Hillary Barker ’12, Senior Analyst at Qualtrics, reflects on her career in analytics and shares advice for navigating the world of data after graduation
Where did you grow up and how did that lead you to Dartmouth?
I grew up in Duvall, a rural area near the Seattle suburbs. Besides meeting some lifelong friends, my favorite thing about attending Overlake was being around a group of people who set high goals for themselves. In a lot of ways we tend to become more like those we associate with, and having the opportunity to go to school with such bright, driven students in turn helped me grow. Of course, amazing students with big dreams exist at all types of schools. And that is part of what makes Dartmouth so special, is bringing these people together.
My desire to go to Dartmouth was community driven. I knew I would likely end up in a city after graduation, and liked the fact that everyone was stuck in a town as small as Hanover. It is an impetus for students to bring their passions to campus in some way. On my visit to Dartmouth everyone just kept saying they loved it and it made me confident that I would love it too. The people seemed intelligent, collaborative, and fun.
In your time at Dartmouth, you played Varsity Softball, were affiliated with Alpha Xi Delta, and participated in the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. That’s a fascinating range of interests and activities—what informed the way you pursued opportunities at Dartmouth?
Going into college I planned to play softball, and was excited to pursue the sport at the Division 1 level. For most women, college is the last opportunity to compete. I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and see how good I could be as a pitcher, and how good we could get as a team. I am lucky to have played with such a wonderful group of women, many of whom I am still close with.
My freshman year of college I made some wonderful friends outside of my softball team who lived on my floor. When I studied abroad sophomore fall, they rushed AZD. Naturally when I rushed in Winter term that is where I landed. It was always important to me to meet people outside of my team, and being a part of a sorority helped me maintain those friendships and meet other amazing women on campus.
I interned at Dartmouth Alumni Magazine purely out of interest. I majored in English at Dartmouth and enjoyed reading about alumni pursuits. This became a fun extra curricular activity for me, where I was given interesting assignments like interviewing Dartmouth alumni who joined the military. The team that works on the magazine is great, and I enjoyed learning from them.
College is the perfect time to explore a diverse set of interests- I wish I had more time to try other things as well!
How has your Dartmouth experience shaped your career so far?
Dartmouth encourages teamwork and collaboration. This is great, because these skills are important in pretty much every job. I found myself gravitating towards work that is more team-based than individual, and I think going to Dartmouth and playing sports my whole life is why I prefer that environment.
Dartmouth also has a strong alumni base. Throughout the years I connected with other alumni and learned about their careers. In this way I could explore many different job types without actually doing them. Getting advice from others has always proved useful, and I appreciate the diverse perspectives I have heard on work from other alums.
What inspired you to pursue analytics?
In some ways I stumbled into analytics. In college I applied for an internship at Mullen, an ad agency in Boston. When I got the internship it happened to be for their Strategic Analytics division. Every job I have had since that internship has been related to data. Storytelling with data is one of the most powerful ways to influence business decisions, and I like being a part of that discovery and delivery.
What advice would you give to young women/students considering analytics?
I would advise young women considering analytics to talk to other alumni in the field and to test the water by doing an online course or internship. Data is important to any role, and learning how to explore and capture it will prove valuable no matter what they ultimately pursue.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given (career-related or otherwise)?
I once had a boss tell me to make myself dispensable, which goes against common lore. What she meant by this was that I should train up others to do my role. If more people can do what you do, you then have time to develop in other areas and help the company succeed in new ways.
What is your number one bucket list item for Dartmouth students?
Polar bear plunge. You will probably never ever do something like that again.
