No secret to young professionals and recent graduates - practical experience during academic years can significantly shape one's early career. Heather Linscott, UNH BS Mathematics graduate, a former student analyst intern at the Center for Business Analytics and now an Associate BI Engineer at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI), shares her journey and insights, illuminating the impact of her internship on her career.
Valentina: How do you feel your internship at the Center for Business Analytics prepared you for your current role as an Associate BI Engineer?
Heather: My internship at the Center for Business Analytics prepared me for my current role as an Associate BI Engineer through working directly with clients and furthering my technical skills. At the Center, I was able to communicate with clients and develop solutions to their business needs. This experience directly parallels my current responsibilities, where I collaborate with internal business users to develop customized reports and dashboards. Additionally, my internship exposed me to ETL processes, database management, app development, and new coding techniques which laid a solid foundation for advancing my coding skills in my current role.
Valentina: What specific skills did you acquire during your internship that you find most valuable in your current job?
Heather: During my internship, I developed adaptability to quickly learn new technical skills. The diverse range of projects I got to work on at the Center exposed me to various coding languages and tools. This has been valuable in my current role as I am always learning new coding and technical skills from my teammates. Specifically, GitHub, PowerBI, and SQL are a few skills I learned in my internship which I use frequently in my current role. Additionally, collaborating with clients and analyzing their business problems was a valuable skill acquired during my internship which has helped me in my current role where I develop reports tailored to the needs of business users.
Valentina: Looking back, what did you enjoy most about your internship?
Heather: Working with the whole team at the Center was by far my favorite part of the internship. It is such a supportive and collaborative environment and my team and I really enjoyed working together on all of our projects. The level of hands-on involvement from the directors at The Center is remarkable. Nagaraj, Andrew, and Valentina are highly engaged with the teams, and offer invaluable guidance and expertise to all the student analysts. Engaging with clients was another highlight. They provided amazing mentorship and it was so exciting to be able to help solve their business problems. Also, the trip to Washington DC, sponsored by our client Mercury SGS LLC was an unforgettable experience!
Valentina: Do you enjoy your current role of an Associate BI Engineer, how were the first few months? Are there any unexpected aspects of your current role that you hadn't anticipated?
Heather: I have loved the first few months of my new role! I have a great knowledgeable and experienced team who I have been learning a lot from. It has been very hands-on; I’m working on a lot of projects, and I have my first Dashboard going into production this week! As for unexpected aspects, my company recently transitioned off prem and on to the Cloud, which came with a lot of new changes that were unfamiliar to me. But it has been really cool seeing how the transition process works and gaining proficiency working with cloud software.
Valentina: Are there any skills or knowledge areas you are currently focusing on to advance in your career?
Heather: I am working on learning the data architecture and ETL processes of our data at BHSI which is crucial for coding efficient reports, understanding business logic, and developing as a BI Engineer. Also, I am continuously improving my technical skills in SQL, DAX, PowerBI, SSRS, and ADF which are all skills I use frequently in my current role.
Valentina: What trends in business intelligence do you find most exciting or promising for the future?
Heather: The utilization of AI and NLP technologies in business intelligence is something I am excited for in the future. I’m interested in how AI may revolutionize parts of the software development lifecycle, such as code review, conflict merging, and automated testing. This could have huge impacts on streamlining development processes, software releases, and improving code quality. I’m also interested to see the advancement of NLP in claims processing and fraud detection within the insurance industry.
Valentina: Based on your experience, what advice would you give to current students to make the most out of their internships?
Heather: 1. Collaborate and learn from the diverse skills of the team that The Center has to offer. 2. Take advantage of networking opportunities and make connections with your clients. 3. Stay curious by asking questions, seeking out challenges, and taking accountability for your own learning throughout your internship.
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Heather's insights highlight the integral role that hands-on, real-world experience plays in shaping the careers of young professionals. Her journey from a student analyst intern to a successful Associate BI Engineer demonstrates the value of a well-rounded internship program, like that at the Paul College Center for Business Analytics, that bridges the gap between academic learning and professional excellence.
We are incredibly proud of Heather's achievements, and we look forward to seeing her future success!
