How Do I Land a Data Analyst Job Without Experience?
You open a job listing, scroll through the preferred skills, and start to get excited — maybe this is the one!
And then you see it: “x years of experience and/or x degree required”.
Your hopes crash to the ground.
If you’ve been searching for a new role, this scenario may feel all too familiar. It seems like every company has a requisite degree or amount of experience that is just out of reach, especially if you’re just starting out in your career.
It’s the job hunter’s version of “the chicken or the egg” problem: to get the job, you need experience; to gain experience, you need the job.
If you’re navigating a career change or looking for your first professional job, this can deal a critical blow to your self-esteem. As if the imposter syndrome wasn’t bad enough already, right?
So the question remains: how do you land a data job without any previous professional experience?
Step 1: SHOW You Can Do the Work
When you don’t have work experience to speak of, the best thing you can do for your prospects is to show that you can perform the tasks expected of you in the role you’re applying for.
But how?
Enter the data analyst project portfolio.
Building an analyst portfolio demonstrates your proficiency in essential data tools. It gives a hiring team the confidence in your skill set that can be absent even with people with years of experience on their resumes.
When thinking about your project portfolio, you’ll want to consider two things:
- What to include in your portfolio
- Where to store your data projects
What should I put in my data portfolio?
You’ll want to include at least 3–5 developed analytics projects in your portfolio to demonstrate your applicable skills. (If you don’t have project work that you can share publicly, there are plenty of free datasets to be found online.)
A great opportunity for portfolio growth is to participate in data challenges. As well as providing a great addition to your project portfolio, public data challenges can have other benefits: prizes, exposure, feedback, and more!
Where should I keep my data project portfolio?
One common challenge many analysts face is where and how to present their portfolio projects.
Hosting a portfolio on a personal website can be costly, not to mention the difficulty of custom code when site templates can’t quite accomplish desired visual or interactive effects. For this reason, it can be helpful to find a platform built specifically with analysts in mind.
(If you’re looking for a free option, Maven Analytics has an awesome portfolio builder on our platform where you can build a robust professional portfolio with ease!)
Step 2: Make Connections
It may sound cliche, but the value of your network should never be underestimated.
If you’re not active on LinkedIn, now is the time! Find and follow experts in the data field, as well as companies you may be interested in working for. Staying in the know can make all the difference when it comes time for an interview!
Seek mentorship where available, pay attention to the career advice provided by data leaders in your feed, and reach out for virtual coffee chats if you have a developed relationship. Sometimes you can glean some priceless nuggets of insight that will be pivotal in your search for your next role.
Are there professional networking events in your area? Attend one! It doesn’t matter if it’s data industry specific; companies outside of the data space will also be looking for analysts, and that connection you made at the professional Pints and Pups mixer six months ago may be the inside contact you need to stand out in the applicant pool.
Step 3: Master the Art of the Interview
At the end of the day, what you can put “on paper” is just a small part of what makes you awesome. If you really want to land your next role, you’ll want to represent yourself well in the interview, too!
Whether in-person or virtual, the interview portion of the hiring process is a massive opportunity for you to shine. Once your work gets your foot in the door, the interview gives you the chance to show why you are a great fit for the role professionally AND culturally. This is your time to showcase why YOU are the better choice than other applicants…and all you have to do is be genuine!
Take some time to prepare for your interviews. Brush up on your soft skills, research the company and hiring manager, and take a look online to see if you can find any previous interview questions on sites like Glassdoor. Don’t neglect those technical interview questions in your prep, either!
Utilize an interview prep guide like this one, and you’ll be able to feel as prepared as possible when you enter your meeting.
Step 4: Apply, Apply, Apply!
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” ~ Wayne Gretzky
In other words: you will never get the job if you don’t apply for it!
The mentality in the workforce is shifting, and a lot of the time supervisors would rather teach the right person new skills than hire someone with the right skills but who is the wrong fit for the company culture.
A good rule of thumb: if you match 60% of the skills requirements, then you should go ahead and submit your application!
The worst thing that can happen is you don’t hear back or get shot down. Alternatively: you might just end up with your dream job.
Isn’t that a chance worth taking?
Final Thoughts
Job hunting when you don’t have previous experience in the data industry can be stressful and discouraging, but don’t give up hope!
The biggest thing I hope you take away from reading this today is that you can be successful without a degree or previous work experience.
If you…
- Build a strong data project portfolio
- Make the right connections
- Master the art of the interview
- Apply for the job when you have 60% or more of the requested skills
…then you’re sure to find the right job for you.
It may not be the next application you submit, the one after that, or the one after that. But the right fit IS coming. You just need to be ready when it does!
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Happy learning!
