How I went from English major to data analytics leader

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I was an English major in college and now I lead a data analytics team. Here are 3 ways I became a 'numbers person.'

I was an English major who somehow got through college barely reading any of my assigned reading. I was a bad reader, but a decent writer. I had trouble absorbing information in the classroom, but I could ace an interview to get internships and learn on the job. I can't whistle, but I can walk and chew gum at the same time. You get the idea.

My favorite part of this"pivot" is that despite working with numbers all day, I genuinely use my English degree more than I ever thought I would. This background actually helped me compensate for my technical skill limitations. The critical thinking I learned in school and the writing skills I developed gave me a massive leg up on the fact that I was still learning about data and new ways to perform analyses.

Getting hands-on with datasets in Sheets is an accessible way to gain experience in manipulating and calculating data. Even if your workplace uses Excel or a data visualization platform like Looker or Power BI, Sheets is an amazing primer for someone who is not familiar with working with large datasets and it will break down some math anxiety..

After you do the above...congrats, you're a data analyst: You've taken a question and used data to help draw a conclusion! You also went pretty deep on seeing how different calculations help you gain insight. You used math and you likely didn't cry!As a self-learner, it's crucial to ask every question that comes to mind. The good news is we live in the age of the internet and there is a good chance that many others have asked your"dumb"question before.

 

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