Qingling Li

Product/Business Analyst

A Unicom Tech Company

"I wasn’t so sure about what can I do back to that time. I was so afraid of my future; the uncertainty and pressure drove me crazy. My advice is, panic only makes you waste your time. Get out of the door and start to try, even you don’t know what you want to do, at least this can help eliminate those things you don’t want to. As for myself, I worked for while after graduation and figure out my specific interests in data science, so I went to get a master degree in this field and now I am doing what I like. "

What was your major/minor at Purdue and when did you graduate?

I majored in Biological Science and minored in Economics. I graduated in May 2015.

What was your most compelling class and why?

Well, you might be surprised, but it is BIO121, the very first class for all bio major students. I can still remember I only got ~65% in the first exam (this might be my lowest score ever :D) This class let me know don’t accept the failure but find the reason and beat it. I did terrible at the beginning, but I went to all the help sessions, asked questions, went to BRC for additional help and team discussion. Eventually, I did better and better in the rest and got the letter A in the end.

What drove you to pursue your current career path?

It is very difficult to say one specific thing that drove me to this career path. I would like to describe it as the combination of my unique experience, my interests in discovery and my passion for applying the knowledge into industry.

Did you pursue internships/co-ops, research experiences, volunteer, or join student organizations while you attended Purdue?

Yes, those experience helped me a lot in the job-seeking, because these are the things you want to talk about during the interviews. I had 3 years’ experience in research which involves three different projects in different fields. These experiences help me develop critical thinking skill and teamwork ability. I also evolved in student originations and served on the board. A lot of companies would like to have employees with leadership skills. The problems you met in your student organization and how you have solved them are frequently asked questions in the interview.

Are there any special accomplishments you've achieved after college that you might not have been able to do without your college experiences?

I don’t think it is an accomplishment but I got into a data science master program in an Ivy League school with the knowledge I learned and the research/project experience I had at Purdue. My experience in science and economics also helped me get to my current position. 

What advice would you give to prospective or current Purdue students about how to make the best use of what Purdue offers?

Go out and explore. There are so many opportunities at Purdue and you don’t want to regret after graduation. Those internship/co-op opportunities are so important, not all school offer such early career development programs. The volunteering programs are also worth to try. I strongly recommend a program called “learning beyond the classroom” where I met two of my best friends there.