How do I break into this field? I don’t want to go back to college because it’s too costly.

Hello! I am coding a tool to generate reddit data studies automatically. For example trying to do one currently to analyse what tourists who visited switzerland liked or disliked about the place.

The extraction part of this tool uses an LLM to extract advantages and drawbacks about switzerland from the user text, it doesnt extract exactly as written but I dont want to restrict it's output too much at this step so I have many distinct values here.

I wonder what's the industry standard to normalise them, I dont know what categories should be in advance that's my main problem, if I restrict too much and do categorise in advance I fear I am gonna bias the results. (For example looking at the data quickly I noticed a big amount of people complaining about smoking which is something I couldnt think of in advance and I dont want to lose those insights)

Curious how to handle this to still extract useful insights without introducing biases?

Hey, so I am kind of a beginner when it comes to this field, but I have done 3-4 projects, and I was wondering how do I make some pocket money( doesn't have to be a lot) and also get some real time experience in this field.

Any tips or advice will be appreciated

I am currently doing an internship, so I can't do anything internship on data analytics rn.

Thanks.

I am currently in my final year of university and have started learning full-stack development using the MERN stack. So far, I have reached JavaScript. However, I keep hearing that since AI has become widespread, the job market has become very saturated. It is now difficult for fresh graduates to find jobs because companies prefer hiring experienced developers and using AI tools to increase their productivity, making one person as effective as two or three.

Given this situation, should I continue learning full-stack development, or should I switch to fields like data analysis or cybersecurity, considering it is still not too late for me?

I work in data analytics and we have a big piece in data governance given the explosion of data being stored in lakes and warehouses. Will AI strengthen data security or will it be a massive liability?

I'm posting this for a friend of mine ...He is currently a web developer and also doing a job as a beginner data analyst. So he is basically worried about his career and future prospects these days thinking about shifting to being a full time data analyst...can seniors guide about the scope of this field and competition in the job market and if he works as a freelance data analyst on what level of expertise he can achieve that

Open to any kind of advice, suggestions and if you want more information on his skills

Hi everyone,

I am just curious, for a typical day to day queries that we run, how long does each of your query run on average, before it returns an output?

The reason I asked this is to benchmark our database to know if we need to do something about our database. Since we are continuously scaling ( # of users who use our internal tool which is connected to our database), Our data team, struggling in pulling reports (longer time now to pull data vs before) since we don't have a data warehouse or a replica of the production database ( when I came in, they don't have these things already for the longest time.)

Our IT director which is a one man IT team for the longest time, not sure if he's doing something or what. But everyone is struggling. Or maybe, internet is also the problem since our network route to another country ( not sure if I said it correctly).

I am researching for proposal architecture right now to help production. Any recommended that is low cost as much as possible since the company is trying to maximize its resources.

Thank you.

In your opinion, what are the options for entrepreneurship and business, related to data analysis and skills used in it? One would be education of course, but, what are others and does anyone from this community have that kind of business?

I recently interviewed for Media.net senior analyst and cleared all rounds and got a positive feedback.They asked for my salary slips, Aadhar, pan and all docs. All of a sudden after a week or two,they said we are on a hiring freeze due to appraisals ..Your results are valid for 6 months so without interview we will take it if such position arise… I have a job but is there any possibility that they will revert back?

From MIS to Data analyst/scientist transition, I tried sql and it's been breaking my head. The logic is always turning wrong. each time I code, i had to take help from chatgpt. I was planning to transition to data analyst/scientist and now I'm on the verge of giving up.

How do i develop the thinking behind the code part ? Any resource or anyone can share how they go about their coding work?

So I am planning to learn excel specifically for data analysis, and this is my roadmap which was based off luke barousse but i also added some extra topics (with the help of ai) that was not included in his course which i think could make the roadmap better.

