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Tatauranga Aotearoa | Stats NZ

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4.3
  • #6 in Government & public service
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Simon Gardiner

What I love most about my job is exploring data to solve a problem then testing if the proposed solution(s) would make a difference.
What's your job about?

At Stats NZ, I work within the Collection Operations Supplier Insights unit, leading a small team of analysts with the goal to improve the way we collect statistical data from New Zealand people and businesses. To achieve this, we use our previous survey performance data to investigate behavioural trends, which sometimes leads to testing to determine if an innovation will improve our data collection. We translate these insights into easy to understand reports, presentations, and business intelligence dashboards.

What's your background?

I was born in Napier, but have spent most of my life in Auckland, where I also went to university, graduating in 2017. After completing my degree, I applied for an analyst role at Stats NZ. I got to the interview stage but missed out to someone who had more experience. However, they liked me enough that I was offered a 4-month fixed term Relationship Manager role, where I managed the relationship between large corporate data suppliers and Stats NZ. Accepting this role allowed me to get my foot in the door with a great employer and work on developing my skill set, particularly communication with internal and external stakeholders. Once my fixed term had come to an end, with the experience I had gained, I successfully obtained an analyst role. After working as an analyst for a year and a half, I successfully applied to my current practice lead role, which I have now been in for 4 months.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes. A good foundation in mathematics and statistics is important but having a degree in statistics is not essential as a lot of on the job training is available. One of the biggest skills required is to be inquisitive and to think critically. You will also need to be great at translating your ideas and technical findings into plain-English for a broad audience. 

What's the coolest thing about your job?

What I love most about my job is exploring data to solve a problem then testing if the proposed solution(s) would make a difference. At times myself, or the team, come across problems/inefficiencies and other times they are provided by management. For example, our team is currently trialling a new survey delivery mode with the hypothesis that it will achieve increased response rates.

The process of analysing a problem, brainstorming, completing trials, documenting and presenting findings is exciting and I like being a part of finding solutions. My favourite part would probably be the autonomy my team and I have for the ability to propose projects and trials that we believe would offer a great advantage to suppliers and Stats. My role as Leader also provides a lot of reward in seeing my team develop and grow.

What are the limitations of your job?

Analysing and leading a team to analyse operational data won’t excite everyone. Without a good foundation in mathematics and statistics, you will struggle to do the job. A large portion of the role involves communicating with others, so if you struggle with communicating your ideas and insights effectively and efficiently using plain English, you will find the role difficult.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
  • Go to class! Once you get into the habit of not going to lectures or tutorials, it’s quite hard to break.
  • Make use of all the resources available. I personally wish I sent my lecturers/tutors more emails and attended more office hours. They’re there to help, so make sure you use it!
  • Get a part-time job. There are some things which the university can’t teach, with the added advantage of gaining real-world experience. I would highly recommend having a part-time job while at uni, so you already have experience on your CV when you go to apply for graduate roles.