the exciting applications of Data Science

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(by Eric)

As a Data Science intern at Johnson and Johnson, I've had the privilege to dive right into two full projects. By the end of the summer I'm expecting to complete a third. My experience here has been nothing short of enriching, interesting, and challenging.

At the moment, I am pair programming with another intern to tackle a machine learning problem. We are coding an algorithm that takes raw customer complaint data in the form of Excel files and assigns to each row of text a one word category that best summarizes the description. This effort involves the use of Excel to compile and clean the data, Python scripts to implement and test various machine learning algorithms, and Tableau to visualize the results and present them in a digestible format for our business users. I can definitely say that the Statistics and Computer Science courses I've taken at Columbia are proving their worth now!

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Writing code very intensely with my project partner Ryan

What I've really enjoyed about working in my Data Science group is the level of trust and freedom that we are given to carry out their work – no one's looking over your shoulder to check on your progress or make sure you finish things on time. At the same time, there isn't complete chaos or lack of structure; we hold project meetings regularly to help align efforts and ensure that each contributor is given the resources he or she needs to deal with obstacles and problems as they arise.

What's more, we interns not only carry out projects from start to finish, but we also get to own the entire result by presenting proof-of-concept demos and updates to the business users (many of whom are J&J department directors and managers). For us, this means that beyond coding and analyzing data, we're challenged to think about the broader impact our work has and find ways to communicate very complex ideas to a non-technical audience.

“By showing our capabilities and the power of Data Science to solve important business problems, we get to shape the image and future success of our department.”

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The inside of the working space

As was mentioned in the previous Blind Applying post, Data Science is a relatively new concept to many people in the company, so this gives us interns a unique opportunity. By showing others in the company our capabilities and the power of Data Science to solve important business problems, we get to shape the image and future success of our department. Pretty exciting to say the least!

There's a lot more I have to say about my summer experience, but I think I'll wrap up my first post here. Stay tuned for more about my projects, where I work, and what life is like at J&J.

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The window view right by where I sit

Internship #snaps

The Blind Applying team asked Dan, interning at Johnson & Johnson, to talk about his internship through three pictures.

Something that makes you feel proud

One thing that always makes me feel proud is when my code runs exactly as expected. It can be frustrating to learn new languages and try to get used to unfamiliar syntax. It’s always worth it when you see the final product.

Something you like in your work environment

This is a selfie of me and a few of my team members. We are all interns from different places throughout the United States. We spend most of our time together and have gotten to know each other really well.

Favourite place in New Jersey

Photo source: Wikimedia Commons / Cristophe95

Six Flags Great Adventure is my favorite place in New Jersey. At 510 acres, it is the largest theme park in the world. The roller coaster “Kingda Ka” is featured in the picture, which is the tallest roller coaster in the world at 139 meters high.

Learning how to code from a garage

(by Dan Sarnelli)

My first two weeks at Johnson & Johnson have been going really well! Tuesday, May 26th was my first day. It consisted mostly of learning about the company, meeting all of the other interns, and becoming familiar with the workplace environment. Some interns, like me, are commuting to Johnson & Johnson from right here in New Jersey. However, many of them are traveling from locations all over the country and staying at apartments in Rutgers University. It was interesting to see how so many people from completely different backgrounds and locations were coming together for the same opportunity. At the end of orientation day, we were able to meet our managers and learn about our specific teams.

Every room in Johnson & Johnson has the Credo posted on the wall. The Credo is used for guiding the decision making of all employees. It has existed since 1943 and can be seen in all languages.

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The team that I joined is responsible for developing applications for various Johnson & Johnson needs. This type of work would be far more technical than anything I had experienced before, but I was excited for the challenge. I was glad to see that there were several other interns and coops joining the team as well. While all of us were at varying levels of coding experience, we were all sure about one thing: we would learn a lot this summer! I’ve found myself learning many new coding languages over the past two weeks and there is much more to learn as time goes on.

This is the entrance to “The Garage.” It is the main room for developers at Johnson & Johnson.

The atmosphere at Johnson & Johnson is very suitable for developers. At the moment, the other interns and I are working in an open room with a large table and glass doors. Communication is simple and there is much more freedom than simply working in a cube.

Some developers work in a location called “The Garage,” which actually has a garage themed door as the entrance of the room. I really enjoy the environment, the people I’m working with, and the work that I’m doing. I’m excited for the rest of this summer!

Meet Dan, who starts his internship today at Johnson & Johnson

Dan can solve a Rubik’s cube blindfolded. But he can also put his coding skills in use to develop cool new apps to be used in healthcare!

Were you expecting to start your career in IT at Johnson & Johnson?

Indeed! My older brother had been working at Johnson & Johnson for about seven years. He loves the company and knew that it would be a great opportunity for me. As I have already done an internship at Johnson & Johnson, I was able to see exactly why.

Johnson & Johnson helps millions of people worldwide, each day. After seeing the end results of the work being done, it felt like much more than just a job. With all employees keeping this in mind, the atmosphere at Johnson & Johnson is very positive. It seemed like a perfect place to begin my career in IT.

What is, in your opinion, the most promising aspect of merging IT with healthcare?

Combining IT and healthcare is one of the most promising ways to help people by using technical skills. Not everyone can be a doctor, surgeon, or bio-medical engineer. I think this is a great opportunity to use my skills in computer science to make improvements in healthcare. This goes hand in hand with my answer to the first question. Healthcare enables you to be more in the touch with the benefits of your work. This creates a much better working environment.

You’ve been a champion in Rubik’s Cube 5x5 blindfold competitions several times. What has that experience taught you?

Going to Rubik’s Cube competitions has taught me quite a few things. The 5x5 blindfolded event is relatively unknown, difficult, and obscure. With that being said, there are still hundreds of people from around the world that practice tirelessly to be the best at it.

If it can be that difficult to be the best at something so strange, one can only imagine how difficult it is to be the best at things that actually matter. It is a subtle reminder to always try my best, especially in a world where everything is constantly changing and everyone is always improving. On the other hand, competing was a lot of fun and it was nice to make so many friends from around the world in the process.