James Sullivan

Versatile and dedicated young professional looking to utilise their skills in a new, data oriented, profession

As both a Maths teacher and form tutor, I had the responsibility to use pupils' data to compile reports for parents, colleagues and, anonymised, in research as part of my PGDE. Furthermore, I would regularly inform contact home and communications with stake holders through cross-referencing students’ data with observations in class and conversations with colleagues. Taking a data focused approach allowed me to keep track of the factors that contributed to success, as well as identifying where gaps were missing. Focusing on metrics of attendance, completion of homework and quality of book work significantly informed how progress could be sustained and how those who began to fall behind could be brought back on track.

Through this experience I was constantly working to tight deadlines and under considerable pressure from managers and parents to ensure my practice was of a high standard. Therefore, ensuring I was effectively managing my time through rigorous organisation and efficient planning was imperative to my success. In addition, teaching demanded concise and accurate communication to successfully break down complex ideas without losing vital details.

My BA in Archaeology and Anthropology allowed me to develop various skills transferrable to the advertised role. My final year dissertation involved considerable self-directed study, allowing me to design and instrument an ethnographic project, coming away with the highest grade in my cohort. I have since channelled these skill into my interest for data science through reading research papers and enrolling in online courses from the University of London and Michigan. These courses have widened my exposure to data science, from getting to grips with the fundamentals, to designing and carrying out experiments with K-means clustering and data representation tools in Python.