Minjung Kang
- Programme: Masters in Analytics and Management
- Nationality: South Korea
- Job Post-programme: Senior Data Analyst, TikTok
Before studying at London Business School (LBS), Minjung had graduated from a Business Administration bachelors degree at Korea University and was keen to add technical skills to her strategic knowledge. She found an ideal balance on the Masters in Analytics and Management (MAM) programme at LBS. Now a Senior Data Analyst at TikTok, the skillset she developed during her time on the programme continues to power her career.
I’ve always been passionate about new experiences, which inspired my ambition to build a career beyond South Korea. As a child, I lived in China for three years and attended an international school. Later, during my undergraduate degree back in Korea, I completed an exchange semester in Germany and an internship in Indonesia. I’ve always been fascinated by how different backgrounds can shape unique perspectives and personalities. So, continuing my studies abroad — and eventually building a career overseas — was very important to me. With its diverse student body and global reputation, LBS was the perfect place to achieve that.
I wanted to build technical skills I could apply in business, and LBS gave me the opportunity to do that. When I graduated in 2019, big data and AI were becoming increasingly important, creating an opportunity for me to carve out my own niche. That’s when I discovered that LBS was launching the MAM programme, a perfect blend of business and data that aligned with what I was looking for. The strong mix of strategic and technical learning allowed me to build on the knowledge I already had while gaining valuable analytics skills, ultimately giving me more career options.
My LondonLAB project gave me hands-on experience that effectively prepared me for my career. I was paired with a small restaurant chain in London whose main selling point was a weekly changing menu of seasonal soups. My group analysed their past sales data and discovered that changes in the weather influenced their sales. We then built a menu forecasting tool that used the following week’s weather data to generate menu options and predict their performance. Working with a small company was a huge advantage, as we engaged directly with the CEO and gained valuable feedback and insights from an owner’s perspective. It was also great practice for the corporate world — and for the consulting roles I secured after graduating — because we had to apply essential management skills such as assigning tasks based on teammates’ strengths, setting project timelines and organising regular check-ins.
Working in study groups was an essential part of my learning journey. For every course in each term, I was grouped with the same teammates, which built meaningful connections and a strong sense of teamwork. Some students had arts backgrounds, while others had studied STEM majors and brought more technical expertise. This diversity of knowledge and perspectives allowed us to draw on each other’s strengths and approach challenges collaboratively, leading to a richer, more dynamic learning experience.
Access to senior cohorts gave me unique learning opportunities. Most of my classmates in the MAM programme were recent university graduates, but many LBS students in other programmes had years of industry experience. I wanted to learn from those with consulting or large-company backgrounds, and I had plenty of opportunities to do so through events and club activities hosted by the School. For example, as part of the consulting club, I received valuable guidance and had the chance to go through mock interviews. I was also a member of the wine and spirits club, where I connected with MBA students who provided helpful advice and CV reviews. This exposure to senior cohorts helped broaden my perspective and prepared me for the professional world.
Having LBS on your CV makes a powerful statement. It demonstrates a strong work ethic and a desire for continuous growth. When I was entering a highly competitive job market, where candidates are primarily evaluated on their academic profiles, I was grateful to secure an offer before graduation. I have no doubt that the reputation of LBS played a crucial role in that. Beyond immediate employment, LBS offers long-term career mobility, whether through advancing into senior roles, securing higher salaries, or even pivoting to a different field. Employers also recognise the LBS mindset: a drive to give 100% and constantly strive for more. Most students who come to LBS already have that aspirational attitude, but the MAM programme reinforces and embeds it in us as we step into our career.
London’s vibrant job market creates endless career possibilities. Being here opens doors to top multinational companies and exciting roles, making it an especially ideal location for fields like data. The variety of opportunities available, combined with the skillset I gained at LBS, gave me a wealth of options to explore — far more than I would have had in many other places, including Korea.
I apply what I learnt on the MAM programme every day at TikTok. The Data Visualisation and Storytelling core course was one of my favourites, and it’s incredibly relevant to my current role as a Senior Data Analyst. One of my key responsibilities is maintaining and building dashboards and writing business reports. I always apply a crucial lesson from that course: visualising information in a way that tells the right story. When you have access to so much data, it’s easy to get lost in the details and miss what’s truly important for the business. But I learnt how essential it is to step back and frame the story based on the audience’s needs. The MAM programme’s projects took us through the full data analysis cycle, providing invaluable practice for the real world. For anyone aiming to start a career as a data analyst or data scientist, LBS provides all the fundamental skills needed to succeed.
Being part of the LBS network is a lifelong advantage. I’m now part of a global network that I can always turn to for support. When researching companies, I often look for LBS alumni because they are always open to connecting, even if they weren’t part of my cohort. Engaging with alumni in similar fields has been invaluable, giving me insights into different roles and career paths. When I moved from my first company to my second, a friend from LBS was working there and was able to give me a referral. I’ve also been contacted by students from later cohorts with questions about my role, and I genuinely enjoy helping them with interview tips, application advice and insights into potential opportunities.
The balance of technical and strategic learning keeps my career options wide open. I’ve been working in analytics for four years now, and I love it. But thanks to the balance of technical and strategic learning on the MAM programme, I know my career can go in many directions. I may eventually move into a more strategic role, where I use the outcomes of data analysis to drive business decisions instead of being hands-on with the data. This flexibility was built into the programme’s design, and it’s clear that the foundation I gained at LBS continues to shape my career trajectory today, and will do so for years to come.
