Author: Salome Grasland, Jaquelyn Chamorro Can, Sonia Gomez

The Data School is more than just a training program; it’s a community of data enthusiasts evolving into world-class consultants. In this post, we interviewed Adrienne Zhang to discuss her transition into The Data School world and what comes after.

Interviewed by Sonia Gomez and Jaquelyn Chamorro Can  | Edited by Salome Grasland and Adrienne Zhang

The Road to The Data School

Q: What was life like  before The Data school? 

During college I studied English and Public Health. I then spent nearly three years at Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun violence prevention advocacy organization. Out of two of those years I was on a  litigation team doing legal assistant work, while the rest was on the research team. I then went to Grad school where I focused on data analytics for public policy. That’s where I fell in love with it after learning how to use Tableau. 

Q: How did you hear about The Data School and what made you decide to apply?

I had read blog posts from The Data School while learning Tableau in grad school, so I recognized the company when I came across the job posting. I then attended a meet and greet here at The Information Lab. I applied because  of the unique emphasis on training and applied learning.

Q: Can you share the experience of applying, including the video interview and final stages?

In both interviews I presented a dashboard I had built. For my first interview, I built a dashboard analyzing eviction trends in NYC, using data from NYC Open Data and inspired by my interest in housing policy. For my second interview, I was assigned to analyze a dataset that looked at the #1 hits topping the Billboard Hot 100, and I focused on the 1980s and 1990s as a turning point in music. I had 5 minutes to present each dashboard— which was challenging but a useful exercise because it forces you to be concise and really pull out the key insights for the audience.

Q: What was one valuable experience that The Data School provided?

The parts that I found so important were those eight valuable client projects during training. It was very helpful to practice speaking to stakeholders and asking probing questions on how a product/decision is going to be used. Just learning about that process was the highlight of my training in data analytics.

Culture and Environment

Q: What is it like working at The Information Lab? 

It’s very collaborative… People are very inspiring and it’s a great environment to be in. Everyone enjoys hanging out after work. It’s also very cool to connect with people abroad in other continents. We all come from different industries and backgrounds– public policy, statistics, teaching, computer science, retail, public health etc. We bring that to our work, and we learn from one another.

Advice to Future Applicants

Q: Do you have any piece of advice for any future applicant that is interested in joining The Data School?

Be very open to feedback. Show that you have a coachable mindset because that's such a big part of what is important in training and on placement, where we receive feedback everyday.

Check Out Our Application Page and Apply Today