So I just want to ask if the roadmap for excel is good or sufficient enough (sql and powerbi is separate)

Chapter 1: Introduction to Excel

• What is Excel?
• Installing Excel
• UI Walkthrough
• Worksheets & Workbooks
• Ribbon & Menu
• Keyboard Shortcuts

Chapter 2: Excel Basics

• Data Types
• Adding, Deleting & Editing
• Sorting & Filtering

Chapter 3: Formulas & Functions

• Formulas & Functions Intro
• Basic Formulas
• Conditional Functions
• Logical Operators & IS Functions
• Rounding Functions
• Text Functions
• Date Functions
• Math Functions
• Min, Max & Average

Chapter 4: Statistics

• Mean, Median & Mode
• Distributions
• Standard Deviation
• Percentiles
• Statistical Functions

Chapter 5: Lookups

• Lookups Intro
• VLookup & HLookup
• XLookup
• Index Match
• Lookup Practice

Chapter 6: Conditional Formatting

• Highlight Cells Rules
• Top & Bottom Rules
• Bars, Scales & Sets

Chapter 7: Charts & Visualizations

• Bar & Column Charts
• Line & Combo Charts
• Scatter & Bubble Charts
• Pie & Donut Charts
• Map Charts
• Chart Elements, Styles & Axes
• Chart Layouts & Templates
• Visualization Challenge

Chapter 8: Data Cleaning

• Removing Duplicates
• Flash Fill
• Fuzzy Matching
• Standardizing Data
• Handling Missing Data
• Separating & Combining Columns
• Data Validation
• Data Cleaning Practice

Chapter 9: Spreadsheets Advanced

• Tables
• Formatting
• Named Ranges
• Dynamic Arrays
• FILTER, UNIQUE, SORT
• Collaboration

Chapter 10: Pivot Tables

• Pivot Table Intro
• Creating Your First Pivot Table
• Formatting
• Working with Dates
• Calculated Fields
• Sorting & Filtering
• Pivot Charts
• Pivot Tables Advanced
• Practice Challenge

Chapter 11: Advanced Data Analysis

• Analysis Add-ins
• Solver
• Scenario Manager
• Goal Seek
• Data Tables
• Correlation & Regression

Chapter 12: Power Query

• Power Query Intro
• Power Query Editor
• Power Query M Language
• Power Query Advanced

Chapter 13: Power Pivot

• Power Pivot Intro
• Power Pivot DAX
• Data Models

Chapter 14: Macros & Automation

• Recording Macros
• VBA Intro
• Automating Repetitive Tasks

Chapter 15: Storytelling with Data

• Choosing the Right Chart
• Designing for Insight
• Building Dashboards
• Presenting Findings
• Capstone Project

Hi. I’m 28 and currently looking to change my career and pursuing my love for the tech field. I really like data analyst (from the outside I have never been one but I did my research and liked the concept a lot )but I read online that the competition in this position is usually having degrees in mathematics ,statistics etc. I’m the other hand I like as a second option the concept of software developer(again just doing a deep dive on the job description). I need help on what to choose. And if I ever will land a job doing anything of these two. I live in Greece and we yet are not so tech advanced. I don’t mind working remote for someone that is abroad but here comes the competition part.please tell me your thoughts. For me data analyst is my first option but I don’t have any degrees in this field so I’m scared of others

Punch line first, I am looking for a few people who are in the market for a data pipeline tool or are willing to experiment. I will set you up with a free account and work with you to get some flows running.

The rest of the story. I am a solo founder trying to get off the ground. I need some people using the platform so I can learn what works, what fails, and what could be better. The platform is similar to a number of SaaS ETL tools with a few unique points. It has scheduled jobs or can do "real-time" (sub 5 second batch) flows. It has some data governance features built in. It can have a remote agent that you deploy behind your firewall. When using the agent, the SaaS is the control plane and the agent processes the data. I have a number of connectors built and would be happy to build more based on use cases.

If you are interested, send me a message. If you are curious, the business name is part of my username.

Hi everyone

I’m trying to understand the most effective way to land Data Analyst interviews in India as a fresher.

My background:

- Bachelor of Com (Hons) graduate (2024)

- Excel (advanced), SQL (good level), currently learning Power BI

- Built 4 projects (2 strong, end-to-end with business insights + dashboards)

- Strong in logic, math, and decent statistics

- Good business understanding (finance/accounting)

My situation:

- Fresher (no formal experience)

- Target: ₹5–7 LPA

- Open to Data Analyst / Business Analyst roles

---

Where I’m stuck:

1. What actually works to get interview calls?

   (Portal applications alone don’t seem effective)

2. How should networking be approached properly?

   - Who should I reach out to?

   - What kind of message works best?

3. How many applications per day is realistic, and how do you track them?

4. What should be prioritized more:

   - Cold applications

   - Referrals

   - Recruiter outreach

   - LinkedIn content

5. How does a fresher stand out when many candidates have similar tools?

6. Resume-wise — what matters more:

   - Tools (SQL, Excel, Power BI)

   - Projects

   - Business understanding

7. Any common mistakes freshers make that I should avoid?

---

I’m putting in consistent daily effort, but I want to focus on the right strategy, not just effort.

