Spoorthy had worked as both an electrical engineer and a customer service agent, but had never had a chance to pursue her passion for analytics. A Duke University Specialization on Coursera allowed her to start learning while caring for her young son, and gave her the boost she needed to apply to a PhD program. Here’s her story:
I am trained as an electrical engineer, but have worked mostly as a customer service associate. Currently, I am in a rehiring list but am not working – I am at home with my four year-old son, who has just started school.
When I discovered Coursera, I was most interested in learning about data analytics. I had thought of pursuing a degree in analytics from an American university, and perhaps a related career in the future, but I wasn’t sure if I could make such a big change.
I decided to try a Specialization from Duke University – Excel to MySQL: Analytic Techniques for Business. To my delight, the professor and materials were wonderful, and I did very well on my assignments.
Thanks to my enhanced knowledge and the scores I received, my future plans, confidence, and motivation lifted. I am now applying to American business programs, and hope to be pursuing a business PhD in 2017.