How long have you been working for RareJob Philippines, Inc.?

I’ve been with RJPH for 2 years (and 4 months, to be exact), straight out of college. I remember being just a doe-eyed fresh grad who just wanted to earn a living, and sustain her “luho” in life. I’ve pretty much learned and honed every skill I have under my belt over the course of my stay here. Though I had a brief background in Python and RStudio, I didn’t even know how to use Excel back then. I’m lucky and grateful to have my former teammates, Bea and Ian (shoutout to you guys!), who were very patient in training me. November of 2021, I was promoted to Senior Data Analyst.

What made you choose RareJob as your company?

I remember seeing the job ad online, and being a fresh grad with very few tech skills, I thought the job description was fresh-grad friendly. The role expected performance of technical tasks, but everything could be learned from training, so it didn’t necessarily require years of experience. I also applied for another company as a Data Scientist, and while the offer was competitive, I turned it down because it was just a contract for one year. In hindsight, that was smart. I would have been unemployed in the middle of a pandemic. I chose RJPH because of the stability they were offering, and it’s a good training ground for those who are just starting out their career in Data Analytics.

As a Senior Data Analyst, how has the experience been so far?

Expectations were raised definitely, but I felt ready to take on the challenges as I have already built a good foundation to perform the role. Aside from having mastered the tech side of things, I’ve also become well-versed in handling RJPH operations. Those are two important things because as a Specialist, I’m expected to be the go-to guy (or gal). So far, it doesn’t feel any different from when I was just a Data Analyst. I feel like I’m just playing another role, just doing the best that I can for the team.

Being in Data Analysis, were there any benefits or challenges you’ve experienced while working from home?

Since we always have to have access to the database, which is only possible if I’m connected to the company network, we already had VPNs installed on our laptops even before the pandemic. We’ve also made a habit of taking home our laptops in case an urgent task came up. I’d say it was an easy transition for the team on that part. In the beginning, I was trying to find my groove in terms of productivity because being at home exposed me to a lot of distractions compared to being in the office. Once I’ve set up my own little space for work, it became my bubble, and whenever I’m in it, I’m in work mode. This way, I was able to separate my work life from my home life, albeit figuratively.

As for the benefits, apart from forgoing the commute to and from work, and the expenses that comes with living away from home, work-wise I felt like I had more freedom to explore my skills. In the office, I always felt like I was being watched. Like if I were to try Googling how to do a certain Excel formula, or Python script, I would get judged for not knowing, as if I shouldn’t have even been Googling in the first place. At home, I have the freedom to be curious.

Share with us what a typical day is like in Data Analytics.

The days feel very fast-paced most of the time for our team, though we also do have our slow days, especially towards the end of the week. We start the week with preparing our weekly reports regarding the previous week’s lesson supply status. Our Mondays get pretty intense especially if the numbers don’t look so good. We receive a lot of questions from our Japanese counterparts. We have to explain what the bottlenecks were, what caused them, and what would be our course of action to prevent them for the coming week. Sometimes we have to come up with a new incentive scheme at a drop of a hat and release it the next day, if not the same day. A lot is already happening, we haven’t even touched the data requests that we have to deliver that cannot be delayed, and it’s only Monday.

Thankfully, for most weeks Monday is our only hell day. After that, we attend meetings with our stakeholders and deliver more data requests. Some of our data requests are mostly general data extraction, but what I enjoy the most is when we’re tasked to automate a process for a team. It’s where our coding skills come through. Basically, the goal would be to lessen the manual labor, and if possible, for everything to be done at a press of a button. It’s where we channel our creativity in terms of process improvement.

As someone working with both analysis and responding to client requests regarding data requests, what are the most important things to remember to ensure that you accomplish your role effectively?

I think knowledge about the data that we have is key. Our clients will always have an idea about the output they’re expecting, but as someone who knows about the variety of data that we store, I can give them suggestions regarding additional information that can support their initial request. I try to learn what they want, and on top of that, give them something they didn’t know they even needed.

Why do you think is data analytics important in the field of ESL?

Just like any other business, RJPH provides a service, and we have to make sure that that service is sufficient and exemplary. I believe that the concrete way to tell if we were able to succeed is by reading our data because numbers don’t lie. We need to lift insights from them in order to create a proper actionable plan. We can identify where our attention is needed, that way we’re not going in blind.

While working remotely, what are some things that you do to keep yourself from being burnt out?

I’m actually an avid reader. When the pandemic began, I started setting a yearly reading goal for myself, which I’ve accomplished since then. My library has grown to the point where I don’t know where to put my books anymore because I can’t help myself from buying more whenever there’s a sale. I’m one of those people with a long to-be-read list. I also bought myself a gaming console because I got into the hype of a recent simulation game, but I didn’t play the game that long. I still prefer playing story-driven role-playing games (RPG). Recently though, I’m addicted to an RPG to the point that it became my motivation to finish work on time, because no OT means more time for me to play. (This is my face: XD) I guess this could be my time management advise as well. Get yourself an after-work activity to look forward to that would motivate you to plan and execute your tasks within your work hours.

With professionals both in the tech and statistics fields finding interest in data analytics, what tips can you give those who are currently in this career path, or those who are considering switching to it?

We’re in a fast-paced industry, which means our technology is always evolving. Always try to learn a new skill to keep yourself up to date. What’s good in our time right now is that everything’s available online, and there’s a lot of resources and trainings out there. Don’t expect yourself to be a master after finishing a course. All you need is a good grasp of the basics, then you can explore the rest at your own pace. Apply them to your work because then you get to immerse yourself in the real-life application.