Vijayakeerthi Jayakumar

I just had 3.5 years of experience whereas the average for my batch was 10 years so I learned a lot better.

I am a working professional with over 7 years of experience in analytics and data science

I have valuable experience in building machine learning based solutions and a proven track record in handling business requirements and complex problem-solving using statistical techniques. I am well versed in R, Tableau, SAS, and SPSS and have used these tools and techniques from basic to advanced levels. I am trying to learn more of deep learning and its application now. Building products using machine learning and big data technologies have been my favorites and get good response from our clients. My areas of interest are Artificial Intelligence, Text Mining, and Image Recognition.

I was already into analytics, but I wanted to get the functional flavour of working on practical scenarios

I was limited to one function in my firm and I wanted the exposure to other functions as well. Basically, I wanted to upskill. My capstone project with Value labs where I had a chance to work on a real-time problem on IOT data was exactly the kind of hands-on project I was looking for in a program.

The top 3 things I liked in the PGP-BABI program are

1) Faculty : Great Lakes’ faculty is outstanding. We were taught by Prof. PKV, Prof. Bhardwaj, and Prof. Raghav etc. who ensured that each and every question was answered in the sessions. They were very supportive and approachable. 2) Peer Group: I just had 3.5 years of experience whereas the average for my batch was 10 years. The interactions with my peer group helped not just during the program but also outside the classroom as I learned a lot of things. I am still in touch with everyone and make it a point to interact every now and then. 3) Case Study Approach: I don’t like to work on a problem without a clear objective. Great Learning projects and assignments have a step-by-step approach exactly as it happens in the industry. My capstone project at ValueLabs was also very well thought-out.

Analytics Tools and Techniques I Use at Work

I am using almost everything that I have learnt in the program in my current role. I use R, Tableau, and SPSS a lot. I learned using SPSS and building certain things. Initially, I knew SPSS at a very basic level but now I am comfortable using it depending on the client requirement.

My Advice to Aspiring Candidates

My advice to aspiring professionals who want to transition to Analytics is to work on the basics. A strong foundation will help you upskill quickly and secure good jobs in the Analytics industry. But it will take more than just classroom sessions to be well versed with tools and technologies. The faculty or industry experts will answer all your queries but a lot of hard work will be required on your part and you will need to put in personal time as well to learn new things.