From master’s research to industry impact
Using her co‑op experience to navigate uncertainty, Pooja Krishan, turned data into decisions that matter.
Pooja Krishan, a Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) master’s student, approached her co‑op with curiosity and a proactive drive, seeking out new challenges to multiply her contributions.
Pooja’s co-op journey
Data Scientist, Geotab, Waterloo, ON
Working on the product analytics team, Pooja supported data‑driven decision‑making for new product features, contributing to user interface updates and data consistency. Her work helped the Product and Design teams to proactively track onboarding of small and medium sized fleets to drive revenue and retention.
Q&A with Pooja
What has been the most rewarding thing about co-op?
“The people I’ve worked with and my ability to see what I can get done in uncertainty have been especially meaningful. Even with a master's degree in research, ambiguity still exists, but in industry, ambiguity is often in the problem itself. Once I understood that I was operating under different constraints, it became easier to call out assumptions, seek clarity and communicate more effectively with stakeholders. That has been the most rewarding experience for me; not striving for perfection but learning to operate in a different space and doing the best I can with what I have.”
What has been the most challenging thing about co-op?
“One of the challenges was joining the company while the departments were being restructured. The people who interviewed me were no longer working with me, and my manager was new to the team. It was challenging since it felt like my entire team was also adapting to changes at the same time I was onboarding. The lack of clarity was scary, but I set up multiple coffee chats with different people across the organization and was able to understand more about the product and my work through active and open communication. Once I understood the problems we were trying to solve, and what customers wanted, I was able to use data to drive decisions. For instance, I was able to identify usage patterns that correlated with high churn within the first month of using the product, which led to changes in design decisions to increase stickiness and retention.”
How have you dealt with stress over the course of your co-op terms?
“Co-op is stressful, not doing the job itself, but more so the application process and getting interviewed. It can be challenging to convince somebody that you're worth hiring and actively show people that you are good enough.”
“I found I was able to represent my abilities and strengths by creating a portfolio, which helped me stand out. I also went to every interview with genuine curiosity knowing I am willing to put in the work to be a productive partner. Most importantly, I believed in myself and I think that confidence was felt during my interviews.”
As a master's student, what advice could you offer to others who aspire to be in your position?
“I think that staying curious by going the extra mile to understand the industry you’re working in is crucial. I’d also suggest not to do only the assigned tasks, but actively look for problems to solve, and be someone your team can rely on.”
“I was able to go beyond my job description and identify some data inconsistency issues in our big data infrastructure by just staying curious. I was also selected as an intern ambassador because I consistently showed up, supported others and took initiative.”
If you had to describe the co-op experience using only one word, what word would that be?
“Remarkable. It has been fantastic working with the people at Geotab because the culture is amazing. You're not competing with each other and working in different directions. The ability to have this cohesion of where we're headed and single-mindedly focusing our efforts in the same direction – I think that has been one of the most remarkable experiences I've had.”
In what ways did co-op help you clarify your interests and career direction?
“In research, it has been entirely technical and now it's a mix of product sense, business strategy and how data can help drive those decisions. It's very rewarding to have that balance between data science and product sense, knowing that I'm able to shape business decisions. That's something I didn't know I could have until co-op.”
“My co-op experience also helped me academically. When coming back to my studies, I've taken courses in human AI interaction and model deployment that I probably wouldn't have considered if I hadn't had my co-op experience.”
What's next for you?
“My co-op ended in December of last year and I've been working there part-time while finishing my studies at Waterloo. As I graduate this May, I’m happy to share that I have a full-time offer in the same team I'm working with! I'm excited to continue working there and seeing where this journey takes me.”