Starting as a junior in data science at TMC
Natasja van de L’Isle (28) has been working as a Data Scientist at TMC since September 2018. She first got in touch with TMC in 2018, while she was still working on her thesis, and attended one of our Inhouse Days. We ask her about her experiences and what was the main reason for her to work at TMC.
How did you end up at TMC?
“Two years ago I attended the recruitment days at the TU/e, and TMC was there as well. At that time, I was doing my master's degree in Computer Science with a major in Data Science. I wasn't seriously searching for a job yet, but I was exploring the possibilities after graduation and I was curious to see what the Dutch data science market looked like. At the fair I had an interesting conversation with a business manager from TMC. Each business manager works for a different area of expertise and this time unfortunately no one from Data Science was present. That's why I gladly accepted the invitation of the Inhouse Day to learn more about this.”
"I wanted to go to the UK after my studies but TMC changed my plans. And I am still happy about it!"
How did you experience the Inhouse Day?
“It's already been two years, but a few things I remember very well, the cozy and relaxed atmosphere for example. During the Inhouse Day there was room for individual conversations with TMC employees to talk about your ambitions and your future career, which was very interesting. But during the lunch and the breaks, I also had a lot of nice conversations with other people, which I especially remembered from that day. We also played a game. During this game we had to recreate a construction with a group, which only one person from the group was allowed to see. Nice to see how such a group process develops and to see who takes on which role”.
Why did you decide to join TMC Data Science?
“During my studies I lived and worked in London for a while. It was actually my plan to go back there. But once I discovered the opportunities which TMC offered in terms of challenging projects and personal development, I thought: "This is a company I want to work for!" So, I changed my plan and I am still happy with that choice. I feel right at home here. I get lots of interesting opportunities and I've already worked on several challenging projects."
What kind of data science projects have you done so far?
“My first project was at TNO, where I worked in the data science department for about a year and a half. I was given a super diverse range of tasks here. These included secure learning projects and privacy preserving analytics. I also had extra tasks as a project leader and mentor, and was allowed to attend acquisition interviews. Currently I am working on a project at Unilever. I am responsible for two projects now. On the one hand I am forecast excellence officer, which means that I have to make predictions of the products that are going to be sold. On the other hand, I am also lead innovation projects within forecasting, in which I will implement the forecasting improvement process. So here too I have a very diverse role.”
Would you like to know more about what your career could look like as a (junior) data scientist at TMC? Check our vacancies or contact Bram Thelen, director of TMC Data Science.