probably faced the same challenge before, so I will ask them for help.
What is the most interesting part of your position with the Globe and Mail?
Since a lot of our business decisions are data-driven, the work that our team does has a key part in informing those decisions. That would be the most interesting or satisfying part of my position, playing a role in how the company is run…that or discovering fun facts about our readers. For example, we can infer that most of our readers take a break from work around 10 a.m., because that’s when we see increased traffic to our site. Perhaps I should find out how many of those hits are to the horoscope section.
What advice to do you have for young grads looking at getting into a similar field?
Learn to learn. Data science is a relatively new field and is constantly innovating. In order to stay current with new technologies, having an open mindset and the willingness to learn new skills is important. The work that we do is never the same. There may be projects where you don’t have all the requisite skills, but don’t hesitate to take them on because you can learn those skills as you go.
Alumni can take advantage of a special subscription offer from The Globe and Mail until August 31, 2016.
