I started working at Global Advantage Consulting Group (GACG) in June 2020 as a Data Analyst summer student, after graduating from my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Guelph. Since I was starting my Master of Public Health in September, I was very excited to find out that the first project I would be working on was researching pandemic preparedness in Canada!
I continued working part-time for Global Advantage in September and again from January 2021 to April 2021, while being a student in Public Health. In the past year, I have worked on projects in various areas including supply chain and logistics technology; manufacturing digitization; social sciences research in Canada; intellectual property protection; and most recently, climate change-related technologies and investments in Canada.
Skills I learned while working at GACG
Working as a data analyst intern at Global Advantage Consulting Group allowed me to gain experience in each stage of a project, from data collection to analysis to dissemination. One of the key skills I learned during my time as a Data Analyst was how to organize data and perform analysis to identify trends on Excel. I then learned how to disseminate data by creating data visualizations on Excel and writing key findings in the final reports for clients. I had the opportunity to work on briefing decks for clients, which was a really useful experience in learning how to distill key trends based on data analysis and communicate them in a way that tells a story. I also had the chance to use Microsoft Visio for the first time and improve my graphic design skills by contributing to one of the ecosystem maps that Global Advantage is known for.
Another key skill I developed was how to quickly adapt to learning new topics. Although I’m definitely not an expert in manufacturing or supply chain technologies, researching these areas for GACG made me step out of my “comfort zone” in psychology and become much more comfortable learning in different fields. Since the field of public health is an intersection of the arts and sciences (such as the science of developing vaccines and the psychology of persuading people to receive them), being able to quickly familiarize myself with emerging science and technologies is an important skill I will definitely use in my future public health career.
Working for Global Advantage was a unique opportunity to learn from colleagues with various backgrounds ranging from physical sciences to public policy to social sciences, with experience in the public and private sectors. I have really appreciated the opportunity to work with such a diverse, creative, and innovative team, and I’d encourage any student looking to gain hands-on project experience with data analysis and dissemination to apply to join the Global Advantage team!
