Hi, I'm Susan, data scientist and writer. I write about career development, data science/ML, productivity, and more.

For ML jobs content, I write on susanshu.substack.com and my book, Machine Learning Interviews published by O'Reilly.


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How I entered the data science field (part 1) - 2 pillars to tackle interview preparation

From late 2017 to early 2018, I prepared and interviewed for my current data science role. Now, I get paid to train and deploy machine learning models (yay!), and use my combined statistics/econometrics and programming skills to create impact. In this 2-part article, I share my approach that I think contributed the most to entering the field straight out of school, updated with real observations on the job.

Now, whether you are a fresh grad, seasoned data scientist, or looking to transition from another career, I hope this article can shed some light into what goes into a data science job search. Despite having been on the other side of the table now, as an interviewer, I still learn a lot from fellow data scientists’ experiences. My goal is for this article to be like an online coffee chat with you; there were so many people that shared their knowledge to me during my own job search, and I’d like to pass it on!


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I slept on a yoga mat for 2 years. Here's 5 things I learned.

I experimented with sleeping on a yoga mat, with the surprising result of improving my lifestyle and becoming more minimalist.


How I built a game studio from the ground up - lessons on product ownership, development, and creative writing

When developing a video game, I was responsible for software deployment, project management, object oriented programming, business development, and many other roles. Here's how I did it all.

Why productivity? 5 reasons that motivate me daily

Spending time wisely is a choice. Here are the reasons that urgently remind me every day to use my time efficiently and effectively.

How I journaled every day for 3 years: my favorite habit to build any new habit

How I used journaling to build many new habit, maintain productivity, and achieve my goals

How I gave 5 talks in 10 days - my top 3 tactics for public speaking preparation

How I gave 5 talks in 10 days - my top 3 tactics for public speaking preparation

How to choose a data science project - and maximize your motivation to complete it

This beginner-friendly guide outlines steps to choose a data science side project, so you leave with a detailed action plan on just how to start it, and how to carry it to completion.

How to set up a Debian 9 server, firewall with DigitalOcean from a Windows machine and connect to your domain

This is a complete step by step guide on how to set up your server from scratch with DigitalOcean, SFTP, and firewalls, from a Windows machine.

How I completed a graduate level course while working full time: a self-discipline framework

The methods I used to be productive and achieving my academic goals even with a full time job.

How I learned to be vulnerable: a postmortem of my University of Waterloo undergrad

How I overcame failure in university to successfully get into grad school.