New Blog Site

My blog has moved to its new home on our brand new Burtch Works site: 

You can now find all of my blog entries - including the results to our latest communication skills flash survey -  as well as our quantitative career resources, Burtch Works info, and (of course) jobs, all in one convenient place.

Check out the new site and let me know what you think!

CAP: The Certification Program for Analytics Professionals

Scott Nestler, an experienced operations research analyst transitioning from the Army to the private sector, Chair of the Analytics Certification Board at INFORMS, and friend to Burtch Works, shares some thoughts on the Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) program.

CAP, Schmap. What’s That?

The Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) program has been in existence since the spring of 2013, after a couple of years in development.  Since launch, participation has steadily grown; over 10% of the Fortune 100 companies now have at least one CAP on their staff.  Here is some information about the program that might be of interest to both individuals seeking to distinguish themselves from the crowd and employers searching for qualified analytics talent.

It’s Not Just an Exam (There are Four Other E’s)

Many of the questions we receive are about the Exam that is part of the CAP certification program.  While exams are understandably a source of concern to many, there are other components to the program.  Collectively, we refer to these as “The 5 E’s.”  The others include 3-7 years of Experience in the analytics field, with respect to Education, at least a Bachelor’s degree.  Additionally, there is a requirement for the verification of Effectiveness of soft skills by a current or former employer or client. Finally, certificants must agree to a Code of Ethics, as described in this CIO Magazine article.  Therefore, CAP is a well-rounded program of continuous professional development, not just a one-time event.

Now, about that practice-based Exam … you get 3 hours to complete 100 multiple-choice questions, based on typical tasks performed and knowledge applied by analytics professionals. The Job Task Analysis identifies 7 domains as shown in the table below; weights represent the number of questions in each area.  It is available as a computer-based test at over 700 locations through Kryterion.  Pencil-and-paper exams are available in conjunction with INFORMS conferences.  Oh, and you get to use a 4-function calculator that we provide.

A Brief Primer on INFORMS

INFORMS stands for the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science; a professional organization with over 11,000 highly educated (50% PhD, 95% earned or pursuing MS) members.  About half are academics while the remainder is split between practitioners and students. While based in the United States, about 20% of the membership is located in Europe or Asia.

Although INFORMS has been viewed by some as being traditional and academic in nature, that has changed since 2010, when it “caught the Analytics bug.” The CAP certification program is just one of several analytics-related initiatives at INFORMS, including a newly-developed Analytics Maturity Model, Analytics Magazine, an annual Business Analytics Conference, and Analytics Continuing Education Courses. Also, the semi-autonomous Analytics Certification Board includes members from across industry, academia, and government, including some well-known personalities in the analytics field, e.g. Tom Davenport (IIA), Bill Franks (Teradata), Jeanne Harris (Accenture), Kathy Kilmer (Disney), and Jack Levis (UPS).

More Information, Please

Those interested in more information about CAP certification can check out the CAP Candidate Brochure or Candidate Handbook, while employers might be interested in looking at the Employer Guide to CAP.  If you have additional questions, please contact me, Scott Nestler, (acb@informs.org) or Louise Wehrle, the INFORMS Certification Manager (certification@informs.org).

Data Literacy in the C-Suite is Not a Fad, Neither is Data

The conversation around Big Data has mostly shifted from “what is it?” to “how do we handle it?” and with this shift there has been much excitement around data scientists. But while data scientists are adept at many things, a large enterprise hoping to truly capitalize on the value in their data needs more than a team of brilliant data scientists – it needs a strategic leader capable of governing and managing the data, with the authority to enact strategy across departments.

At some organizations this has involved appointing a Chief Data Officer, and many more have appointed a senior leadership position with the same focus – but without elevating the role to the C-suite. Although the individual may not be called a CDO, it is more about the scope of responsibility than the title itself. Someone in the organization has to be ultimately responsible for the data.

Although many have been quick to brush this latest addition to the C-suite as just another fad, David Linthicum addresses this skepticism aptly when he writes:

“I’m not a big fan of creating positions around trends in technology.  Back in the day, we had the chief object officer, chief PC officer, chief Web officers, you name it.  However, data is not a trend.  It’s systemic to what a business is, and thus the focus on managing it better, and centrally, is a positive step.”

Data is not a fad. In fact, data is exponentially increasing every day, hour, and second of the day, for every business. This means many things: increasing data management challenges, increasing opportunities to better understand customers, increasing privacy concerns, increasing advantages for marketing, and much more. Of the many uncertainties surrounding Big Data, its existence now (I’m referring to the data itself, not the buzzword) and going forward should not be one of them. When the conversation surrounding Big Data dies down, it will most likely be because massive data has become the new normal, not because it has disappeared.

