Business Intelligence Developer Builds Data Models
- ashleymo5779
- Apr 14
- 1 min read
Name: Eric James Stephens (he/him)
PhD: Rhetoric, Communication, and Information Design, Clemson University, 2018
What was your main area of research?
I collected 300+ inmate handbooks from American prisons and jails. Then I worked with industry data scientists to build an LLM to understand how correctional facilities use language.
What is your current job?
I am a Business Intelligence Developer for Rooney Holdings in Tulsa, OK.
I build data models for strategic business decisions.
I love that my job is an 8-5, and I can turn it off at the end of the day.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
A recruiter saw my activity on LinkedIn.
PhD graduate ➡️ lecturer ➡️ unemployed ➡️ data analyst ➡️ business intelligence developer
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
I was laid off during COVID.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
Focus on deliverables.
Network with people across campus.
When you create value, you add value.