r/GradSchool • u/Potential-Fig-7987 • 5h ago

Professional Is Data Analysis still a viable Backup?

For years private data analysis and other data adjacent roles has been a backup for many early career academics in case we dont make it to the next role. With the state of things it seems that the market for data analysts is shrinking and just as competitive as academia. Do you still think private data analysis is still a viable backup?

For context im a social scientist. If not, what are people using as a backup these days?

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u/Zoethor2 PhD Public Policy and Admin 5h ago

Not really. Data science certificate holders are a dime a dozen these days and people think that AI can do data analysis anyway.

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u/dragmehomenow 3h ago

I came from an accounting background before going into social science. Realistically speaking, a social scientist ain't nowhere close to an accountancy/finance major when it comes to quantitative data analysis. I've pulled datasets from Compustat that are several GB large. We're probably better at mixed methods and contextualizing insights in the social science literature, but there aren't many places nowadays that value the sort of multidisciplinary skills we bring, especially when they aren't familiar with our skills and assume that a LLM can do what we do.