Khairunnisa Razali | From biomedical science to data analytics with Gemilang

A desire for change, 2 months of commitment, and a whole lot of determination. This is how Khairunnisa, a pharmaceutical researcher in her mid-30s took a leap of faith into the unknown and landed her dream job in a completely new industry with the help of Gemilang.

During the pandemic, I took a year-long career break due to personal reasons to focus on myself and my family. While thinking about my future, I came across several business articles focused on current trends around data science. This made me realise how important data actually is, especially in the digital era where everything is supported by data.

Having sparked my interest, I started talking to those around me who were in the data industry. A hiring manager from one of the largest banks explained to me the importance of the skills needed to stay relevant during the pandemic and present business climate. It was then clear to me that data analytics was the way to go as I have always liked numbers and enjoyed discovering how they can not only tell a story, but also lead to clearer solutions.

Determined to make this career change into a completely new industry despite being in my mid 30s, I began researching online courses about data, specifically beginner friendly courses in Data Analytics. That’s when I saw an ad about a scholarship from Trainocate for the Google Data Analytics Certificate. I immediately took the leap and applied for the scholarship — and despite having no prior experience, I successfully completed the programme within just 2 months! Through the programme, I’ve learnt all the essential skills needed including Spreadsheets, SQL and R Programming to prepare and process data for thorough cleansing, and of course, analysis.

I now work at one of the largest airline companies in Asia and am proud to say that this career change would not have been possible without the help of the Gemilang programme as it not only gave me the knowledge I needed, it helped make me stand out to recruiters. As part of the programme, we learnt to create a portfolio and address various business challenges, helping us to fully showcase our newly acquired skills and abilities to others. And this is just the beginning. While it may not be everything, having the certification was definitely a stepping stone in helping me reach my career goals. Everyday, I continue to apply the skills I learnt, adapting to new challenges, and to get better in the areas that I have chosen to focus on.

I’ve also recently learnt that Google has launched two new courses, the Business Intelligence Certificate and Advanced Data Analytics Certificate. Having found my passion as a data analyst and understanding that learning is a lifelong journey, I can’t wait to further upskill myself as I truly believe that there’s always more to learn — especially as technology continues to advance with data being the future.

Want to learn more about data analytics or other Google courses? Click HERE.