Nimisha Bhatia’s marketing analytics career path isn’t progressing in a straight line. Her goal is to have a marketing analytics job at a major streaming company, but taking a side road to get there might prove to be the wisest route.
Our career paths rarely travel in a straight line. Even if you have clear career goals when you start a master’s degree, it doesn’t mean you’ll achieve them right away. Still, it’s important to find a master’s program which will set you on the path toward those goals.
Nimisha Bhatia’s career path in marketing analytics is evidence of this. When she was searching for a master’s degree, she struggled to find one that was right for her. She was looking for a program that focused on market analytics which brought together analytics, insights, and marketing. One that would help her secure her dream job at one of the major streaming platforms.
After scouring North America for suitable programs, Nimisha’s search eventually led her to NUS Business School in Asia. “In the culture that I’ve been brought up in, NUS is a household name,” she says. “Everyone knows the credibility, the reputation it holds.” (01:54)
Nimisha was drawn to the Master of Science in Marketing Analytics & Insights (MAI) because of its modern approach to analytics.
“A lot of the programs tend to focus on very conventional methods of analysis,” Nimisha says. “Yes we do SPSS, yes we do demographic analysis, yes we do manual segmentation of audiences. NUS has a very blended approach. It takes into consideration digital marketing as well as conventional marketing and IT.” (02:35)
The NUS MAI program also stood out because of its practical approach. According to Nimisha, that practical focus encourages you to step out of your comfort zone and gain hands-on experience. This emphasis on practical application prepares students to tackle the challenges they will face in their careers.
Having grown up in India, the UAE, and Canada, Nimisha is no stranger to new countries and cultures. So when the time came to move to Singapore, it meant her transition was much easier. But greater challenges were on the horizon.
During her master’s program, Nimisha did a six-month internship with the consulting firm Capgemini. It went so well that they offered her a full-time position in Hong Kong.
In the past, Nimisha had moved to a new country for university. This time, she was moving to a new country for work. It meant she had to change her approach.
“This is the first time I’m moving where I’m not building friendships,” she explains. “It’s not a university experience. It’s not where people are looking to build friendships.” (09:50)
And for a short time, that took some getting used to. Nimisha found a change of mindset was required to integrate into Hong Kong life. “It really takes a lot of your willingness to be like, ‘Okay, I am happy on my own.’ And making friendships is kind of like the next step to it,” she says. (10:16)
Settling into life in Hong Kong is not the end of the road for Nimisha. She is as committed as ever to following her marketing analytics career path to a streaming platform.
Nimisha has always been clear about her career goals. She wants to put her marketing analytics knowledge to use at a major streaming platform such as Netflix, Disney+, or Spotify. However, her current role as a Social Insights Analyst is certainly different from that dream career in streaming.
At Capgemini, she’s responsible for extracting data from public channels such as Facebook, Twitter and other social media. She uses that data to “derive insights regarding brand reputation or new product development in a certain industry.” (07:25)
So, how does her current job fit into her marketing analytics career path? Nimisha says it relates back to her desire to learn modern approaches to marketing analytics.
“This kind of a role would give me more experience with what I was interested in the first place, which is using more modern tools and tools that offer you real-time data with the marketing tools that we’ve learned about during our course,” she explains. (07:56)
Nimisha’s career path demonstrates the value of patience. You may have your sights set on a particular industry or company, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get there straight away. Sometimes, you have to take a step to the side to take two steps forward.
In Nimisha’s case, she’s laying the foundations necessary to reach her career goals. She may not be at Netflix or Disney+ just yet, but she’s certainly heading in the right direction. When will she make it there?
“Maybe ask me again in five [or] ten years,” she laughs. (08:19)
If you’re interested in studying a master’s program at NUS Business School, consider reaching out to one of our NUS ambassadors.
