Teamwork among statisticians and across multidisciplinary groups is now the norm. The days of a statistician alone in an office working in isolation are gone. Meeting with clients and colleagues is critical to gain other perspectives and generate and refine ideas.
Project management and project leadership skills, including project planning and meeting facilitation experience, will set an applicant apart. Have you developed partnerships and coalitions to achieve results? Have you led a team and been a team member? Have you experienced team and group dynamics? This experience often comes from working on class projects; many times, we see these skills demonstrated through extracurricular or volunteer activities. Being an officer in a student organization or leading a team with Habitat for Humanity, for example, gives an indication of experience in leading a team or group focused on specific goals and objectives.
One of the hallmarks of successful statisticians is a curiosity and desire for knowledge. We are at our best when we behave like detectives on an unsolved case, following up on important clues and being persistent as we track leads to become more informed about an event (or series of events).
Initially, asking good questions and listening are more important than having answers and talking. Statisticians, like all people, are dangerous when they think they have access to the best data and know the truth; this is when we stop listening to others and become deaf to other points of view and input. We become better consultants and collaborators when we are fully engaged and interested in the discipline of our client or collaborator. Just as we might bemoan a clinical researcher’s lack of statistical knowledge, they might wish we knew more about their field. Movement toward each other along that continuum heightens the productivity of any collaboration. Many of our most successful statisticians are publishing first and senior author papers in the nonstatistical fields of their collaborators.
A commitment to quality is absolutely essential. While in school, a 95% score on an exam will likely be rewarded with an A. In the medical environment, however, even 99% is a failing grade. That does not mean mistakes are never made, but that we have a commitment to quality and systems and a culture in place to discover and analyze mistakes as close to the source as possible. When in an environment such as at Mayo Clinic, where research may be practice-changing, it is our responsibility to make sure the studies conducted and results published are as close to flawless as possible.
Regardless of one’s rank or role on a project, we expect employees to speak up when they see something is not right or have questions about what is going on. We will ask for examples of when you have had to speak up in this fashion. It is through this questioning and exchange of ideas that we move toward excellence.
Most of us like to work with positive people. One of Mayo’s supervisors of the BS-level statisticians famously adheres to the maxim of hiring for attitude. What that means is that when presented with two candidates with similar skills and background, we will select the candidate with the more positive outlook, which creates a work force with a more positive outlook. We are not seeking an optimist who might be blind to real obstacles, but someone who sees the challenges and has the confidence and drive to step forward in spite of those obstacles. We will want to hear about your experience in this regard.
A good internship can help you develop and demonstrate many of the qualities we have outlined here. BSI maintains a strong internship program, with more than a 25-year history. Positions are advertised in Amstat News and online, along with many other outstanding internship opportunities.
One of the primary benefits of an internship program is the positive effect it has on recruitment. We currently have former interns as permanent employees at all levels, including two of our four section heads. In our recruitment efforts, we elevate a candidate’s ranking if they have experience as an intern, were exposed to real-world problems, and had the opportunity to work on projects with experienced statisticians. A successful internship or series of internships can mean the difference between getting an interview or a job.
Newly graduating statisticians cannot be expected to possess all the skills and competencies we have discussed, but there should be evidence that they are moving in that direction. What is the evidence in your history that distinguishes you from others with a similar academic background? If the evidence is weak, start today to strengthen your credentials and reputation as someone who gets things done and can be counted upon.
This is the information age. We are hiring for the ability to turn data into meaningful information by collaborating with our clinical colleagues, allowing that information to transform the delivery of care to patients at Mayo Clinic and around the world. We need the best you have to offer.
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