Read this month’s spotlight to learn more about Yoni Ghebrezgi, an entrepreneur and a Measurement & Attribution Solutions Consultant at Google.
Could you briefly explain some of your responsibilities in your current career role?
I work on a technical support team that helps clients get the most out of Google’s measurement and attribution products. These products (such as Google Analytics, Big Query, Ads Data hub) help companies understand how users interact with their web and app properties, as well as how well their digital ad campaigns are performing.
In short, if companies have a deeper understanding of their users’ (anonymized, of course!), they’re more likely to spend more on advertising. That’s the game, don’t hate the player :).
Some responsibilities of mine include…
- Troubleshooting technical issues enterprise clients have with Google’s measurement & attribution products
- Creating training paths for support agents
- Gathering and analyzing user feedback to pitch improvements in the products
How did you come to decide that this was the right career path for you?
It wasn’t until a few years after graduating college that I decided to go full force in the digital analytics world. I graduated with a degree in finance, and my first job out of college was a junior business analyst, where I was doing supply chain management for a toy distribution company. It was cool, and I learned a lot, but it wasn’t fulfilling. I remember at the time I read a book called the ‘4-hour work week’ by Tim Ferriss, and, despite the gimmicky title, really helped demystify what running a business looks like, while removing yourself as a bottleneck. Working smarter not harder? I was intrigued.
I knew I wanted to try my hand in entrepreneurship, especially while I was early in my career, so I quit my job, and started an ecommerce store that sold smartwatches.
The goal was never to be a smartwatch kingpin, but rather, to build tangible experience growing a business. As I started to advertise with platforms such as Facebook and Google Ads, I realized I didn’t have analytics set up, so I was totally blind with how users interacted on the site. This drove me crazy, because sales were coming in, but I couldn’t tell from where! As a result, I started to focus more on the analytics side of the business and obsessed over the possibilities that data collection/analysis can have on optimizing conversion rates.
Eventually, I branched off running my own business to start freelancing to help other business owners on the analytics side, and the rest is history 🙂
So to answer the original question- I’d say I came to decide that it was the right career path as I started to do freelance work for others. Seeing firsthand that many businesses had the same issues helped me realize the importance of analytics. That, coupled with the rise of companies investing more in digital, I figured there was an opportunity to make a career out of it.
Is there a philosophy that drives your career?
Just start. Starting is the hard part of learning or accomplishing anything. It can be intimidating to look at experts in a certain field and think that you could never amount. But before someone was an expert, they were a novice. Baby steps go a long way, one step at a time and you’ll get there!
What do you consider to be your greatest professional accomplishment?
I’m most proud of being in the top 1% of digital analytics specialists on Upwork, within my first two years freelancing. Upwork is the leading platform that helps connect freelancers to clients in need. Working on that platform allowed me to build real world experience, learn on the job, and essentially helped launch my ‘new’ career path. The quick progression from leaving my job in the supply chain field to excelling as a freelancer in the digital analytics world was confirmation that I made the right decision.
What’s one piece of advice you would give someone looking to transition into tech/analytics?
While internships are traditionally seen as the entryway to a career path, I’d recommend finding a way to build your own experience. Invest in the industry you’d like to break into by taking on side projects that will help set yourself apart from others. For example, making a website, conducting analysis on a public dataset, and publishing your learnings are all tangible ways to elevate your resume. In addition to building your skillset, it shows that you’re a self-starter, and take initiative. In this world, you must go after what you want, simple as that!
What skills have you found to be most vital to your job?
I’ll break this down into 2 categories, technical and soft skills. For technical skills, languages like SQL and Javascript are helpful for data analysis and understanding how data gets passed on a website, respectively. For soft skills, active listening and empathy are crucial. I work on a global team, and it’s important to recognize that folks have different working styles. Fostering an inclusive team environment is something that’s important to me. Simple things like scheduling time with folks to talk about everything but work, to setting up fun events to build team camaraderie, to making sure everyone has a chance to share their opinions in open forums, all go a long way.
What is the best part of working for an organization like Google?
I would say the culture. It’s a place where people’s differences are not only respected but celebrated. Folks can bring their full selves to work, and that makes going to work enjoyable.
What are some challenges you have experienced working in the tech/analytics field?
This isn’t specific to the tech/analytics field, but I would say striking the right work/life balance can be a challenge at times. The job can be demanding, but I’d like to think I do a pretty good job of setting boundaries (ex: no email after 5pm). That said, there are times where work does take over, and I must remind myself to rebalance.
Outside of all your hard work, what do you do for fun? Hobbies?
Basketball was my first love. I played throughout high school and nowadays I play a few times a week. Aside from that, I picked up painting during the pandemic (IG: @yonipaints) and am really enjoying the process of getting better!