Phoebe's Story

I’m in the Master of Science in Business Analytics program graduating in Spring 2023. I got my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration focused on Global Supply Chain Management in 2016. After almost 6 years working in Supply Chain and Operations in several different roles, I realized that I enjoyed working with data. I did a lot of research about the data field and found MSBA program at Cal Poly Pomona, and I decided to enroll in this program because I would like to change my career path to data analytics or data science.

I got admitted into 2 programs from 2 different schools. However, I decided to choose CPP because CPP is one of the best public colleges in America based on its quality, affordability, and alumni outcomes. MSBA program can also give me the foundation technical skills needed to obtain my future goals.

My favorite class I have taken so far was GBA 6410 – Social Media Analytics and Text Mining with Dr. Sonya Zhang. This class taught me how to apply data science to real business problems. It also helped me understand that data science is not only about numbers, but we can also use it to analyze texts.

I have gained technical and soft skills from this program such as data visualization, data cleaning, R, Python, SQL and NoSQL, Machine Learning, Critical thinking, and Communication. Besides all the skills I learned from my previous jobs, these essential skills from MSBA program have been essential in helping me pursue the career I want. I could switch my career path to become a Data Analyst in August 2022; months before my graduation; and I know I made the right decision when I chose CPP.

My advice to all future graduate business students is to set goals and follow your passion, work hard, then the rest will follow. Do not be afraid to start over; this time you are not starting from scratch, you are starting from experience.

Before starting this program, my fears of career change were fear of regret and fear of making the wrong decision. I already have 6 years of experience in the Supply Chain and Operations field and zero experience in Data. However, I could be able to get into Data field so keep in mind that you do not need that perfect work experience that leads directly to what you think you want to do; all experience is good experience.

From my school and work experience, I strongly believe that networking is one of the best ways to help you achieve your goals easier and faster. It is the process of making connections and building relationships, so do not be afraid to connect and interact with people who work in the same field as you or in the field that you would like to enter. Take time to build meaningful relationships with those in your professional circle so that when the time comes to search for work, you can reach out to those valuable connections for referrals, insights into the job search, and other great information.