2. Land a job at Apple<\/strong><\/p>\n Today, he\u2019s a Data Visualization Engineer for Apple, living the dream he\u2019d imagined for himself in the Bay Area. We had the chance to chat with Masato as part of our 12\/12 Alumni Career Journeys series, featuring 12 inspiring Hult graduates over 12 months.<\/p>\n Just because he\u2019s achieved his initial career aims, doesn\u2019t mean his success story ends here. From his undergraduate studies in his home country of Japan to earning his black belt in Judo and relocating across the globe, Masato opened up about his journey so far and what the future might hold.<\/p>\n Masato:<\/strong> I was born and raised in Japan and spent my first 23 years there. I graduated high school and went to university in Tokyo, where I studied intercultural communication, which is like language, linguistics, and cultural understanding.<\/p>\n But, I decided that wasn\u2019t for me. I was wondering what to do next when a statistics professor I had at the time told me that data science is cool and will be growing in the next decade. So, I decided to study a master\u2019s degree abroad because, at the time, there were not many schools in Japan offering the course I wanted. I was interested in studying in the US, but I didn\u2019t know where.<\/p>\n M:<\/strong> I spoke to Hult\u2019s enrollment advisors, and they seemed really nice and professional throughout the whole process. I didn\u2019t have the same experience contacting other universities\u2014they didn\u2019t seem so professional. I thought business schools should be good at business themselves, so I joined Hult.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I thought business schools should be good at business themselves, so I joined Hult.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n M:<\/strong> Yes, I had two dreams. One was to be a data scientist and the other was to work for Apple. I liked Apple products and have used a Mac since my time as an undergrad and always thought, \u201cthey are amazing\u2014I want to work for them!\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m happy to say that both dreams came true.<\/p>\n M:<\/strong> The careers team in San Francisco was really amazing. I told my career advisor early on that I wanted to work for Big Tech, preferably Apple. I was fresh out of undergrad, having studied international communication, so it wasn\u2019t an obvious move, but she helped me rewrite my LinkedIn profile and think differently about my background and experience.<\/p>\n She picked up on the fact that I was an athlete\u2014I have a blackbelt in Judo. She said, \u201cThis is something employers will be interested in. It shows you\u2019re committed and you make an effort, so you should definitely write about that on your profile.\u201d<\/p>\n She also connected me with alumni and advised me to socialize a lot. She taught me how to network and build connections from the very beginning. Eventually, the dots all connected and I landed the job.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n My career advisor taught me how to network and build connections from the very beginning. Eventually, the dots all connected and I landed the job.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n M:<\/strong> As a Data Visualization Engineer, I focus on visualizing data. What does that mean? Let\u2019s say we have a huge chunk of data from a database, which on its own doesn\u2019t really make any sense. My job is to prepare that data in a way that people can see what it is and easily take away the useful information.<\/p>\n I use a business intelligence tool called Tableau, which visualizes data and can turn it into a report that can show, for example, that this particular aspect of the business is doing well, or this is where we should make changes or invest more. This report is then used by the management to make business decisions. So I\u2019m the middle person connecting data with the people making the decisions.<\/p>\n M:<\/strong> From a tech side of things, SQL is in high demand. It\u2019s easy to learn in a couple of months and will help you pass interviews. But more importantly, I would say studying the tech shouldn\u2019t be your main focus. Building your network\u2014meeting people, actually making relationships, rather than just exchanging business cards or connecting on LinkedIn, is so much more valuable. That\u2019s how I got here.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to have the hard skills, but I think students often undervalue the importance of networking and instead focus on \u2018What technical skills should I study?\u2019 My advice is not to worry too much about that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Studying the tech shouldn\u2019t be your main focus. Building your network\u2014meeting people is so much more valuable. That\u2019s how I got here.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n M:<\/strong> Potentially, yes. I think about half of what I do will be easily replaced by AI in the next five to eight years.<\/p>\n The simple and repetitive parts are what will be replaced first, so people working in data shouldn\u2019t be complacent once they have a job\u2014keep learning, keep growing, deepen your understanding, and expand your experience.<\/p>\n M:<\/strong> It might seem a bit random, but I have a couple of future dreams. One is that I want to have a restaurant here in the Bay Area\u2014I want to do Japanese fried chicken.<\/p>\n I like cooking and I like eating, but I also like the business side, and Hult gave me a good introduction to the business world. It\u2019s obviously unrelated to what I\u2019m doing now, but I see potential in the idea. Japanese food is highly valued and in demand here, and people are willing to pay extra for it.<\/p>\n The other dream is that I want to become an architect. That was actually my first childhood career dream. Then I went to college and decided to do the international thing, but I always thought, at some point in my life, I could go back and become an architect. So one day, I\u2019m going to go back to Japan and join an architecture school.<\/p>\n H: Congratulations on your amazing career journey so far, Masato, and all the best for the future! We have no doubt you\u2019ll achieve the new goals you\u2019ve set for yourself\u2014we look forward to one day enjoying your food and admiring your architecture.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Class of 2019 Dual Degree Master\u2019s International Business and Master\u2019s in Business Analytics alum Masato Eguchi came to Hult, he had two professional goals: 1. Become a data scientist…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":36663,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25],"tags":[168,206,370,229,189],"yoast_head":"\nHult: Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.<\/h2>\n
H: What attracted you to Hult?<\/h2>\n
H: Did you have a career path in mind when you started your master\u2019s?<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/media\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Masato-Hult-alumni-association-1024x683.jpeg\")
H: How did your time at Hult help you to land your dream job?<\/h2>\n
H: Can you explain a bit about what you do as a data scientist at Apple?<\/h2>\n
H: Any advice to current or prospective students who might be interested in a future in business analytics?<\/h2>\n
H: Do you see AI having a big impact in your sector?<\/h2>\n
H: Now you\u2019ve achieved your two big career goals, what\u2019s next?<\/h2>\n