Industry

Not everyone who does a PhD will end up in academia. I hope that as a professor in the future, I’ll be able to help my students find the best fit for them overall, which may include industry positions.

As a data science manager at a startup and later a senior data scientist at a large tech company, I interviewed hundreds of candidates for positions in data science, data engineering, business, machine learning, and product management. Most candidates looked great on paper but had poor execution in the interview. Each year I get many requests from UC Berkeley Statistics Alumni or current students about technical interview prep, and while I can’t offer the same level of support as a professional interview coach, I take on mentees on a case by case basis and try to give some strategic advice to increase their conversion rate from application to interview, and especially from interview to offer and negotiation. I was very bewildered by the world of tech jargon when I had my first interviews, and it’s a very feedback deficient environment, so I have seen a little bit of advice to the right people go a long way. My mentees regularly secure offers with annual compensation as high as $400,000 / year, and I’m very proud to have played a role in their success. If you are a PhD student at UCLA who is worried about finding a job in industry, feel free to reach out for a quick chat or walk around the campus–I need the steps and am happy to lend a hand to ease the transition, and to hear about the interesting research and goals from our incredible community!

Testimonials

“Marketing yourself effectively is crucial in tech, yet this is a skill that many economists and other academics lack. Jake brings years of experience and understands how to translate between the academic and industry spaces. My resume got many compliments after Jake overhauled it, and his guidance was critical for securing interviews and internships that ultimately converted into full-time offers. Jake has abundant knowledge on non-econ science roles that many tech economists are unfamiliar with. I highly recommend working with Jake.”

“Jake’s straightforward approach, along with encouraging personality and his years of expertise, make him an amazing mentor. His guidance on the interview process was really helpful as I prepared for interview rounds. In his practice interview, he gave specific, detailed feedback on my answers to the questions, and prompted me to think about different aspects of the problem. Jake is well-versed in the translation of academic skills to industry, which makes him the perfect person to mentor people who are making that transition.”

“Prior to speaking with Jake, I believed that each interview question only had one ‘right’ answer, but really, that’s never the actual case. Jake’s techniques gave me confidence going into each round. Rather than simply giving me the answers to what the company might be looking for, he asked strategic questions that pushed me to think deeper about how I could be unique and stand out. Go beyond, he said. I found that incredibly helpful. He emphasized that every candidate is essentially a salesperson: You need to sell yourself to your audience and show why you’re the best fit. His process was also very methodical, helping me structure my responses and assessments so that I had clear thoughts and presented efficiently.”