For anyone aiming for a data analyst job:

1. Think like an analyst first.
If you don’t know what meaningful questions to ask or what business insights should come from the data, tools won’t save you.

2. Practice far more than you study.
Practice at least 2-3x more than the time you spend learning, until you truly understand how things work.
Struggling to think logically when solving a complex SQL problem? Not having a clear sketch of how to design dashboards? Confused about which datetime functions to use between Excel, SQL, or Power BI?
Then it’s time to pause and work more on understanding the big picture.

3. Focus on the fundamentals.
Ignore buzzwords like Machine Learning and Deep Learning for now. They are optional and most important, you cannot understand them in just several months. For visualization, pick only one tool: Power BI or Tableau and master it.

4. Networking gets you interviews, skills get you the job.
At the end of the day, its all about technical skills and clear communication.

job hunting is a nightmare for introverts these days 🥺the thought of all of the networking and 'going out for coffees' gave me more anxiety than learning the skills or the idea of building a portfolio 😂

I've been a Data Analyst for about 5 years now. My company is now working on replacing me with AI. They're buying everything needed for an on-prem LLM. It's just a matter of time before more and more companies do the same.

Becoming a data analyst isn’t easy, but it’s simple. You have to cut through the noise and focus on the biggest ROI things!!! 🎉

"You miss all the shots you don't take," is generally attributed to Wayne Gretzky -- a legend in the sport of hockey  (not basketball).

SQL is easier than you think. It can get pretty advanced, but the fundamentals of it aren’t as broad as it might seem. Take it from someone that has been putting off getting into DA for a few years, just do it. Even if you have doubts for whatever reason. Just do it.

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
-Wayne Gretzky, nicknamed “The Great One”, 20-season NHL ice hockey player & coach

Lastly stop wasting time watching steps to become a data analyst. Which exactly what I’ve been doing

This kind of honest before/after is what's missing from most "become a data analyst" content — most videos skip straight to the tools and never show what actually changed day to day. Curious what the biggest mental shift was once you landed the first analyst role, versus what you expected going in.

I love that I came across this; this is a very good video. I've been wanting to break into tech for a little while now and have been thinking about data analytics as one of my routes and researching it. I've been religiously practicing Python almost every day, and tbh it's not that bad, but it shows me I have work to do on my problem-solving skills. But I was going to dive into either Java or SQL next, but I guess SQL would be awesome to learn next. Good thing I'm ahead and know a little about how to use Excel, but I could learn more. You got a new subscriber, thank you!

Thank you Jess

Wow! Your energy is contagious. The information you delivered provided well needed value and clarity. I'm appreciative. You earned a subscriber.

I promise you I'll be in their position in a couple of months. Trust. 🙏🏿

That’s a very well put together presentation 🎉

This is great advice! Thank you so much

Thanks for the python tip as many job listings have that in it but I never heard anyone putting it into a hierarchy. I actually already have the Excel, SQL and Tableau so Python might be my next step but for others, that's very helpful info.

Thank you! I always feel I’m not ready :))

Great information. Just what I was looking for, Thanks!

Super useful thanks

Thanks for the video and the course!