CDOIQ

I was invited by Peter Anlyan to speak as a panelist at MIT’s Chief Data Officer and Information Quality Symposium (CDOIQ) in July, discussing how the industry is bridging the talent gap in analytics and data science. As we in the industry are all well aware, there is more focus than ever before on quantitative professionals, but the shortage of qualified analytics professionals and data scientists  has made hiring a significant challenge for many companies.

The talent shortage is great enough, in fact, that some company representatives at the symposium expressed concern about sending their teams to Master’s programs for deeper training, lest they be poached away, defeating the investment of time and resources. While high attrition may be a frustrating symptom of the times, I’m not sure they have a choice.

Luckily, the increase in MOOC’s (Massive Online Open Courses) and various bootcamps across the country could offer an alternative to companies not willing to risk investing in a time and money into a full-fledged Master’s program. The efficacy of those methods however, depends on the strength of the program as well as the learning style of the individual, as Irmak Sirer of Datascope Analytics noted in his guest post last week.

Having just read Karen O’Leonard’s report from Deloitte, Show Me the Money: How to Secure Funding for Your Talent Analytics Case  I was also eager to hear her thoughts on HR and talent analytics at CDOIQ, as well as attend some of the other events to hear more about the  development of the Chief Data Officer position. You can read more about Karen’s thoughts from CDOIQ here, and Gregory Piatetsky of kdnuggets also had some good insights from the symposium.

The Future of the C-Suite

My thoughts on the longevity of the CDO role are that the responsibilities are the important part, not the title. Gartner predicts that by 2015, 25% of large global organizations will have appointed Chief Data Officers, so it will be interesting to see if that holds true. If we’re predicting the future in C-Level hires though, perhaps it’s time for a Chief Analytics Officer to throw their hat in the ring?

Becoming a Data Scientist: Master’s Program, Bootcamp, or MOOCs?

This post is contributed by Irmak Sirer, a partner and data scientist at Datascope, where he solves business problems with data by designing analyses and interfaces. Irmak has helped companies across industries solve problems with data, from small companies to members of the Fortune 50. Working with Metis, Irmak is an instructor for their Data Science Bootcamp program which will be starting on September 2nd in New York City. You can read the full version of this post on the Datascope website.

One of the most frequent questions we hear, right behind “so, what exactly is a data scientist” or “what makes a great data scientist”, is “how do I become one? I should probably just get a Master’s, right?” Perhaps not anymore; rising costs, changing demand, and the Internet are disrupting this traditional path and providing two viable alternatives. At one extreme, self-learning through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) give access to courses at an extremely low cost (often free), but leave it “as an exercise for the reader” to identify a suitable set of courses and tools to round out a coherent skillset. Bootcamps offer a middle ground where students can pay for a structured learning environment at a far more affordable rate compared with obtaining a Master’s Degree. So, “which path do I take?”

We think the answer to that question largely depends on the student. In some cases a student will prefer attending a bootcamp whereas in other cases a student will prefer receiving a Master’s at a university or taking university courses online through MOOCs.

Here at Datascope we see great benefits from the bootcamp format, so when Metis (a part of Kaplan) contacted us about partnering to design a data science bootcamp, we jumped at the opportunity. We thought we could take all these points we see as the advantages of the format, and elevate them as much as we could. So, we designed a course that would give aspiring data scientists a lot of experience with 4-5 projects, and a guided route of several core data science concepts and approaches. Participants can quickly build the necessary foundation without the burden of teaching herself everything or paying the handsome price of a Master’s program before realizing her dream job. If you’re interested, our Data Science Bootcamp program is starting on September 2 in New York (applications due by August 11), and you can learn more about it here.

Since there are many things to consider when choosing which program works best for you, in a separate post, we do a thought experiment to compare the three experiences for a fictitious aspiring data scientist named Audrey. For the sake of brevity, the following table summarizes our thinking about what each of these experiences is like and, more importantly, who they are ideally suited for.

	Masters	Self-taught (MOOCs)	Bootcamp
Learning	Theory-rich learning	Self-guided learning	Experiential learning
Teachers	Live university faculty professors	Recorded university faculty professors	Practicing data scientists
Outcome	Diploma	Certificate	Portfolio of projects
Duration	9 - 20 months	6 - 18 months (part-time)	2 - 3 months
Tuition	$20,000 - $70,000	$0 - $500	$0 - $14,000
Networking	1.5 years of social networking	Isolated; no in-person networking	Collaborative networking
Projects	Internship + practicum projects	Projects on own time	Projects built in to experience
Job hunt	University-wide recruiting day	Self-driven job search	Hiring day organized by bootcamp; talent placement manager helps with hunt
Ideal for	People that enjoy immersing themselves in campus life and want to take time to let the new material absorb while learning in a structured environment with the full credentials of a University degree.	People that thrive with ambiguity and self-guided environments and are motivated enough to design their own curriculum around their own strengths and weaknesses.	People that want to switch or accelerate careers ASAP and want to have confidence that the switch will result in a job they will like while learning in a structured environment.

