Star Statisticians Offer Career Advancement Advice

Claire Bowen, Lead Data Scientist, Privacy and Data Security, Urban Institute

“Be a good citizen,” Bo Li advised during the Career Next-Steps and Promotions webinar that took place June 11. Li, who is chair and professor in the department of statistics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, joined fellow panelists Adrian Coles, who is a senior research scientist at Eli Lilly and Company, and Elizabeth Mannshardt, who is associate director of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Information Access and Analytic Services Division and an adjunct associate professor in the department of statistics at North Carolina State University. Coles and Mannshardt reinforced Li’s advice during their presentations by providing examples from their career paths of the impact of service to the community on their career development.

The panelists followed different career paths and worked in different sectors, each providing unique and diverse experiences. Key takeaways include the following:

Bo Li:

• Be open to collaboration. Even if a project is outside your area of expertise, take time to consider the opportunity.
• Don’t be afraid to ask senior people for advice. The statistics and data science field is mostly friendly and that person you asked will often feel great helping others.
• Learn from, but don’t dwell on, rejections and career frustrations. The saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” rings true in research. Learn from the experience, but don’t let it hinder your growth.
• Be willing to work hard. You will often experience “pains for gains.”

Adrian Coles:

• Listen to both your passions and your frustrations. Frustration is sometimes an emotional “flare” that alerts us to a problem that needs to be solved; it shines a light on an opportunity to contribute.
• Define your values and principles upfront. Use them to guide your career path.
• Be adaptable, keep learning, and commit to holistic development. Part of the learning process includes improving our emotional growth, communication skills, leadership abilities, and business acumen.
• Invest in growing and managing relationships. Healthy, well-nurtured relationships are doorways to new opportunities.

Elizabeth Mannshardt:

• Be curious and develop new expertise. You may discover new passions and interests.
• Advocate for yourself. Self-promotion is difficult, but you are your own best advocate!
• Develop your communication skills. Teach a class, talk to the media, or present your research to others outside your field. Practice makes perfect, and you learn new ways to communicate your ideas when considering diverse perspectives.
• Follow your heart. In the end, you should follow your heart. Work toward something that makes you happy.

After the presentations, the panelists responded to questions from the audience. Advice from the Q&A included the following:

• Look for opportunities to communicate both formally and informally, including opportunities provided by professional organizations.
• Career advancement requires alignment with the vision and mission of your organization.
• Become comfortable describing how you are contributing to the success of your organization.
• Understand your organization’s system and the logistics of what it takes to be promoted.
• Keep your mentors and sponsors informed so they know what you want and are able to advocate for you.
• Take time to write down your goals and how you are making progress.

The panelists all agreed that investing in growing your community is essential. As part of that community, the Committee on Career Development is committed to helping you, so reach out.