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Advice? Hired as a data scientist; job is anything but. Can anyone relate?

I was hired as a data scientist just under a year ago. The job description matched my skillset to an absolute tee. Strong emphasis on R development, SQL, using external data to build inferential models, machine learning and time series forecasting. Seven HireVue questions, all regarding R – what I'm best and most passionate about. Thus far, there is no appetite for R, statistical models, or any of the other elements in the job description. The two other people who were hired to work on my team quit (including the data science manager), because of the VP's toxic “management” style. The VP has unloaded on me, and made veiled and direct threats to write me up for not picking up the slack. I have 10 years of exponential increases in salary, without a single disciplinary blemish at any prior job. The job was an absolute bait and switch. The VP…


I was hired as a data scientist just under a year ago. The job description matched my skillset to an absolute tee. Strong emphasis on R development, SQL, using external data to build inferential models, machine learning and time series forecasting. Seven HireVue questions, all regarding R – what I'm best and most passionate about.

Thus far, there is no appetite for R, statistical models, or any of the other elements in the job description. The two other people who were hired to work on my team quit (including the data science manager), because of the VP's toxic “management” style.

The VP has unloaded on me, and made veiled and direct threats to write me up for not picking up the slack. I have 10 years of exponential increases in salary, without a single disciplinary blemish at any prior job.

The job was an absolute bait and switch. The VP acknowledged early on that the data science element was lacking, and promised I would soon be real data science (5 months ago). Now, it's just bullshit about how we need to first achieve “data sustainability.”

I have been applying for jobs for a month, and more furiously since the last week, but I'm not able to sleep at night, as the situation has metastasized into a constant blame game. The VP is a few years younger than me, and was promoted right before I began. He used to be a data reporting analyst, and micromanages the shit out of everyone. My skillset greatly exceeds his.

Any advice on how to ride his personality out as I continue to apply? The job feels like solitary confinement, and it's like my decade-long career in data science is rotting. I have faith I'll get out of this situation, but I think he's catching shit and projecting. I just want to maintain some equilibrium for the next 3 to 4 weeks, and not foolishly quit without notice or end up getting fired.

Can anyone relate?

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