As technology increases the rate of change of society, the most successful workers will be those that can quickly shift to new specialties and learn on the job to meet market demands. In our opinion, the bootcamp format provides the benefits of personalization, credentialing, and social learning that a Master’s degree offers, but at an accelerated rate with experiential learning. Sure it is more expensive than being self-taught, but the connection with employers and the guided, experiential learning process increases your confidence to tackle the uncertain prospect of making a career switch.

To become a data scientist, you don’t need to have postgraduate degrees, or 20 years experience, or be proficient with every data-related technique and tool under the sun. What you need is to have enough baseline knowledge and experience, and the skill to constantly adapt and learn. Bootcamps, in our opinion, are the perfect medium for making the transition.

Burtch Works' Best Advice on the Interview Process, Consulting Jobs, MBA's, and More

In the thousands of conversations that Burtch Works’ team of specialized recruiters have had with analytics and marketing research professionals, we’ve answered many questions about the recruiting process, career paths, and the hiring market. For this blog post, I asked our recruiters about the most common questions they answer on a daily basis, and how they advise their candidates.

The Interview Process

Q: How long does the whole interview process normally take?

BW: Once a company has expressed interest in your resume, the interview process will involve one or two phone interviews, an in-person meeting (or two), and any follow up activity (i.e. background, reference, or credit checks), so 4-8 weeks is pretty standard. 

There are, of course, some extreme cases: if a company has an urgent need they may make an offer very quickly, or on the other end of the spectrum, a very bureaucratic organization may take two months or even longer to make a hiring decision. Especially around vacation/holiday times, coordinating around multiple travel schedules can be an additional challenge when trying to arrange interviews.

Bottom line: Expect the process to take a little over a month, but it’s important to be flexible and patient. Check out our series of whitepapers which has great tips for professionals at every step of the interview process.

Consulting Jobs

Q: I hear consulting jobs pay well, what skills would I need to be a consultant?

BW: Consulting positions do tend to pay well in marketing research and analytics (to see how salaries break down in every industry check out our Burtch Works studies). The industry is seeing a lot of growth right now, and for the professional with great client-facing skills who doesn’t mind a rigorous travel schedule, there are a lot of great opportunities out there. I wrote a blog piece not too long ago discussing some of the other traits I typically see in successful consultants.

Bottom line: The consulting industry is growing and pays well, but make sure your communication skills are up to snuff and that your lifestyle is well-suited to a heavy travel schedule.

Pursuing an MBA

Q: Do I need to go back to school and pursue an MBA if I already have a quantitative degree?

BW: Although it never hurts to further your education, we generally don’t see employers specifically looking for candidates with a business degree in addition to a quantitative Master’s degree (or MMR for marketing research professionals). For certain leadership positions, employers may favor a candidate who can demonstrate their business knowledge and develop a strategic approach over a candidate who does not, but you may be able to develop those skills in leadership roles at work, not just from a business degree.

Bottom line: Developing business acumen might not necessarily mean pursuing an additional degree, if you can develop an understanding of important business concepts on your own.

Marketing Research Hiring Market

Q: What about for us marketing research folk, how’s the market looking?

BW: Our marketing research team wrote a great piece for American Marketing Association Magazine that offers an in-depth view of changes in the hiring market for marketing researchers. I highly recommend it if you want to stay aware of shifts in the landscape that may affect your career.

Bottom line: Lots of client-side opportunities are available, with more supplier side openings in the past six months. Most roles are Manager to Senior Manager level, with increasingly more Director-level and above.

Interested in more tips? Check out our new slideshares with career tips, hiring advice, and salary info, and download our studies or view all of our webinar recordings for free on our website.

Want the latest career news and research delivered straight to your news feed? Then be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, or follow @BurtchWorks on Twitter!

Burtch Works' Top Career Tips for Analytics & Marketing Research Professionals from Linda Burtch

Tell Your Kids to be Data Scientists – Not Doctors

Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by John Phillips at CNBC about our data scientist salary study. His article, Why Your Kids Will Want to be Data Scientists, was published at the end of May, and in it he raised a very interesting point:

“According to Burtch Works’ 2014 study of salaries for data scientists… those responsible for a team of 1-3 earn [a median salary of] $140,000 and those responsible for a team of 10 or more earn $232,500.

By contrast, the mean average annual income for a lawyer in America was $131,990 in 2013, while doctors earned $183,940, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

Did you hear that? Data scientists earning more than doctors! For complete salary information for data scientists, Big Data professionals and market research professionals, download the full reports for free here. Salary is not the only reason however, that I would recommend encouraging your children to pursue statistics and coding over going to medical school.

