23: From Nonprofit & Education, to Senior BI Analyst @ JustWorks: Millie Symns

31/08/2025 45 min Temporada 1 Episodio 23
23: From Nonprofit & Education, to Senior BI Analyst @ JustWorks: Millie Symns

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Episode Synopsis

In this episode of Data Career Transformations, Bolaji interviews Millie Symns, a senior Business Intelligence analyst at JustWorks. Millie shares her journey into the data field, emphasizing the importance of mission-driven work and the intersection of data and education. She discusses her current role, the challenges of communicating data insights to non-technical stakeholders, and the significance of mentorship in the data community. Millie's insights on data literacy, measuring business impact, and the value of collaboration highlight the evolving landscape of data careers. Chapters: 02:48 Millie's Journey into Data 05:36 The Intersection of Data and Mission-Driven Work 08:19 Millie's Data Origin Story 11:06 Current Role at JustWorks 13:47 Career Path and Previous Roles 16:32 Stakeholder Communication Challenges 19:09 Data Literacy and Its Impact 24:29 Understanding Data Through Personal Experience 28:18 The Pressure of Quick Answers in Data 29:10 Navigating Business Context as a Data Analyst 32:29 Celebrating Small Wins in Data Projects 35:51 Measuring Business Impact of Data Work 39:45 The Importance of Mentorship in Data Careers Takeaways: Millie's journey into data began with a passion for education and access to resources. She emphasizes the importance of mission-driven work in the data field. Millie's first job involved education evaluation, which shaped her data career. She transitioned from nonprofit to corporate, bringing her mission focus with her. Millie values the role of data in solving collective issues rather than individual problems. Her current role at JustWorks involves helping stakeholders make data-driven decisions. Millie highlights the challenges of communicating data insights to non-technical stakeholders. Data literacy varies across industries and impacts the quality of stakeholder requests. Measuring the impact of data work is challenging but essential for data professionals. Mentorship is crucial for growth in the data field, both as a mentor and mentee. Speakers: Guest: Millie Symns, Senior BI Analyst at JustWorks Host: Bolaji Oyejide, Community Manager at dbt Labs   We're Building the Future of Data. Together. We've always believed the best way to get better at data is by sharing what you're learning. That's why we built the dbt Community—a place where data pros at every level can ask questions, debate ideas, and push each other forward. It's not just about solving today's problems—it's about building what's next, together. Crowdsource solutions—70,000+ people who've been there, done that. Find your crew—meet others who use the same tools you do. Stay at the cutting edge—discussions, meetups, and game shows keep things fresh. 👉 Jump in and say hi—join the dbt Community now.

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