ASA Connect

Taking a cue from the ASA's Twitter feed this Monday, what advice would you give your past self about getting to where you are now, in your field? (Or another way of thinking about it: what advice would you give to people who'd like to be where you are now and are still earlier on in their career or education?)

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Lara Harmon
Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
American Statistical Association
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My recommendation for a younger me would have been to take more risks, take chances.  I think I stayed too long in every job I held for the fear of change or the fear of failure at something new.  However, when you take those risks and chances, you can soar!  Even if you fail, you learn from it and move forward.

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Terry Shelton

Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2016 16:20
From: Lara Harmon
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

Taking a cue from the ASA's Twitter feed this Monday, what advice would you give your past self about getting to where you are now, in your field? (Or another way of thinking about it: what advice would you give to people who'd like to be where you are now and are still earlier on in their career or education?)

------------------------------
Lara Harmon
Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
American Statistical Association
------------------------------

Always be in the look out for new opportunities. Font wait until you get laid off to look for a new job unless you are more than just content with your current position. Don't settle.

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Michael Mout
MIKS

Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2016 16:20
From: Lara Harmon
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

Taking a cue from the ASA's Twitter feed this Monday, what advice would you give your past self about getting to where you are now, in your field? (Or another way of thinking about it: what advice would you give to people who'd like to be where you are now and are still earlier on in their career or education?)

------------------------------
Lara Harmon
Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
American Statistical Association
------------------------------

I will tell my young self to not let the fact that she is female to hinder her from reaching out for opportunities. Lee, you are not to allow yourself to be defined by what the environment expects you to be. Reach out for the stars because you are exceptional. 

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Leona Edegbe
Senior Statistical Officer
National Metallurgical Development Centre

Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2016 16:20
From: Lara Harmon
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

Taking a cue from the ASA's Twitter feed this Monday, what advice would you give your past self about getting to where you are now, in your field? (Or another way of thinking about it: what advice would you give to people who'd like to be where you are now and are still earlier on in their career or education?)

------------------------------
Lara Harmon
Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
American Statistical Association
------------------------------

This may be preaching to the choir, but GET INVOLVED IN THE ASA - Chapters and/or Sections are usually looking for new recruits for officers, and the connections you can make are INVALUABLE!  Additionally, if where you are employed does not automatically provide funding for you to go to JSM/ Other meetings... this can be another reason to use to argue for the support to go!

If you don't get nominated or elected to an office, volunteer to serve on some committee or in some other capacity. If you volunteer and don't hear from the Chair - follow-up! Don't assume that they would not want you! It is more than likely that your request came at a time they were not anticipating volunteers and your e-mail got mislaid! (I believe I have been at both ends of that occurring - and apologize to anyone I did not reply to!)

lastly... sorry, self... plaid is just not your color. :-)

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Mary Kwasny
Associate Professor

Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2016 16:20
From: Lara Harmon
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

Taking a cue from the ASA's Twitter feed this Monday, what advice would you give your past self about getting to where you are now, in your field? (Or another way of thinking about it: what advice would you give to people who'd like to be where you are now and are still earlier on in their career or education?)

------------------------------
Lara Harmon
Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
American Statistical Association
------------------------------

How far back can we go? 

How much can we tell ourselves?

I'd tell my high school self to ask my prom date out sooner, and that my math teacher and my physics teacher are poor teachers and it IS them, not you! (I failed HS math and physics and went on to get a bachelor's degree in physics and a pair of MS degrees in applied math and stats.)

I'd tell the HS senior me to go to the community college, not the private engineering university. They are not that good. They are not worth the price. Go community college then public university.

Do a BS in comp sci with a stats minor or BS in data science. You'll be happier and employable. 

Look at the ratings for professors on various websites. 1-3 grumpy students is one thing. 40 grumpy students over a 3 year period is a pattern.

I wish I started the certificates in database mgt and object oriented programming sooner. Then I'd be qualified for all the statistician/data scientists jobs on the market.

Don’t use your knowledge of database systems during interviews. Play dumb. Hiring managers don’t want to hire someone better than them.   

Don't bother applying to statistician jobs at the local universities and non-profit research institutes. They aren't worth it. The hiring managers believe they are experts in database systems. They’re not. They would fail your intro to databases class. They "know" significantly less about database systems than you after 1 intro to databases class. But, they insist the textbooks you use are wrong, your CIS profs are wrong too.

