Skip to main content
Science › Chemistry
British Columbia Cancer Agency - Genome Sciences Centre
Statistician
SFU Alumni

Seagull on a beach
Our intellect will always grow to acquire new interests and seek greater challenges – fulfilling these desires makes our careers rewarding beyond the paycheque.

I recently took a vacation from my former role as a statistician at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. I did not plan a trip out of town - the spring weather was beautiful in Vancouver, and I wanted to spend time on the things that I like to do in this city. Many obvious things came to mind - walking along beaches, practicing Python programming and catching up with friends - just to name a few.

Yes, Python programming was one of the obvious things on my vacation to-do list, and I understand how ridiculous this may seem to some people. Why tax my brain during a time that is meant for mental relaxation, especially when the weather is great? 

As I mentioned in a previous blog post on a career in statistics, one of the best and most important features of my profession is the necessity of constant learning. The job market for statisticians and data scientists demands a very wide range of technical skills and concepts, and learning all of them during my academic education was outright impossible. In order to stay competitive in the job market, I have to constantly learn new skills and concepts as I progress in my career, and that requires anticipation of the things that my industry will demand from me.

Python is a powerful computer programming language that is used a lot in data science and statistics, and I notice that many good jobs in my field require it as a core language. Unfortunately, during my education, I only learned R, SAS and MATLAB, so Python seemed like a natural next step. 

Learning a programming language requires focus and patience, and my vacation was the perfect time to add Python to my skillset. In addition to the benefits of learning Python for career development, I really enjoy programming - especially learning new skills that allow me to solve statistics or math problems in new ways. Over the period of a week, I spent 2-3 hours each day completing a free online course at Code Academy, and I loved every minute of it. Not only did I feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of each session, but it also got my day started on a good rhythm, and my brain felt energized for the rest of the day.

Of course, learning Python was not the only thing I did during my vacation – remember that my list included more relaxing pursuits like walking along beaches and catching up with friends. I loved that balance and diversity, and at the end of my vacation, I felt nourished – physically, emotionally and intellectually.

The need to stay competitive in the job market is essential for all of us. Our industries will grow and change with new innovations, and we may move to different cities with varying supply-and-demand dynamics for our particular skillsets, so no job – however permanent on paper – is ever 100% secure. Our intellect will always grow to acquire new interests and seek greater challenges – fulfilling these desires makes our careers rewarding beyond the paycheque. To respond to all of these forces – internal and external – we need to constantly learn new skills, and a vacation is a great time to do that. If you have found your passion, then learning new skills will be a valuable complement to all of the other fun things that vacations traditionally offer.

British Columbia Cancer Agency - Genome Sciences Centre
Statistician
SFU Alumni
Connect with Eric on social media: WordPress, Twitter, YouTube Eric Cai is a former Career Peer Educator at SFU Career Services who graduated in 2011.  He now works as a statistician at the British Columbia Cancer Agency. In his spare time, he shares his passion about statistics and chemistry via his blog, The Chemical Statistician, his Youtube channel, and Twitter @chemstateric. He previously blogged for the Career Services Informer under “Eric’s Corner” when he was a student.  You can read all of Eric's newer posts here.
visibility  33
Jul 22, 2014

You Might Like These... Prospective, Professional Development, Career Exploration

Co-op students jumping in the air
The Co-op Connection Helps Retention

In this blog post, Heather shares with us why co-op is an important experience for all students, whether it be to further career aspirations or to gain future employment opportunities. 

author, courtney, smiling
A Second Term in Government: More of the Same?

Having completed my first work term for Health Canada as a Communications Officer Intern, I was eager to try something new, and the government was not where I believed that was going to happen. That is until I was offered a position at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada...

Working on campus
The 10 Minute Commute – Resources and Useful Information for Working on Campus

Have you ever thought about working in a place that you are familiar with?  Perhaps a Tim Horton’s close by? For many students the idea of working at SFU might be a great option, if you prefer a 10 minute jaunt to work after class or an opportunity to learn more about how a university operates.

You Might Like These... Seeking

Research
Best Practices for Company Research

Job searching? Starting out in an industry? Switching careers? Exploring your options? There are many reasons we need to do company and industry research in our professional lives. You may need these skills when exploring new industries or fields, creating a job application or preparing for an interview.

 

a coach in the fighting ring
4 Reasons to Become a Coach

Coaches. We have had them since we were five-years-old in sports, academics, or life. Throughout the years, we learn from other people, and this has had an influence on who we become. This is an article on reasons to become a coach. 

Picture of Career Fair
Six Key Tips for Creating Connections at Career Fairs

Career fairs are no doubt stressful experiences for a range of people, but there are ways to ease the stress. If you want to create meaningful connections with organizations at the fair (with less stress), keep on reading to discover some useful tips.