March has indeed been a unique month, a true potpourri experience. One morning you are taking the plunge into deep learning models with Professor Brian Keng, and the next day it’s a dissection of the EOQ supply chain model with Professor Andre Cire, querying snowflake data lakes with your practicum host, or setting up a coffee chat with the analytics manager at your dream company. It has been exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. I live for these moments!
The MMA journey so far
Eight months into the program and things have started coming together perfectly.
A lot of valuable knowledge has been acquired, meaningful connections forged, collaborations done on the most exciting projects, and we have begun to grow our professional networks.
A lot of water has gone under the bridge. We have completed the Intro term where a sound business foundation was laid, the Tools term with its technical rigour, a month-long sprint at practicum firms to get the analytics projects underway, and we are now taking classes targeted at exploring the managerial uses of analytics. I am living and breathing analytics at this point, and it is so exciting.
March forecast versus reality
In the data analytics world, we are all too familiar with how divergent our predictions of the future can be from the reality of the same–March is case in point. Looking at the schedule prior gave us reason for some comfort, given the academic workload balance, the statutory holidays, and the MMA rest days that the program team worked hard to create. Well, that was the forecast; now comes the reality.
Having to combine class work with the job search and the practicum project made March every bit as busy as any other month for me. Working with our Career Consultant, I applied to a handful of roles at some of my target organizations and I am in the advanced stages of the hiring process.
The opportunities to network at Rotman are matchless; we have had career sessions, recruitment events, coffee chats and so much more. It has been a roller coaster ride, but I feel well-strapped and buckled in with all the support systems at Rotman.
The practicum project sprint took the March experience to a new height. My team is currently working on a time series forecasting project at Canada’s longest continuously running company, The Hudson’s Bay. In the two weeks spent at the firm this month, we successfully built and tested a first-pass model showing the feasibility of our proposed approach to addressing a unique call center operation need.
Meanwhile, the classroom experience has been no less exhilarating. We are learning to derive analytic insights from accounting and finance data, and it is such a delight. Understanding complex supply chain systems that underpin the modern business economy using data has been no less intriguing. March has been a memorable month, by any standard.
Juggling is supposed to be fun, too
Is it really juggling if the “fun” juggling club is missing? It certainly was not missing in March, as we took some time to have fun together in downtown Toronto with an amazing night of merriment and class bonding. My diet was set back a few days but it was absolutely worth the time spent with friends.
I am excited about what lies ahead. In the next three months we will complete our courses and exams, deliver our practicum projects to the host firms, get our dream jobs, and prepare to return to or start new professional adventures!
As we juggle our way through all this, we always remember that learning never stops and growth never ends.
The Master of Management Analytics is designed to give students the advanced data management, analytics, and communication skills needed to become an analytics professional.