Data Analyst Gabrielle Feeny

When I chose to major in physics, I intended to go to graduate school for astronomy. Then when it came time to apply for grad school, I wasn’t so sure what I wanted anymore. I still applied, but it was like throwing darts—I didn’t apply to the same kind of program twice. Astronomy? Sure. Climate dynamics? Why not! Environmental policy? Sign me up. I ended up in a geographic information system master’s program and quickly realized it wasn’t a good fit. I was uninterested in the subject matter and burnt out from undergrad, so I dropped out.

It took me a year and a half to find the job I have now—I had to figure out what I wanted to do with my physics degree and how to get there. In the meantime, I moved back in with my parents and worked part time at a local park.

I’m now a senior data analyst at the company Sedgwick. It’s partly a claims management company, and I am a senior data analyst in their professional liability division. I produce loss runs and stewardship reports for various clients, informing them how much they have paid due to claims made against them and helping to identify common causes for those claims. It involves a lot of using Microsoft tools such as Excel and PowerPoint, and working with our databases.

One of the best parts of my job is that I get to work from the comfort of my own home. I really love my manager and coworkers, who are kind and easy to reach out to if I need help. My manager encourages us to have
a healthy work–life balance and take our paid time off.

The most challenging parts have been learning industry terminology and how to work with the databases we use—things you wouldn’t necessarily be taught in college but pick up on the job. It can also be challenging to figure out how to handle some ad hoc requests, but like I said, my team makes it easy to ask for help.

Having a physics background makes you a perfect fit for data analyst roles; you just have to learn how to pitch your skills to prospective employers. If you’re interested in this kind of work, take advantage of your college job board and any connections you made during your time as an undergrad. Look at job postings and see what kind of programs employers want you to have experience with, then brush up on those. My university classes did not expose me to SQL or Tableau, so I sought out ways to learn the basics so that I could include them on my resume.

If you don’t know what you want to do yet, give yourself time to consider what you really want in a career. We grow a lot and learn more about ourselves throughout college, and sometimes what you thought you wanted when you started isn’t what you still want by the time you graduate. There is no shame in throwing in the towel and starting anew if your original plan isn’t working out.

Thinking About the Workforce?

The SPS Careers Toolbox is an in-depth resource for learning what kind of jobs are out there for physics and astronomy majors, identifying your skills and pitching them to potential employers, successful interviewing, and more. Many of its tools can also be applied to finding internships, research positions, or even entrance into graduate programs. Explore the toolbox and download the latest version at spsnational.org/sites/all/careerstoolbox .

Test Drive a Career at SPS Jobs

Check out SPS Jobs for internship, research experience, and job postings in physics, astronomy, and related fields at jobs.spsnational.org .