Promoting Opportunities to Learn for Statisticians

Although the demand for statisticians is growing across many different fields and sectors and more and more students are graduating with degrees in statistics, employers express difficulties in hiring. Indeed, there seems to be a lack of continuity during the transition to the workplace for statisticians. To study this phenomenon, we interviewed junior statisticians who recently experienced the transition as well as mentors who supervised it. A cross-case analysis allowed for an in-depth description of the development of statistical practices in academic settings and at the workplace. Based on our findings and from the perspectives of the participants, we formulate recommendations to promote different practices that are especially challenging to facilitate the transition between education and profession for future statisticians.