Skip your MS in stats. You learned enough stats in your math program. You'll be bored most of the time and won’t learn much extra.

I've made a lot of mistakes which means I have learned a lot. 

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Andrew Ekstrom

Statistician, Chemist, HPC Abuser;-)

Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2016 16:20
From: Lara Harmon
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

Taking a cue from the ASA's Twitter feed this Monday, what advice would you give your past self about getting to where you are now, in your field? (Or another way of thinking about it: what advice would you give to people who'd like to be where you are now and are still earlier on in their career or education?)

------------------------------
Lara Harmon
Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
American Statistical Association
------------------------------

I would have changed my major to statistics when I was an undergraduate. I think I would have been much happier.  I would also tell myself not to give up on anything at the first sign of trouble.  When you give up, you lose.

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Brian Cocolicchio


Original Message:
Sent: 05-03-2016 16:25
From: Andrew Ekstrom
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

How far back can we go? 

How much can we tell ourselves?

I'd tell my high school self to ask my prom date out sooner, and that my math teacher and my physics teacher are poor teachers and it IS them, not you! (I failed HS math and physics and went on to get a bachelor's degree in physics and a pair of MS degrees in applied math and stats.)

I'd tell the HS senior me to go to the community college, not the private engineering university. They are not that good. They are not worth the price. Go community college then public university.

Do a BS in comp sci with a stats minor or BS in data science. You'll be happier and employable. 

Look at the ratings for professors on various websites. 1-3 grumpy students is one thing. 40 grumpy students over a 3 year period is a pattern.

I wish I started the certificates in database mgt and object oriented programming sooner. Then I'd be qualified for all the statistician/data scientists jobs on the market.

Don’t use your knowledge of database systems during interviews. Play dumb. Hiring managers don’t want to hire someone better than them.   

Don't bother applying to statistician jobs at the local universities and non-profit research institutes. They aren't worth it. The hiring managers believe they are experts in database systems. They’re not. They would fail your intro to databases class. They "know" significantly less about database systems than you after 1 intro to databases class. But, they insist the textbooks you use are wrong, your CIS profs are wrong too.

Skip your MS in stats. You learned enough stats in your math program. You'll be bored most of the time and won’t learn much extra.

I've made a lot of mistakes which means I have learned a lot. 

------------------------------
Andrew Ekstrom

Statistician, Chemist, HPC Abuser;-)

Take as many math classes as you can. It is much easier to build a foundation with the help from those that specialize in it and are paid to teach you rather than you finding the time, resources, and grit to do it on your own!

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Dustin Saalman
Student
Wayne State University

Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2016 16:20
From: Lara Harmon
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

Taking a cue from the ASA's Twitter feed this Monday, what advice would you give your past self about getting to where you are now, in your field? (Or another way of thinking about it: what advice would you give to people who'd like to be where you are now and are still earlier on in their career or education?)

------------------------------
Lara Harmon
Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
American Statistical Association
------------------------------

You could probably add: Take other related classes too. Having all the statistical theory in the world won't help you if you don't know where or how to use it. Even taking different versions of the same class, like DOE from the stats department and the IE or Chem Eng department. Each department brings perspectives and ideas that the other does not. What one prof claims is "bad practice" another will claim "common practice". 

Same thing with optimization. Statisticians use it wrong. Operations Researchers use techniques based upon OFAT because, that's how you did it before computers. They haven't changed much since. 

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Andrew Ekstrom

Statistician, Chemist, HPC Abuser;-)

Original Message:
Sent: 05-04-2016 07:43
From: Dustin Saalman
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

Take as many math classes as you can. It is much easier to build a foundation with the help from those that specialize in it and are paid to teach you rather than you finding the time, resources, and grit to do it on your own!

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Dustin Saalman
Student
Wayne State University

The problem with answering this question is that we know the consequences of the road we took but we can only estimate the consequences of each road that we did not take.

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Emil M Friedman, PhD
emilfriedman@gmail.com
http://www.statisticalconsulting.org

Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2016 16:20
From: Lara Harmon
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

Taking a cue from the ASA's Twitter feed this Monday, what advice would you give your past self about getting to where you are now, in your field? (Or another way of thinking about it: what advice would you give to people who'd like to be where you are now and are still earlier on in their career or education?)

