Meet Amit Kharche, who is a Lead Analyst at Kraft Heinz. He shares his story of switching from a non-tech role and then moving towards new beginnings in the Data Science industry. Get to know more about him as he guides us through this amazing process in this 1-on-1 interview.
Q1: Tell us about your current role and background.
Good morning, my name is Amit Kharche. Currently, I’m working as a Lead Analyst in the Kraft Heinz Company, which is the third largest food and beverages company in North America and fifth largest in the world.
In my current role, I handle a diverse array of tasks alongside business and data analysts. My responsibilities span from requirements gathering to project deployment.
This involves data source identification, code support, pipeline creation, BI solutions, translating business needs into analytical problems, and offering insights to drive decisions.
With 13 years of experience, I’ve worked at Mahindra Group, Corrado, and Amphenol Corporation, focusing on digital transformation and analytical projects. My expertise lies in supply chain functions like procurement, inventory management, cost control, and sourcing.
Q2: What challenges did you face while switching to Data Science?
My main challenges include my non-coding background in supply chain, which made technical aspects difficult initially. Another challenge was finding time to upskill while managing my current role.
To overcome these, I dedicated time to learning, utilized Medium blogs, networked with data science professionals, and sought guidance from industry experts.
Q3: How has Data Science helped you in your new role?
I had a strong domain knowledge but I lacked the technical depth. Accredian bolstered my technical confidence, enhancing data analysis, insight generation, data-driven decisions, and visualization skills using tools like Power BI and Tableau.
I gained proficiency in Python for efficient data handling, deepened machine learning understanding for predictive analytics, and honed statistical application and out-of-the-box thinking. This broadened instincts, problem-solving, adaptability, and learning capacity.
Q4: What was the interview like at your current company?
My interview experience was positive. I highlighted my supply chain domain expertise and multiple analytics projects. I detailed end-to-end project involvement, linking concepts with data science. The four interview rounds were:
- Technical Focus: Covered projects, tools, methodologies, and project benefits.
- Technical Emphasis: Further delved into similar aspects.
- Comprehensive Evaluation: Assessed technical, interpersonal, and managerial skills.
- HR Discussion: Concluded the interview process.
Q5: Why Accredian? How did it help you?
To be honest, before enrolling in Accredian’s PGP certification, I extensively researched various institutes and curricula, consulting industry professionals. Accredian stood out with a well-structured curriculum and top-tier faculty, validated by former students.
The program started with strong foundational concepts, empowering us to progress to advanced topics like machine learning, deep learning, NLP, and CV.
Career counseling sessions provided valuable industry insights, and industry speaker sessions enriched my understanding of current trends. Accredian’s program has significantly benefited my work.
Q6: What advice would you give to Data Science Beginners?
As advice, I would like to say that firstly, believe in yourself, even with a non-technical background. Embrace continuous learning for success. Define clear goals, be patient, dedicated, and consistent.
Seek mentorship, network, build a portfolio, enhance soft skills including problem-solving. Overcome coding apprehension. And the rest is yours to conquer.
We hope you found this success story interesting. If you have any Data Science questions, please fill this form and we will get back to you.
