Sean Collins
Why did you choose to study Economics?
- I enjoyed the blend of quantitative & qualitative thinking
- Economics seemed closely related to business, but with a wider lens
- I found the 100 & 200-level ECON courses to be the most engaging in my course load in year 1 & 2 at UBC
What did you enjoy most about your program?
My favorite course was ECON 490: Seminar in Applied Economics. In ECON 490 students are guided through writing an academic paper. Students select a topic, establish a hypothesis, locate relevant databases, analyze data and write about their findings. The course was an excellent introduction to research techniques and sparked an interest in pursuing a career in the field. The process of gathering information from a range of sources, piecing the relevant parts together and building a case for/against an outcome was invigorating.
What were some of your most meaningful experiences at UBC?
Volunteering as a Student Coordinator in the Arts Tri-Mentoring program in my 4th year was one of my most meaningful experiences at UBC. Having participated in the program the previous year as a mentee, I was well aware of how useful the skills the program taught are. It was extremely fulfilling to be able to help other students get access to such crucial training.
What choices did you make in your undergrad that contributed to your career success?
Participating in the Arts Tri-Mentoring Program as a mentee in my 3rd year at UBC and as a Student Coordinator in my 4th year gave me the opportunity to develop the professional skills necessary to land my first job after university. As a mentee in the program I learned how to tailor a resume and cover letter to a specific job posting, answer interview questions, network, etc. The structure the program provided ensured that professional development did not get put off due to the demands of coursework.
Had I not participated in the Tri-Mentoring Program, and not had access to a structured approach to professional development, I would likely not have made the effort to attend drop-in professional development sessions (e.g. resume and cover letter writing, interviews, etc.) at the UBC Student Services/career center. Further the quality of the instruction I received from my alumni mentor on topics such like resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, etc. was higher than what would have been available through drop-in sessions run by the UBC student services.
As a student coordinator I had the opportunity to build time management skills, practice public speaking, work in a team, plan events and more. All of these soft skills have been directly transferable to my current position.
What was your first job after graduation and what other jobs did you have before landing your current position?
- First job after graduation: Market Research Analyst, iData Research
- Other jobs: Senior Analyst, iData Research
- Current position: Analyst Team Leader, iData Research
Is your current career path as you originally intended? What challenges did you face in launching your career?
In my 4th year at UBC I realized that I wanted to pursue a career in research. I am currently working as an analyst at a market research company – so far so good.
In terms of challenges, I was initially hoping to move directly into a position that would be heavy in quantitative analysis. I figured that a position of this nature would allow me to apply some of the statistical techniques learned in my economics degree at UBC. However, the position I started in required a blend of quantitative and qualitative analysis, heavily favoring qualitative. With time my work has moved more towards more quantitative techniques, but still feature a blend of qualitative and quantitative.
What do you like about your current job and what do you find challenging? How does it relate to your degree?
In my current job I write market research reports on the global medical device market. These reports focus on specific therapeutic areas (e.g. interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, etc) and discuss market size (prices, unit sales, number of procedures, revenue, etc.), market trends (growth, drivers/limiters for growth) and competitive landscape (market shares).
LIKES:
- I am constantly learning. I do not have a medical background – so when I start a new project I am often sorely uninformed. Doing the due diligence, reading through secondary sources, digesting foreign terms and trying to make sense of a mess of medical terminology is an exciting process to me.
- I’ve always had a bit of an interest in business. Having the opportunity to be involved in the development of new products has been fulfilling.
- Problem solving when building market models. Figuring out what assumptions are reasonable/unreasonable to make and working around holes in datasets.
- Working with team members to develop new analytical techniques, address client needs, problem solve, etc.
CHALLENGES:
- Shifting gears and prioritizing when dealing with multiple projects with competing timelines.
- Addressing client concerns
RELATES TO ARTS DEGREE:
- In my undergrad I was constantly learning new material – this trend has continued at my current job
- In my current job I often need to think about how changes in physician preference/demand might affect the market for a particular device – at a top-level this is quite similar to the thinking I did when shifting supply and demand curves in ECON 101
From your experience, what has been the value of having an Arts degree?
Being able to clearly communicate ideas in writing is essential in the work place. Students earning an arts degree take many writing intensive courses. These courses allow arts students to really hone their writing skills. Unlike a Computer Science degree, an arts degree doesn’t mean that you have to follow a particular path – it provides you with the opportunity to explore a variety of different careers.
What advice would you give to students and alumni interested in breaking into your industry?
My number one recommendation for breaking into the market research industry would be to schedule a mock interview with a market research analyst/research analyst ASAP. People working in market research are used to reaching out to others for input/feedback/advice – and are very receptive to those that reach out to them.
However, I would recommend that students/alumni interested in breaking into the market research industry do their research before reaching out. For example, make a list of 5-10 market research firms in Vancouver. Figure out what each company does (what niches/markets do they research, what’s the company’s mission/vision/values, etc). Find a recent publication by the company and read through it. Then use LinkedIn to reach out to an employee at a few of the most interesting market research companies. Ask each person you reach out to for an informational interview. In your informational interview demonstrate your interest in what the company is researching and ask some variation of ‘what makes a successful research analyst at your firm?’
What advice would you give to your first-year self?
Participate in more extracurricular activities. These will be the most memorable and useful parts of your undergrad. Live on campus for a year. This will make it easier to participate in extracurricular activities.