------------------------------
Lara Harmon
Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
American Statistical Association
------------------------------

In my view, Dr. Friedman's answer sort of puts the perspective in order.  I would change it slightly though- since I have not taken the other possible roads, only the one I have, I do not have a norm or a good control (an estimated control may not be the best for this purpose).  Because of that, this cannot be posed as a good hypothesis!

Ajit K. Thakur, Ph.D.

Retired Statistician.

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Ajit Thakur
Associate Director

Original Message:
Sent: 05-04-2016 10:54
From: Emil Friedman
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

The problem with answering this question is that we know the consequences of the road we took but we can only estimate the consequences of each road that we did not take.

------------------------------
Emil M Friedman, PhD
emilfriedman@gmail.com
http://www.statisticalconsulting.org

I think Dr Thakur is saying what I was trying to say.  I probably used the wrong word when I said "estimate".  "Guess" is too weak.  "Know" is unrealistic.  "Estimate" has statistical connotations that don't apply here.  I still haven't figured out what word I really want to use.

------------------------------
Emil M Friedman, PhD
emilfriedman@gmail.com
http://www.statisticalconsulting.org

Original Message:
Sent: 05-05-2016 08:54
From: Ajit Thakur
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

In my view, Dr. Friedman's answer sort of puts the perspective in order.  I would change it slightly though- since I have not taken the other possible roads, only the one I have, I do not have a norm or a good control (an estimated control may not be the best for this purpose).  Because of that, this cannot be posed as a good hypothesis!

Ajit K. Thakur, Ph.D.

Retired Statistician.

------------------------------
Ajit Thakur
Associate Director

You are correct, Dr. Friedman.  Take care.

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Ajit Thakur
Associate Director

Original Message:
Sent: 05-06-2016 10:18
From: Emil Friedman
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

I think Dr Thakur is saying what I was trying to say.  I probably used the wrong word when I said "estimate".  "Guess" is too weak.  "Know" is unrealistic.  "Estimate" has statistical connotations that don't apply here.  I still haven't figured out what word I really want to use.

------------------------------
Emil M Friedman, PhD
emilfriedman@gmail.com
http://www.statisticalconsulting.org

Although... I see myself as a cross-over trial of sorts...

I was unengaged for my first 7 years out of graduate school... once I got engaged in ASA there was a discernible change in my professional  trajectory. Now one could say there were latent effects that had a time-lag during my first 7 years or carry-over effects, (and in many cases that is true as I grew more comfortable and confident in those years)... but I do believe that earlier engagement in ASA in those first years would have helped me tremendously in many ways.

------------------------------
Mary Kwasny
Associate Professor

Original Message:
Sent: 05-05-2016 08:54
From: Ajit Thakur
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

In my view, Dr. Friedman's answer sort of puts the perspective in order.  I would change it slightly though- since I have not taken the other possible roads, only the one I have, I do not have a norm or a good control (an estimated control may not be the best for this purpose).  Because of that, this cannot be posed as a good hypothesis!

Ajit K. Thakur, Ph.D.

Retired Statistician.

------------------------------
Ajit Thakur
Associate Director

Very interesting discussion! I would recommend not worrying or stressing so much about the small stuff. 

------------------------------
Leanna Moron
George Mason University, 2017

Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2016 16:20
From: Lara Harmon
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

Taking a cue from the ASA's Twitter feed this Monday, what advice would you give your past self about getting to where you are now, in your field? (Or another way of thinking about it: what advice would you give to people who'd like to be where you are now and are still earlier on in their career or education?)

------------------------------
Lara Harmon
Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
American Statistical Association
------------------------------

I would advise myself to take advantage of those times when I don't like what I'm doing, like all those "required" classes that students think are a waste of time. That's the time I have to focus the most to do my job well. I think most students believe that when they get their dream jobs that they will enjoy it 100% of the time. I've had my dream job, twice, including now, and 30-40% of the time, I don't like what I'm doing. I still have to do it well. 

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Douglas Hall
Staff Engineer
Honeywell Aerospace

Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2016 16:20
From: Lara Harmon
Subject: What advice would you give your past self?

Taking a cue from the ASA's Twitter feed this Monday, what advice would you give your past self about getting to where you are now, in your field? (Or another way of thinking about it: what advice would you give to people who'd like to be where you are now and are still earlier on in their career or education?)

------------------------------
Lara Harmon
Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
American Statistical Association
------------------------------