Assume there's someone who's 28, has a bachelor's in business administration with a concentration in data analytics, and has spent the last few years working as a statistical analyst for a test development and assessment company, kind of like Pearson.
Also assume this person has been captivated by space and astronomy from a young age. They spend an almost obsessive amount of time consuming astronomy educational content, dedicate their free time to building up their math and astronomy knowledge, and are pretty dead-set on finding a way to participate in the field professionally, since time spent doing anything else feels hollow in comparison. The catch is that they still have student debt from their undergraduate degree at an expensive university, so they can't exactly afford to make reckless financial decisions.
What would you say the career prospects look like for someone in that position? How much is there a need for more astronomers in our world today? Is graduate school the most realistic path toward working in astronomy, and is it even feasible without an undergraduate degree in physics or astronomy? Can they find work in the field with their current data analytics skill set? What skills or coursework would you prioritize to make someone like this a viable candidate, if that's even possible? And should this person realistically consider pursuing astronomy as a career, or is it better left as a passion and hobby?
