Securing five job offers: Siddhant's experience studying MSc Data Science
Siddhant decided to take a leap of faith and study MSc Data Science at Salford to enhance his career prospects within the field. Even before graduating, he received five job offers and decided to accept a role as a Senior Data Scientist at GB Group PLC.
Take a read of his story below.
Journey to Salford
“I started my career in 2016 as a Software Engineer at Wipro in New Delhi, India and gained experience using Python, SQL, Django, Flask and Docker. After two years in this role, I joined Silverpush, an advertising technology company as a Machine Learning Engineer. During this role, I worked with state-of-the-art technology and global clients to develop products. This role pushed me to want to develop my skills further.
I discussed my ambitions to move abroad to study a master’s with my family and they supported my decision. I decided on the UK because it is renowned for its high-quality education system and employers really value degrees from UK institutions because of this. I believed that studying here would significantly enhance my career prospects.
As I began researching Data Science master’s programmes, I found Salford, and I liked the specialised modules being offered. Salford is in a prime location close to Manchester which is known as a technical hub so I knew there would be plenty of opportunities available once I had completed my course.”
MSc Data Science
“The course curriculum was very well designed. At the end of the course, we were given the opportunity to collaborate with a company as part of our live project dissertation. I worked with a London-based start-up, and it was a great experience to put the skills I learned into practice.
My lecturers were very knowledgeable and used their experiences in industry to enhance our learning. I was in continuous contact with my Programme Leader, Prof Mo Saraee to ask for his guidance about my career throughout the course. I discussed with him my goals and ambitions to get his opinion on what route I should go down after graduation.
During the course, we were taught the technical competencies needed to be a successful data scientist on software such as Tableau, Power BI and Databricks. Along with other skills such as hypothesis testing and statistics. Aside from this, we were also taught soft skills including how to explain results and findings to non-technical stakeholders. I use these often during my current role.”
After graduation
“I started looking for a graduate job very early as I was determined to get a job where I could use the skills I had developed during my master’s studies. I was thrilled to secure five offers in August before I completed my course in September. I am currently working for GB Group PLC in Manchester as a Senior Data Scientist. They are a global business working within the fraud and identity industry.
Even though I graduated around four years ago, I still feel very connected to the people I met at Salford. I made friends from all over the world on my course and I am still in touch with them, often I see them at industry events.
I am also still in contact with my professors, and they invite me to meet the new cohort of students during every induction week. I speak with students about my experiences and what I have gone on to achieve after graduating.”
My advice
“I would recommend that international students focus on what they want to achieve after graduating from the start of their course. Seeking guidance from your lecturers and networking can help you find the right path. I would also suggest starting the job hunt as early as possible to make sure you are ahead of other candidates.”