Keywords: career, path
Careers in statistics can take many paths. Do you want to develop new statistical methods, do you want to become an expert at specific modeling strategies, or do you want to know about a breadth of topics? No path is wrong as long as it works for you. How do we decide what we want and how do we take control of getting where we want to be? Drawing on personal experience along with those of my mentors I will describe what I’ve learned while forging a career path that works for me.
Specific topics to be discussed include: •Should I agree to do something that isn’t related to statistics at all? •Can I say no? •I’m so far in over my head, now what? •I really want to try X, Y, and Z, how can I get the opportunity? •Leaning on others and bringing some along for the ride.