How Data Scientists Are Supplementing Doctors

There are big changes happening in healthcare right now, and the implementation of EHR (electronic health records) in particular is a great example of how data scientists will be working with doctors in the future. The move to EHR is picking up steam, and the Center for Disease Control reports that 78% of office-based doctors are using EHR as of 2013, with that number only expected to grow as practices will face penalties for non-compliance. All of these electronic patient records spell out Big Data for the healthcare fields, and data scientists - like all quantitative folks - love data. These medical data could not only offer tremendous insights that change the face of modern medicine, but also offer rewarding opportunities to the data scientists who must decipher the data.

Patient care also stands to receive enormous benefits from data science. Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla was recently quoted at the Standford University School of Medicine’s Big Data in Biomedicine conference saying, “Humans are not good when 500 variables affect a disease. We are guided too much by opinions, not by statistical science.” While a doctor may be trained to look for many factors when diagnosing an ailment, some of these diseases are impossibly complex, and patients could stand to gain faster, safer treatment if left in the hands of a well-developed machine, or even a physician aided by one. For example, IBM’s Watson is already collaborating with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to help doctors make better cancer treatment choices. The human interaction between patient and physician will continue to be important, but data scientists will have a measurable impact on the future of healthcare.

Career of the Future

One of my predictions for the analytics hiring market this year was that data scientists would be embedded in analytics groups, and with the internet of things, the increase in wearables, social media sentiment analysis and many more applications for data science, it’s no wonder this career has so much buzz around it. With the increase in demand, shortage of talent, high salaries and applications in every industry, data science is becoming a good option for career success. The road to that success begins with a strong early foundation in math, and (perhaps) some nudging from the parents. I can’t tell you how excited I was when my daughter, Becky (who started college this year at Macalester), changed her major to math, as I believe strongly that this is a career path that offers a bright future. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll have a data scientist in the family!

State of the Marketing Research Hiring Market 2014

As part of my guest blogger series, the Burtch Works marketing research team, Karla Ahern and Naomi Keller, will be sharing some of their articles previously published in AMA magazine. In April Karla and Naomi published the following article on the state of the market, who's hiring, and which skills researchers need to stay competitive. You can also check out a video on the AMA site with highlights from the article.

State of the Market 2014

Last summer, we looked closely at trends in market research hiring as the economy moved towards recovery. At that time, we were beginning to see steady growth in job availability as well as a renewed sense of urgency within the marketplace. As more jobs became available, candidates were going on and off the market more quickly, often interviewing and fielding offers from multiple companies. As a result, hiring authorities recognized the need to act fast to snag the best employees and critically evaluate their compensation packages. Most of this activity was happening on the client side in the pharmaceutical, technology and retail industries. In 2014, we’re seeing this growth and urgency continue with some interesting new trends.

First off, we’d be remiss not to address the few rough patches in the landscape. As the economy continues to recover, retail and restaurants have been slow to return. The difficult winter has not helped these industries and some well-known companies have begun taking a hard look at headcount.  Additionally, some CPG companies are seeing declines in market share, potentially due to consumer adoption of high quality, lower priced private label brands. However, in the field of market research, consumer behavioral changes inherently represent great opportunities for growth, and investment in research will always illuminate the best strategies to address these changes.

In our conversations with clients this year, a frequent talking point has been their recommitment to the expansion of consumer insights departments. This is great news for the industry as a whole, whether you work on the client or supplier side. Reinvestment in research should ripple throughout the industry and if corporate entities lead the charge, we’ll likely see suppliers and consultants staff up to meet the increased demand. So far, we’re seeing a split as departments expand; some are pulling their research more in-house while others are broadening their research capacity while continuing to outsource to vendors.

As a result of this growth, we’re also starting to see more Director-level roles open up. Last year the majority of openings were at the Manager to Senior Manager-level, but as companies commit to expanding their insights teams, they want experienced market researchers at the helm to guide long-term strategy and growth, and in some cases, help build a consumer insights function from scratch. This trend should prove beneficial for both junior and senior level candidates because as employees move up or out, roles will be back filled, allowing career mobility for junior and mid-level employees.

The expansion of consumer insights teams and the increase in Director level roles appears to also be contributing to an increased need for candidates with direct management experience. From manager roles upward, many of our clients are telling us that they want employees with demonstrated leadership success. Job seekers should be sure to highlight these skills on their resume and during interviews in order to stay competitive. For candidates without direct reports, we recommend emphasizing vendor management and project management experience if applicable.

After the long winter, the signs of continued job growth are clear and confidence is returning to companies and candidates. For those who were waiting out the economic slowdown, now may be a good time to start exploring the market. Even those who aren’t looking for a career change can benefit from understanding how the landscape is changing and how these new trends will affect their current role and their career overall. And as always, a conversation with your specialized recruiter is a great place to start.