Jennifer Nguyen (BMath ’12) is a data mining analyst for the Globe and Mail, where her work helps decision-makers at the prominent news outlet understand their audience.
Can you tell us about the work you do?
I am 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 spans the full analytics spectrum, from business intelligence to predictive analytics. With this data, I help to answer questions about the type of stories that resonate with our readers or how can we use readers’ reading histories to recommend other stories. This data optimizes our editorial resources.
One of the Globe and Mail’s top reads online is the horoscopes. That’s interesting given 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. 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. In any case, it’s flattering that readers trust us for not just our journalism, but for our horoscope forecasts, too.
How has what you learned at Waterloo helped you throughout your career?
I’ll admit that Waterloo’s math program was not a walk in the park, but thanks to its rigour, I developed a strong work ethic. I learned to be persistent and resourceful. 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 now, I think to myself, “This isn’t as hard as proving Euclid’s Theorem, and I learned to do that in first year!”
What advice do you have for young grads looking to get 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.
Photo credit: RGAP/iStock/Thinkstock
