MEET COLTON: From Stock Consultant to Data enthusiast

Colton’s role as a stock plan consultant at his company involves guiding clients through their stock options and helping them execute those options. He spends most of his day on the phone with clients discussing things such as restricted stock units, equity awards, and execution plans. 

Discovering a new career passion

He’s seen people close to him, such as his wife and friends, enjoy their careers in data analytics and saw aspects of the industry that he thought he may also enjoy. With his employer offering continued education as a benefit, he recognized this as a great opportunity to take Pathstream’s Data Analytics Professional Certificate Program to explore data analytics further. After working through the course, Colton has uncovered a new career interest and is planning to start looking at job opportunities where he can use his new knowledge.

“At first, it was something that I just wanted to explore to see if I would enjoy it. Now that I enjoy it, I’m reaching out to the Pathstream Coaches and learning more about data jobs.” 

His learning experience

The fact that the course is self-paced and online is a huge advantage in Colton’s eyes. 

“Life is busy, so it’s nice to set your own schedule and work at your own pace. It’s nice to have that flexibility. I don’t have to attend a class every week, so I can plan ahead and fit my classwork into my schedule.” 

Aside from liking the logistics of the course structure, Colton also reflected on the material he learned and how he feels that the hands-on lab experience offers great preparation for real-life scenarios.

“I really like the labs and that the course has you take everything you’ve learned and apply it to a real business case. I thought it was cool to take real-life business problems and use the data skills I’ve learned to solve that issue.” 

He’s also received a lot of value from Pathstream’s career coaches and course instructors.

“I can send my resume to the career coaches so they can review it and give me feedback. Then they’ll actually help me look for jobs. I also really liked meeting with one of the teachers to review a lab, it was really helpful. They walked through it with me step-by-step and helped me see what I needed to do.” 

A Win-win

Colton sees the employee education benefit as a win-win for the employer and the employee. 

“I think it’s really beneficial for both parties with a big return on investment. My company is getting more into data and technology so it’s nice to train our employees in these areas. It helps the company meet industry standards and offers employees a great way to get their foot in the door in  new roles and explore other career opportunities.” 

Opening new doors

With his new certification, Colton is excited about the new opportunities he’ll be able to pursue.

“It will help me a lot in moving toward a managerial role in data analytics in the future.” 

He urges anyone interested in taking a certificate program to go for it. Without exploring the Data Analytics Certificate program, he never would have found this career path that he’s so passionate about. Now he’s set up for success in a career he loves that can offer him flexibility and satisfaction.

“Just take a look at the options available to you. If you find something that interests you, just try it out! See if it’s something you like to do and if you enjoy it. It could give you a great chance to grow in a career and move up in the company.” 

Want to explore Pathstream’s certificate programs? Explore the different courses offered here.