Sean Collins
Why did you choose to study Economics?
- I enjoyed the blend of quantitative & qualitative thinking
- Economics seemed closely related to business, but with a wider lens
- I found the 100 & 200-level ECON courses to be the most engaging in my course load in year 1 & 2 at UBC
What did you enjoy most about your program?
My favorite course was ECON 490: Seminar in Applied Economics. In ECON 490 students are guided through writing an academic paper. Students select a topic, establish a hypothesis, locate relevant databases, analyze data and write about their findings. The course was an excellent introduction to research techniques and sparked an interest in pursuing a career in the field. The process of gathering information from a range of sources, piecing the relevant parts together and building a case for/against an outcome was invigorating.
What were some of your most meaningful experiences at UBC?
Volunteering as a Student Coordinator in the Arts Tri-Mentoring program in my 4th year was one of my most meaningful experiences at UBC. Having participated in the program the previous year as a mentee, I was well aware of how useful the skills the program taught are. It was extremely fulfilling to be able to help other students get access to such crucial training.
What choices did you make in your undergrad that contributed to your career success?
Participating in the Arts Tri-Mentoring Program as a mentee in my 3rd year at UBC and as a Student Coordinator in my 4th year gave me the opportunity to develop the professional skills necessary to land my first job after university. As a mentee in the program I learned how to tailor a resume and cover letter to a specific job posting, answer interview questions, network, etc. The structure the program provided ensured that professional development did not get put off due to the demands of coursework.
Had I not participated in the Tri-Mentoring Program, and not had access to a structured approach to professional development, I would likely not have made the effort to attend drop-in professional development sessions (e.g. resume and cover letter writing, interviews, etc.) at the UBC Student Services/career center. Further the quality of the instruction I received from my alumni mentor on topics such like resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, etc. was higher than what would have been available through drop-in sessions run by the UBC student services.
As a student coordinator I had the opportunity to build time management skills, practice public speaking, work in a team, plan events and more. All of these soft skills have been directly transferable to my current position.
What was your first job after graduation and what other jobs did you have before landing your current position?
- First job after graduation: Market Research Analyst, iData Research
- Other jobs: Senior Analyst, iData Research
- Current position: Analyst Team Leader, iData Research
Is your current career path as you originally intended? What challenges did you face in launching your career?
In my 4th year at UBC I realized that I wanted to pursue a career in research. I am currently working as an analyst at a market research company – so far so good.
In terms of challenges, I was initially hoping to move directly into a position that would be heavy in quantitative analysis. I figured that a position of this nature would allow me to apply some of the statistical techniques learned in my economics degree at UBC. However, the position I started in required a blend of quantitative and qualitative analysis, heavily favoring qualitative. With time my work has moved more towards more quantitative techniques, but still feature a blend of qualitative and quantitative.
What do you like about your current job and what do you find challenging? How does it relate to your degree?
In my current job I write market research reports on the global medical device market. These reports focus on specific therapeutic areas (e.g. interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, etc) and discuss market size (prices, unit sales, number of procedures, revenue, etc.), market trends (growth, drivers/limiters for growth) and competitive landscape (market shares).
LIKES:
- I am constantly learning. I do not have a medical background – so when I start a new project I am often sorely uninformed. Doing the due diligence, reading through secondary sources, digesting foreign terms and trying to make sense of a mess of medical terminology is an exciting process to me.
- I’ve always had a bit of an interest in business. Having the opportunity to be involved in the development of new products has been fulfilling.
- Problem solving when building market models. Figuring out what assumptions are reasonable/unreasonable to make and working around holes in datasets.
- Working with team members to develop new analytical techniques, address client needs, problem solve, etc.
CHALLENGES:
- Shifting gears and prioritizing when dealing with multiple projects with competing timelines.
- Addressing client concerns
RELATES TO ARTS DEGREE:
- In my undergrad I was constantly learning new material – this trend has continued at my current job
- In my current job I often need to think about how changes in physician preference/demand might affect the market for a particular device – at a top-level this is quite similar to the thinking I did when shifting supply and demand curves in ECON 101
From your experience, what has been the value of having an Arts degree?
Being able to clearly communicate ideas in writing is essential in the work place. Students earning an arts degree take many writing intensive courses. These courses allow arts students to really hone their writing skills. Unlike a Computer Science degree, an arts degree doesn’t mean that you have to follow a particular path – it provides you with the opportunity to explore a variety of different careers.
What advice would you give to students and alumni interested in breaking into your industry?
My number one recommendation for breaking into the market research industry would be to schedule a mock interview with a market research analyst/research analyst ASAP. People working in market research are used to reaching out to others for input/feedback/advice – and are very receptive to those that reach out to them.
However, I would recommend that students/alumni interested in breaking into the market research industry do their research before reaching out. For example, make a list of 5-10 market research firms in Vancouver. Figure out what each company does (what niches/markets do they research, what’s the company’s mission/vision/values, etc). Find a recent publication by the company and read through it. Then use LinkedIn to reach out to an employee at a few of the most interesting market research companies. Ask each person you reach out to for an informational interview. In your informational interview demonstrate your interest in what the company is researching and ask some variation of ‘what makes a successful research analyst at your firm?’
What advice would you give to your first-year self?
Participate in more extracurricular activities. These will be the most memorable and useful parts of your undergrad. Live on campus for a year. This will make it easier to participate in extracurricular activities.
