Jacklyne has been working as a commercial planner at Copia Global, a mobile commerce company based near Nairobi, Kenya, since October 2020. She tells us about how her time as an international student got her started in data science and gave her friends for life.
Why did you choose to study at Bath?
Primarily because the course contents were aligned with my chosen career. I was also offered a partial scholarship, which lowered my school fees to EU resident level, and it helped a great deal.
Did you have a particular career in mind when you chose to study a master's in Business Analytics?
Yes, data science – although at the time I did not have this vocabulary. I was looking for something along the lines of business intelligence, and data science came as a result of participating in the MSc programme.
Can you tell us about your experience of studying here? Any favourite memories, or places to go on campus and in the city?
The cultural exposure from both the School of Management staff and my fellow students was an incredible experience. I truly enjoyed getting to learn more about different cultures, and different ways of solving the same problem (particularly during seminar classes).
My favourite memories revolve around taking my walk home every day through the field with the golden rays of sunlight brushing through the long grass and people walking their dogs, hoping that I could sneak in a belly rub here and a pet there. I loved it. My friends made the experience worthwhile and I cherish them deeply to this day.
What was your experience as an international student studying in the UK?
It was an experience full of curiosity. There was a lot to learn from those I interacted with, and I enjoyed it. My advice to other international students would be to take it slow, and to be completely present in their experience because it doesn't last very long. Here I am, nearly five years since I graduated, and I still have very vivid memories of Bath.
Describe your career journey since graduating. What is a typical day like in your current role?
Since I graduated in 2017 I have worked in four different roles, current role included. The roles revolved around data science in consulting and resolving real business problems, which I truly enjoyed.
A typical day in my current role involves managing a team of 21 field officers and one pricing analyst in their duties surrounding pricing strategies – a key deliverable for us. It also involves in-depth analyses on pricing structures, traction reports on price changes, running bi-weekly forecasts on demand, status reports on projected monthly demand, validating several outputs on the automation of key ongoing projects from my colleagues in India, and ensuring that anything and everything involving pricing is in place from a business standpoint.
How did your studies help you to develop?
Professor of Operational Research, Güneş Erdoğan, truly and positively contributed to my confidence level both as a professional and as a person. There's no shame in not having a solution to a problem, and I have found that it's sometimes the best place to start. No timidity, just curiosity and an unmatched work ethic.
The course itself exposed me to new ways of resolving complex optimisation problems. What I took away from this in particular is that if you can just reduce the problem to its building blocks, it becomes a whole lot easier to build a solution for a seemingly complex business problem.
What advice would you give to prospective students thinking about studying your course at Bath?
Do it. It will be well worth your time, and money.
Respond
