Sara Dahl Pinholt is a Business Intelligence Engineer at the company XPO. She graduated from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen with a master’s degree in Computational Physics in 2021.
Please give a description of the work you do in your current position.
XPO is a US-based freight transportation company. I work in the department of Advanced Analytics, where we utilize mathematical algorithms to optimize the route each shipment travels through our network of distribution centers to achieve the most efficient journey from origin to destination.
In my role as BI engineer, I measure the effect of our models. As an example, I recently built a simulation of our network to understand the differences between the theoretical solution and how shipments actually travel in the field. This can help us understand the limits of the models and ensure that they deploy successfully.
What motivated you to study physics or engineering in the first place?
I have always been interested in science classes and especially in different ways to apply mathematics. I had great physics teachers in the last part of elementary school and high school who encouraged me to study the subject.
What made you decide to pursue a career in the private industry?
I loved studying physics, but I quickly realized that I wasn’t interested in pursuing a PhD – I was much more interested in utilizing my skills to solve problems in the ‘real’ world. One thing I love about physics is that you have such a broad spectrum of skills that are useful in many different industries, so I never had to limit myself to a specific field in my job application process.
How do you use the skills you learned as a physicist or engineer in your work?
Since I’m working in data science, I’m obviously using my programming skills every day, which is a very specific technical skill. However, there are several less obvious skills that I use – I believe that my physics education has also allowed me to break down a larger problem into manageable components and quickly gauge what is needed to go from problem statement to solution. This both includes problem solving skills as well as asking the right questions.
What does being a physicist mean to you?
To me, a physicist is someone who is curious about how the world works and wants to understand the basic principles behind problems. This applies both in industry as well as fundamental research.
What advice would you give to young people (in particular women and minorities) with a background in physics who would like to pursue a career in the private industry?
Use your network! It can be difficult to find a job or know exactly what you want to work with, especially if you have just finished your studies and are looking for your first job. Reach out to people you know to learn about their jobs and the companies they work in! You can understand what their job entails and whether it’s something you want to do as well. And if you are lucky, they’ll be able to refer you to a job in their company, giving you an edge in the hiring process that can be especially helpful as a woman or minority in a male dominated field. And don’t be shy, most people will want to help you if you ask nicely.
Publication date: May 27th, 2024
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