Online Program

Forging a Career as a Lone Statistician: Dealing with Opposition, Gaining the Trust of Superiors and Colleagues, and Educating the Industry on the Value of Data Analysis (309552)

Keywords: Overcoming hurdles, career change, impostor syndrome, gaining respect

Impostor syndrome can be strong with all of us, especially when we do not have colleagues to proof our work and major decisions depend on our analyses. We face opposition as we present results that may not be expected, and our credibility is frequently challenged. As a mid-life career changer and struggling to find employment, I found myself in an industry where statisticians are rare. In this talk I will recount my journey of building credibility with colleagues and stakeholders, overcoming obstacles of entering a new career without a team to learn from, and challenges for which I am still seeking solutions.