For Alex Taylor (MMA ’19) and many of his classmates, one of the biggest challenges of the Master of Management Analytics program was figuring out what to do after graduation.
“It’s tricky because there isn’t a clear-cut path that you can take in the field,” says Taylor. “You have to consider your background, skills, personality and interests. There are lots of places you can end up.”
The numbers reflect that.
Approximately 93 per cent of the MMA class of 2019 found full-time employment within three months of graduation, and these graduates are working in various industries including banking, consulting, retail and telecommunications. Their job functions vary too — roughly a quarter have landed positions as data scientists, but others have secured roles as consultants, strategists or data science associates.
“Wherever you end up working in analytics, you know you’re making an impact.”
—Alex Taylor, MMA ’19
While they might be scattered across a range of industries, all of these grads are on promising and exciting career paths.
Getting the job
Taylor ultimately accepted an offer with Trindent Consulting, where he now works as a consultant. This opportunity turned out to be great fit: today, he deals with a range of companies, deriving insights from analytics on how they can make their operations more efficient.
“The great thing is that wherever you end up working in analytics, you know you’re making an impact,” he says. “You’re using your knowledge to guide people on the best way forward.”
With such diversity in the range of jobs open to new MMA grads, it makes sense that students approach career planning slightly differently.
In Taylor’s case, he opted to work on a summer research project with FinHub, the Financial Innovation Lab, at Rotman after graduation. During that time, he considered his long-term options.
“Thanks to the MMA program, I have a strong foundation in analytics.”
—Ezgi Saricoban, MMA ’19
Fortunately, before leaving Rotman, he had taken advantage of the career services offered, and he benefitted from advice on networking and developing a more concise and impactful resume.
When Taylor was ready to step out into the job market, a fellow classmate who was already working at Trindent put his name forward, and the rest is history.
For others, like Ezgi Saricoban (MMA ’19), specific career goals came into focus during the program.
“I didn’t have clear expectations when I first started, but as I got involved with the practicum project, classes and career services, my interests and the opportunities open to me became clearer,” says Saricoban, who is now working as a senior business insights analyst with TD Wealth Analytics.
She jokes that she was one of Career Services’ most frequent customers, often dropping into their offices weekly for help with interview preparation and transforming her resume so that it would speak to industry professionals.
“When I interviewed for this job, I just felt that the team and the types of projects aligned well with that I wanted,” says Saricoban, who is now applying her technical knowledge to enhance the customer experience at the bank.
A program that pushes students
Both Taylor and Saricoban believe that their hard work in the program is paying off now
The MMA program at Rotman is known for its academic rigor. Earlier this year, QS World University Rankings — which measures programs based on thought leadership, class and faculty diversity, as well as alumni outcomes — named the program first in Canada.
“Broadly speaking, the program gives you the confidence to approach complex coding languages when you need to use them,” explains Taylor. “My job leans on Python, so I’m lucky that we kicked off the MMA program with a bootcamp on the topic.”
The theoretical concepts were helpful too.
“Many of the topics we covered in the colloquium, like big data and neural networks, have shaped how I approach my work now,” says Saricoban. “Thanks to the MMA program, I have a strong foundation in analytics. Now, as I apply these concepts and ideas at work, I’m learning even more.”
Written by Rebecca Cheung | More Student Stories »