In order to create an impact and innovate, you need to be well-informed.
By: Products Women
Tags: Diversity, Analytics, Covid 19, Women In Tech, Leadership

My journey into analytics and BI was not quite straightforward. It was luck and self-exploration that led me to analytics. While pursuing my bachelor’s in computer science, I had this desire to do more, to create an impact. After completing my bachelors, I went on to work as a Database Associate and then soon realized that I wanted to expand my skill set and dive into analytics. I moved to the US to pursue MS in Business Analytics without knowing much about it and ended up loving it! I have always been curious about things and I guess that’s what makes analytics so interesting.

Analytics and BI allows you to be curious and a problem solver at the same time (amazing right?)! After finishing my graduate degree, I moved to San Francisco to work as a Product Analyst at an auto-insurance company. Over there, I got an opportunity to pitch ideas, interact with different stakeholders, build insightful visualizations and improve decision making, especially in regard to retention and customer experience. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t last for too long as my role was impacted due to COVID, but fortunately, I landed another job and I am currently working as a Business Intelligence Analyst at an e-commerce company. I would say I’m still at an early stage in my career but there is a lot more to come!

How can data and analytics drive better decision making, creating an impact and innovation?

Ramona Arora: In order to create an impact and innovate, you need to be well-informed. In recent years, the volume of data has grown exponentially and so has the need for data analysts. Organizations are hiring multiple data analysts/scientists to understand their data, which essentially means understanding their product and customers. We are seeing an immense growth of start-ups that are disrupting traditional practices with data and innovation. These companies are spending time analyzing the market potential, competition and their customers, which is leading to the growth of more innovative and customer-obsessed products. From developing visualizations to building predictive models, data is helping uncover meaningful insights and drive impact at a faster rate.

Why do you think mentorship is important in career development?

Ramona Arora: Because sometimes you want to be understood. We all have our unique experiences but sometimes it’s easier to relate to certain people due to similarity. I did not have my life figured out for the longest time, and what I lacked the most was a sense of relatability. I wanted to not feel weird for having different career goals and I believe this is where the role of a mentorship really comes in. While I lacked mentorship when I started out, I feel grateful to have found mentors over the past year that have really helped me learn and grow. To all the individuals reading this, you’re not alone in wanting a career change, you’re not too late to be pursuing something different and you’re not weird for thinking differently. There are people out there who have had similar experiences and my advice to you is: don’t be shy and start those conversations!

How do you define leadership?

Ramona Arora: Leadership to me is about loyalty, compassion, motivation, collaboration and working towards a common goal, because isn’t it better to celebrate success with more people than by yourself?