Isha Kanani

"I joined MSIS with a clear goal of becoming a Data Scientist, and the school gave me great exposure."

As a Data Scientist in the Global Support & Optimization team at Dell, I get to work with different teams and businesses who are looking to get predictive insights to improve their problem areas. My typical day involves getting an in-depth understanding of the business of my current project, connecting to various people to explore the data, and working on machine learning models. I often find myself learning a new technology or implementing new research insights at work. I joined MSIS with a clear goal of becoming a Data Scientist, and the school gave me great exposure. I took various courses from iSchool and other schools at UT to develop my skills. My GRA and TA at the School of Public Affairs and School of Business gave me confidence in my work, and I recommend everyone to take the opportunity to work with different professors at UT. I seized my current position through a career fair at UT, it is a great way to connect to recruiters. I cannot thank the Career Development Office enough to help me get where I am today.

My advice to students will be to stay open to new opportunities and experiences at the iSchool, this is a great place to hone all the skills you will be needing in the outside world. Take some time to understand what you really want to do, focus on more than just technical skills, and participate in various activities that can help with the overall development.