Checking in from the job search battlefield. It's tough out there, especially while the holiday season is in full swing and all I want to do is shop and wrap presents.
I'm happy to report that there are still plenty of posted roles for entry-level data analytics. But that doesn't mean it isn't a slog to sit down everyday and do my due diligence of researching companies and curating my resume and cover letters for each position.
I recently received a reply to a comment I left on Kedeisha Bryan's post. Her suggestions on overcoming my lack of professional data experience gave me a fresh way to approach my cover letter today.
"Look at the qualities or tasks of the data role you want. Not necessarily tool specific, but as far as analyzing data, collecting and data to make decisions or provide recommendations, being curious and looking for patterns, etc.
Most likely you have done those things in your past jobs. Find those stories and write them down. And you realize you have been doing the work, but with different tools. Share those stories in your resume and job interviews. You've been doing analytical work without realizing it so you have more experience than you think.
As far as tools, do projects! There's no way around that. Do a dashboard a week or every two weeks. This is how you create your own experiences with the tools. Honestly, tools like SQL, Excel, and Tableau/Power BI don't take long to get good at. But, as you get better, you carry that confidence with you in the interview."
I love that last line, "As you get better, you carry that confidence with you in the interview."
Off to do some more dashboards!
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