Hi. I think I need some advice for my job hunting.
Basically I’m looking for some data analyst jobs in Switzerland (keywords: data analyst, data scientist, quantitative analyst, business intelligence, statistician…). But I do not get a way into it.
My background:
PhD in Informatics + several years postdoc experience. Academic domain: machine learning, data mining. Nice academic track record (e.g. dozens of publications). Excellent IT and software programming skills.
Now want to jump out of academia, and personally I am very interested in jobs of data analysis.
Permit-wise, I have Swiss work permit open to any employer so it's not a problem.
My job hunting experience:
First, I noticed that a large portion of these jobs are in the financial and pharmaceutical area (e.g. quant, asset allocation, biostatistician…). These areas seem to have a very strict requirement on related experience, so I did not try. I tried in other fields such as telecommunication/industry/supply chain/logistics, where, occasionally, experience in the exact field is not explicitly required in the job ads.
So, I tried. I sent out 6 CVs 2 months ago. So far:
-- 2 negative replies without interview chance;
-- 2 serious interviews but finally not accepted (in one of which I managed to get into the shortlist of 3 but unfortunately I’m not on the top).
-- For the other 2 applications I do not have any news and I assume either a negative answer later or just no reply.
From the feedback of HR for the two refusal cases after interviews, the reasons they listed include:
1. I do not have direct experience in the field, while the candidate they finally chose has. I’ve been always in academia so far.
2. Not very open during the interview. I do not really get this point. Maybe they mean that I do not have an open way of thinking? The HR also mentioned that sometimes I’m not very clear in answering questions. “When you do not know or understand some questions, you should feel free to ask”. Maybe they also mean that I’m not curious enough?
Advice needed:
Well, the result is a bit discouraging (6 applications = 2 refusals directly + 2 refusals after interview + 2 no news), but that’s life!
I will appreciate some advice or some experience… For example:
1. What is the general supply/demand condition of this job in Switzerland?
2. Given my background is it realistic to target for these jobs? The key question is still experience. How I can make my first step. In Switzerland the competition seems high and they seem always to have candidates with related business experience. On the other hand, I realize that I am competing with many masters and even bachelors because most of the job ads only require those degrees. Can this also be a disadvantage for me?
3. Any other comments/suggestions are welcome…
Basically I’m looking for some data analyst jobs in Switzerland (keywords: data analyst, data scientist, quantitative analyst, business intelligence, statistician…). But I do not get a way into it.
My background:
PhD in Informatics + several years postdoc experience. Academic domain: machine learning, data mining. Nice academic track record (e.g. dozens of publications). Excellent IT and software programming skills.
Now want to jump out of academia, and personally I am very interested in jobs of data analysis.
Permit-wise, I have Swiss work permit open to any employer so it's not a problem.
My job hunting experience:
First, I noticed that a large portion of these jobs are in the financial and pharmaceutical area (e.g. quant, asset allocation, biostatistician…). These areas seem to have a very strict requirement on related experience, so I did not try. I tried in other fields such as telecommunication/industry/supply chain/logistics, where, occasionally, experience in the exact field is not explicitly required in the job ads.
So, I tried. I sent out 6 CVs 2 months ago. So far:
-- 2 negative replies without interview chance;
-- 2 serious interviews but finally not accepted (in one of which I managed to get into the shortlist of 3 but unfortunately I’m not on the top).
-- For the other 2 applications I do not have any news and I assume either a negative answer later or just no reply.
From the feedback of HR for the two refusal cases after interviews, the reasons they listed include:
1. I do not have direct experience in the field, while the candidate they finally chose has. I’ve been always in academia so far.
2. Not very open during the interview. I do not really get this point. Maybe they mean that I do not have an open way of thinking? The HR also mentioned that sometimes I’m not very clear in answering questions. “When you do not know or understand some questions, you should feel free to ask”. Maybe they also mean that I’m not curious enough?
Advice needed:
Well, the result is a bit discouraging (6 applications = 2 refusals directly + 2 refusals after interview + 2 no news), but that’s life!
I will appreciate some advice or some experience… For example:
1. What is the general supply/demand condition of this job in Switzerland?
2. Given my background is it realistic to target for these jobs? The key question is still experience. How I can make my first step. In Switzerland the competition seems high and they seem always to have candidates with related business experience. On the other hand, I realize that I am competing with many masters and even bachelors because most of the job ads only require those degrees. Can this also be a disadvantage for me?
3. Any other comments/suggestions are welcome…