Twice weekly, I share proven strategies to help data scientists get noticed, promoted, and valued. No theory — just practical steps to transform your technical expertise into business impact and the freedom to call your own shots.
The Positioning Mistake That's Killing Your Data Career
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Last week, I cringingly looked back at my old email posts from 2022, as I prepared to migrate to my new email list provider. The experience has been eye-opening. What struck me most was that they all seemed so… random. For example:
It wasn’t terrible content, by any means. But unless someone specifically needed an assessment of the Victorian Government’s Digital Strategy, it was more “nice to have” than anything else. Looking back, it’s unclear exactly what value I offered readers, because back then, I was unclear on what value I offered them - except, of course, “data science advice.” In case you’re interested, you can see the complete archive here: https://genevievehayes.kit.com/ Here’s the thing… Many data scientists do the same in their careers. They position themselves as “data science experts” without articulating what specific value they bring. They say things like:
None of this tells a potential employer what problem you actually solve for them. Just like my old blog posts, it’s “nice to have” information that doesn’t clearly communicate value. The shift happened when I stopped thinking “what do I know?” and started thinking “what problems can I solve?” Instead of random data science commentary, I focused on helping data scientists create business impact and advance their careers. My audience doubled in 4 months. Instead of being “Genevieve the data science expert,” I became “Genevieve who helps data scientists turn their technical skills into career growth.” The same principle applies to your career:
What problems can you solve and who can you solve them for? Answer that question, and you’ll become more than just “nice to have.” Talk again soon, Dr Genevieve Hayes. p.s. This is the first post I'm sending from my new email provider, Kit. To make sure everything is working, if you can read this message, please reply and let me know. |
Data Science Impact Algorithm
Twice weekly, I share proven strategies to help data scientists get noticed, promoted, and valued. No theory — just practical steps to transform your technical expertise into business impact and the freedom to call your own shots.
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