Carpe Data is full of incredible talent, each with their own stories about what makes our company and our work special. Whether it’s the cutting-edge research and fast-paced development strategies, the opportunity to work with the latest data science technologies, or the incredible people that bring it all together, we’re asking our team members and colleagues to share why Carpe Data is special to them.
While Avani Rathod’s title says Senior Data Analyst, another fitting title might be Senior Wearer of Many Hats. Avani’s role at Carpe Data has transformed more times than Optimus Prime, yet she always responds with a spirit of remarkable flexibility and enthusiasm. Stopping by her desk usually results in an invitation to ice cream or a cuddle session with her puppy pal Skittles!
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What is your current role and what are you responsible for?
My current role is Senior Data Analyst. The focus of my role is on running our Data Operations team, though I’m also the product owner of an internal analytics tool we’re currently developing. I also support our sprint planning processes for the technology teams that build and maintain our small business datastore.
What other roles have you held at Carpe Data?
I’ve held multiple variations of the same Data Analyst role over the past 2.5 years, but the subject matter in each of those roles evolves with the company. I initially worked on developing our set of proprietary risk characteristics before moving on as Team Lead for data analysis. After about a year and a half, I was given the opportunity to play more of a project manager type of role for the development and data teams working on our small business datastore. For the past couple of months, I’ve refocused my efforts toward our Data Operations team.
What keeps you coming back to work at Carpe Data?
This might sound cheesy, but it is definitely the people. Our team is filled with truly incredible talent— I’ve learned so much from everyone here, yet every new hire continues to expand our field of expertise. I’m constantly (and pleasantly!) surprised by how much left there is to learn.
Can you tell us about a career highlight at Carpe Data?
A career highlight for me was the time I spent project managing our small business data teams. That was the first time I really got to work closely with our developers and it was fascinating to learn more about their process and how that impacts our data teams. I grew a lot from the experience and it really helped me see how our engineering and data teams can work together to create an awesome product.
What makes you proud to be a Carpe Data team member?
The fact that we really are a team that has such a strong sense of camaraderie. I don’t have much experience in other work environments, but I can still sense that we have something really special here.
What did you do before joining Carpe Data?
I graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2017 with a double major in Physical Geography and Religious Studies, a far cry from insurance data but two fields of study that developed an insatiable curiosity to dive deeper (physically and metaphorically). Carpe Data was my first job out of college— I started here as a Data Analyst intern and never left!
What are you looking forward to accomplishing at Carpe Data?
I’m really looking forward to helping grow our data teams here at Carpe Data. When I first started there were only 4 team members on our data team. Now we’re up to 12 data team members and still growing!
What advice would you give to yourself if you could go back to your first few months at Carpe Data?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! I’ve always been on the shy side, so it took me a bit to get comfortable asking questions. Knowing what I know now, I regret not asking more questions early on, especially since everyone here is incredibly welcoming and eager to answer any questions.
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Interested in joining the Carpe Data Team? Check out our numerous openings here— we’re always looking for top-tier talent!
