As more organizations realize that their data holds immense potential, the demand for people who can work with data effectively has grown. We heard about that demand recently when Libby Duane Adams, Alteryx co-founder and Chief Advocacy Officer, spoke at our Virtual Global Inspire event.
Maybe you’re ready to help tackle all those data needs! Our SparkED education program offers extensive teaching and learning resources — plus a free education Alteryx license. Next, you’ll dive into the job hunt and find the perfect role to apply those skills.
Keep in mind: Every industry has roles in which data is critical. You may find interesting ways to combine your personal interests and passions with your data skills to help you stand out even more in a competitive marketplace!
Additionally, some data-related jobs are obvious, with titles like Data Analyst or Data Scientist. But many other jobs include data analytics, even if it’s not immediately visible in the title. Be sure to keep an eye out for ways you can apply your data capabilities in different roles and make a distinctive mark on an organization. For example, data skills are also sought in recent job postings for a Senior Manager, Beverage Design, at Starbucks, and for a Business Development Coordinator at the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber in Portland, Oregon.
Here are some tools and strategies you can use to help find the right data role.
- Groups are great resources, whether in person or online. Consider joining LinkedIn groups where data jobs may be posted. These might be data-oriented groups, like Women in Data Science, or industry- or nonprofit-focused groups where roles involving data could be shared.
- Keep an eye on relevant Twitter hashtags. Other data folks and various aggregators routinely share links to data job postings. Watch #alteryx, #datascience, #analytics, #datafam and others. You could add #jobopportunities, #jobs, #hiring, #techjobs, etc., to refine your results. TweetDeck is a great way to monitor multiple hashtags. (While you’re thinking about social media, maybe follow some of these accounts to learn as you scroll!)
- Search in job ads for your specific data toolkit. In our Alter Everything podcast episode “Alteryx your way ahead,” Heather Harris points out that many companies specifically list Alteryx as a desired skill in job postings. Searching for Alteryx on job boards, instead of the broad term “data,” can help you target the most relevant positions for your skills.
- Check multiple job websites for postings. Some companies routinely list their openings on a couple of the major career sites, but not on others. Rotate your exploration among the major sites, and visit the HR websites of specific companies you’re most excited about. There are also focused job boards for data positions, like Data Yoshi and ai-jobs.net, and for remote positions, such as We Work Remotely, where you can filter specifically for remote data jobs. The Tech Jobs for Good board also includes data-related jobs at “mission-driven companies.”
- Use your network to help find (or create!) data opportunities. On LinkedIn, try My Network > Connections > Search with filters to find people at specific companies. Set up an informational interview with acquaintances in interesting companies or industries. Ask about how they are using data generally; your goal isn’t necessarily to get them to hire you, but to learn about them and their work and to build a relationship. That said, they might know of a current or upcoming opening. You might even suggest new ideas for their data work (and you’d be a great candidate to implement those ideas!). The book The 2-Hour Job Search offers one strategy to make the most of LinkedIn, your personal connections and informational interviews (read a summary here). If you like assembling and sorting data, you’ll probably like the author’s approach!
As part of your job hunt prep, we’d also love for you to check out our interview with a former recruiter and expert job search coach.
Learn more about data analytics jobs here: https://community.alteryx.com/t5/SparkED-Job-Board/tkb-p/SparkED_Jobs