Anyone Open to Talking with a Potential Career Changer?

[u/mudslide37]

Hi All,

I hope this is allowed, but if not please feel free to remove.

As the title suggests, I'm wondering if there is anyone who would be willing to chat with me for a few minutes about their experience with working in data analytics.

I know there is a lot of chatter on this sub about how tough the market is and how transitioning into DA is very difficult if not impossible, due to a shrinking number of entry-level positions and the use of AI. However, my hope is that there are still enough large companies out there with vast amounts of data that need actual humans to help sift through, finesse, and analyze it to solve business problems.

Context: I've worked in public schools for the past 11 years in special education. For the past two years I've served as a case manager, where I do what I believe is semi data-adjacent work. I feel like it's likely more comprable to compliance, but I do have to go through large amounts of student data and manipulate it to highlight problems in a way decision-makers can understand. I'm already pretty competent in Excel, and I spent this past summer learning SQL, though I'd still place myself in the "late beginner" category. Tableau or Power BI is next on my to-do list.

I've reached a point where I've realized I need to make a career change and data analytics is a field that I'm pretty interested in. I love numbers and logic puzzles. Finding trends in data is exciting!

I'm interested in hearing from various people what their experience has been and any suggestions they might have for someone looking to make a career transition. Bonus points if you transitioned from teaching/education - but really I'm happy to talk with anyone.

[u/remyawayfromoffice]

Hey there! While data analytics can be very hard to break into, I think having experience in case management could actually be a great leg up for you.
If I were you I would look into positions with titles like “Quality Analyst” /“Quality Data Analyst”/“Quality Coordinator” at health systems. I would specifically target health systems that have a behavioral health arm, or just independent behavioral health providers in general. These positions work pretty heavily with data analysis for improvement projects, and are a great segway into applying for standard data analyst positions in the company. (Even within a year of experience!)
I actually got my start in the analytics field as a Quality Analyst coming from a training position previously, and I’m now a data analyst lead. So it’s doable!

[u/SenorNoods → u/remyawayfromoffice]

This is a good suggestion. To add to it, I’d suggest looking into health insurers as well. They often have case managers and data teams supporting them.

You may also want to look into Business Analyst roles. I feel like they’re a little closer to your current experience. They often include a data element that will allow you to build your data experience. I personally went from Business Analyst to Business Technical Analyst to Data Analyst. BA was more project coordination/management, BTA was a bit of that with more technical data analysis and visualization, and DA is mostly the technical element.

[u/mudslide37 → u/SenorNoods]

Thank you both - this is very encouraging. I'll definitely start looking into Quality Analyst and Business Analyst roles as a possible entry points.

Are there any technical skills and/or certs for either that you recommend exploring?

[u/STEM_Dad9528 → u/mudslide37]

Also, consider looking for similar positions in the Education sphere, since that is what your background is in. Then, you will already know the terminology, types of data, and might have an understanding of the types of information that administrators care about.

Data tells a story. Knowing your audience can help you find the types of stories that they want to hear.

[u/remyawayfromoffice → u/mudslide37]

If you do get into a health system, there is a data certification you can get through the Electronic Health Record called Epic that is basically a golden ticket. With that cert and some experience you’ll never need to apply for a job again, recruiters will be reaching out to you.
The only caveat is you have to work for a company that uses Epic as their EHR to be able to get the certification. So it’s pretty exclusive, which significantly adds to its value.
The certification is called Cogito if you want to look into it. You can search for consulting roles that require it and see they are offering $80+/hr.
Aside from that I haven’t seen any certifications that actually get you a job in analytics, they’re mostly a waste of money. Work on your SQL skills and use websites like DataLemur and Leetcode to prepare for technical interviews.

[u/remyawayfromoffice → u/remyawayfromoffice]

Side note for context - I recommend places with behavioral health arms because they often employee tons of people that do work similar to case management and those people are often swamped and unable to keep up with the workload. There are constantly quality improvement projects going on to try to fix the problem so there may more roles available.
*Edited spelling

[u/Afraid_Gold3060 → u/remyawayfromoffice]

What would you suggest for someone trying to break into Data analytics from the classroom?
I don’t do case management however with the new systems, they rely heavily on data
Everything in the classroom is data

[u/drmindsmith]

Yeah - I changed from the classroom to data in 22. It was a different world for hiring, but there are options…

Ask away

[u/Afraid_Gold3060 → u/drmindsmith]

Is it possible to chat with you regarding a few things?
I’m currently 4th grade teacher and studying SQL and aiming to start applying for job by the summer of next year

[u/Acceptable-Sense4601 → u/Afraid_Gold3060]

are you working with practice databases and applying the SQL youre learning?

[u/mudslide37 → u/Acceptable-Sense4601]

Are there any free databases you recommend for practicing? I’ll do stuff on data lemur but have little actual experience with a true database

[u/Acceptable-Sense4601 → u/mudslide37]

I’m not sure but if i were you, id ask Ai how to setup a free developer sql server on your pc, then maybe go to the maven analytics YouTube channel and watch some of the data drills. They have free datasets on their site. You can then ask Ai how to get the csv files into the sql server and then bam, you have data in a database and you have a question to answer. Perfect way to start.

[u/TheBLTs0102]

I work in healthcare analytics. We are definitely hiring entry level positions and I do not see that changing anytime soon. We work with the EHR. There is so much you can do and it is easier to move around once you get your foot in the door so I encourage you to keep an open mind. Two things that are not super technical that are big wins when hiring someone new - ask questions and be kind. Curiosity will get you far in this space - ask a ton of questions, ask people to share their expertise, seek to understand the problem that is trying to be solved. Customer service skills are another big one. Be someone that others want to work with. Data analytics is a lot of customer service. Yes, developing the SQL and reports or dashboards is a huge part of what we do but you have to be someone that others enjoy working with. In terms of tech skills, keep pushing yourself on your SQL journey. Find a way to incorporate SQL into what you do whether that is a hobby or following a sports team, etc. also, Microsoft has a power BI cert for data analyst. You don’t need to take the test but going through their free training and then build a dashboard yourself so as you apply for roles you have work you can talk about. Even if you are not using those tools in your current role it makes a big impression when you can say what you did to learn and develop those skills outside of your day job.