Three years ago, Femi Allen-Taylor joined MI Media as an account executive before becoming a data analyst. In this Day in the Life, Femi shares how he has used his different skills to take a varied journey throughout his career so far and why curiosity will stand anyone in good stead when developing their own profession.

What led you to a career in media?  

After finishing my BSC in Petroleum and Gas Engineering, the oil industry was in a rough spot as global oil prices were crashing and no one was hiring new grads. I had to switch gears quickly and as I was already doing graphic design as a side hustle, this became the easiest alternative. Graphic design ended up being my focus for the next few years. I enjoyed developing my creative side but after a while I found myself looking for something different. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but I’ve always been analytical, so I decided to explore this aspect of my personality. I did some research, spoke to different people across different industries and discovered data analysis. Taking a master’s in business analytics turned out to be the best decision I ever made. After university, I didn’t know which industry I wanted to work in, but the more research I did into data analysis roles, the more I saw roles in advertising and media agencies, so I decided to apply to those. I interviewed at MI Media and this became my entry into the media industry.  

I originally applied for a data role at MI Media, but the team saw potential in my diverse skill set and offered me a position as an Account Executive instead. It was a great opportunity to gain hands-on industry experience, so I thought why not, let’s see where this takes me. I learnt a lot about the business, campaigns and managing clients. I also found that I was able to bring experience from my previous roles in graphic design to MI Media. As I grew within the company, my analytical strengths became increasingly evident. When an opportunity arose within the data team, I was well-positioned to make the transition. Over the past three years, my role has evolved significantly, allowing me to take on greater responsibilities and contribute more meaningfully to the business.  

What does a typical day as a data analyst look like for you?  

Like anyone else would say, within data, there’s no one typical day. There will always be a data request, so most days I will spend some time either listening to the team or sitting with clients to understand their data needs so we can deliver ad-hoc requests or develop a bespoke data solution. How I spend the rest of my day can vary from optimising dashboard reports and understanding what’s missing in a data set, to supporting my manager in statistical analysis projects for our clients and internal teams. Over the past year, I have been heavily involved in the development of our live reporting dashboard, MIDAS, connecting data and automating reporting so that we can extract and manipulate data before making it available to the team and our clients in easy-to-understand live reports. Any time I have left in my day I use to research what’s going on in the industry. Whether it’s new data science techniques & tools or the latest developments in AI, there’s always something new to explore. 

What mistake have you learnt the most from?  

Early in my career, I used to speak using technical jargon to anyone that cared to listen. What I know now is that not everyone is a data analyst that understands or even needs to know the level of detail I was giving. I’ve learned to tweak the way I speak to people based on who they are. You’re much more effective in your communication if you tailor how you speak to the person you’re talking to, it makes it far easier to communicate your ideas to them. 

Who’s your role model and why? 

I know it sounds cliché, but I would say my mum. She’s the most hard-working person I know. She has juggled work, family and many other different things at the same time. Always with a smile on her face. I have tapped into that in my own work ethic. I will get the job done no matter what it takes. No matter what I’m going through, I will work to solve problems. My mum never stops so have learned to never say never. I might be working on something where I can’t see an end in sight, but I know there will always be a way.