May is the newest member of the FIRST Digital team in New Zealand, joining our Analytics team as a Data Analytics Consultant. She has extensive work experience and notable studies abroad, including in Thailand and Vietnam. With her strong background in business, she has been involved in various roles previously but more recently found a curiosity for data analytics.
A bit more about May:
I am a nature lover who loves traveling and photography. I also like reading, one of my favourite books is The Little Prince of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which I read when I was a child until now. I learnt about appreciating and enjoying the little things in life from this book. Another hobby of mine is watching movies and shows on Netflix. In addition, I enjoy sports such as badminton or volleyball which I sometimes play on the weekends and I run almost every day after work. Apart from these, I usually practice meditation for at least 10 minutes every morning as a good way to connect with myself.
What made you interested in data analytics?
I always had a curiosity for data analytics but it grew stronger in my last year of study toward my Bachelor’s degree in Economics. I chose to do a research project instead of taking coursework which included face to face surveys, collecting and analysing data, it was a challenge because at that time I had no knowledge of handling data. After successfully finishing that project with dedicated guidance from my professor I had a new found motivation to learn more about working with data.
However, at that moment, in my perspective data analytics is just a part of research papers which are related to academic conferences and meetings. Until I had a chance to join the international team in Thailand We did market analysis, looked for potential partners and handled client requests and pricing decisions. From conducting these tasks, I recognised the importance of accurately analysing data to make major, informed decisions efficiently, especially when the CEO has to make quick decisions with a certain amount of data This led me to pursue studies in Data Analytics at Massey University to then complete an internship as a Data Analyst.
Why FIRST Digital?
FIRST Digital is a specialist digital marketing agency built on over 15 years experience, with reputable technology partners such as Google and Amazon Web Services along with clients like Foodstuffs, Fisher & Paykel and Harmoney. Therefore, it is a great opportunity and environment to grow within the digital marketing field.
When studying at Massey, some seniors who had worked with FIRST Digital before shared with me that this is an excellent little team of experts. Every team member has solid knowledge and experience in their own respective fields. In addition, the FIRST team is an international team, with friendly and open-minded people which helped to create a welcoming environment and good team culture.
Despite being in the FIRST team for just over a month now and having to work at home, I have received a lot of support from other team members, especially from my close-knit analytics team.
What are you most excited about in your FIRST Digital journey?
I am into learning new things and digital marketing is a new field to me, so there will be a lot of new things for me to explore. Additionally, innovation and technology development might lead to changes in the digital world which requires me to keep learning, developing and adjusting to these changes. Therefore, I am definitely not getting bored of this field anytime soon!