William McCracken

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Abbott Laboratories

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

Working as a data scientist.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I stumbled into it; I enjoy it because I get to solve puzzles.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

History Society; Archery Club.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

Exeter is one of the few places with a dedicated program in naval history, and it did not disappoint. Highlight was probably doing archival research at the National Archives and British Library.

What did you enjoy most about studying here?

Exeter is a great place to live as well as to study, and the faculty members were wonderful.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

It had a dedicated program in Naval History.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

I changed career paths, so most of what I learned doesn’t directly bear on my career.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

Get a good, broad base in general knowledge, as well as a good grasp of coding and statistics.

What are your plans for the future?

Continue working as a data scientist, potentially while climbing the career ladder to be a senior manager or director.