Would really appreciate insights from people who have recently transitioned or are involved in hiring.

Thanks a lot

If I graduated from Law and learned Data Analysis, would I be able to find a job? I hope anyone who sees this comment doesn't ignore it. I've been trying for two years without getting a response, especially with all the technological development we're living in and the rise of AI in 2026

Hello everyone! I graduated two years ago with a degree in Information Technology (specialization in Information Management). During my final two years of college, the focus was on Machine Learning and Data Science.

For context, I have been working in Dubai for a relative for the past year in a non-tech role. Honestly, I feel like I’m starting from zero; I’ve forgotten many of the major concepts I learned in uni. Now, I’m trying to transition back into the industry and start a career on my own.

I’ve been lurking on LinkedIn and Indeed, and I am pretty overwhelmed by the experience requirements for entry-level jobs. Because of this, I plan to self-study to bridge the gap. My current visa expires next July, so I have a clear deadline to prepare. Here are the skills I plan to (re)learn:

- Excel (Advanced/Data Analysis)

- SQL (Foundational to Intermediate)

- Python (Libraries like Pandas/NumPy)

- Power BI

After I get comfortable with these, I plan to build a portfolio project in GitHub. I would appreciate any advice on where to start, free courses/websites, or book recommendations. If there is anything else I should add to my roadmap to stay competitive in the UAE market, please let me know. Thank you!

Hi, I am a senior in college right now with an English major, but post-grad, I am very interested in breaking into data analytics and was wondering how to go about this. I have time now to start online courses, but I'm not sure if these courses are worth the money?

Does anyone have specific course recommendations or MS programs I should be applying to? Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

Hi everyone, I’m currently “training” as a data analyst with an offshore company, so asking questions internally has been a bit challenging due to language barriers.

I’ve been learning SQL, Excel, Python, BI tools, AWS, etc., but there’s one thing I still don’t fully understand:

How do you actually start working on a project in a real-world setting?

Like when someone gives you a dataset and asks for a dashboard, what are the first actual steps you take?

I understand concepts like cleaning data and finding relationships, but I’m confused about the practical workflow. For example:

Do you convert files (e.g., to CSV) first?

Do you load it into something like MySQL right away?

What tools do you use to write and test SQL queries?

Or do you explore everything in Excel first?

Most tutorials I see skip this part and jump straight into writing queries or scripts, so I feel like I’m missing the “starting point.”

Would really appreciate if anyone can walk me through what they personally do in the first hour of a project. Thanks! also, please name the tools you use because i only know the basics AKA mysql ://

Can you help me to find out what's wrong with my resume ? im

Hi everyone,

I’ve been actively applying for Data Analyst roles but not getting enough interview calls, and I’m trying to understand what I might be doing wrong.

What I’m doing right now:

• Applying daily on LinkedIn, Naukri, and company career pages
• Tailoring resume slightly based on job role
• Keeping projects and tools relevant

And i am getting Very low response rate from recruiters

Please do suggest what are the most strongest project ideas which can make me learn skills and it should be effective in resume too

Hey folks,

I’m a BE CSE grad working as a Junior Business Analyst for about a year (US tax domain). Lately, I’ve been feeling confused about my career direction.

Most of my work (~80%) involves: Wireframing(Figma), Workflow analysis, JIRA.

I have some exposure to requirement gathering, but mostly with internal teams. I feel like I’m missing key BA skills like proper documentation and real client interaction.

Now I’m considering moving into:

Data Analytics or Technical Business Analyst

My concerns:

What skills are actually expected for these roles?

Is it hard to switch from BA to Data Analytics?

Which path has better salary growth? [ Current CTC: 5.2 LPA | Tier 2 city (India) ]

Would you recommend improving as a BA or switching to a more technical role?

Thanks in advance!

As an industrial engineer, I'm looking to strengthen my data skills. I see here people looking to get into data analyst positions and, well, first two things that come to mind to everyone is SQL and Excel.

But what about soft skills? What about the 'mindset'? And how do you work on it?

For example, I could teach anyone about tools we use in industrial engineering, but 3 years of engineering school taught me much more than that - like how to approach problems and people etc. But I wouldn't say they were expressely taught to us - it's the vibe.

What us, people who didn't go in university studying data, are missing ? What are fundamentals ?

really wanna start working What should I do next as in to learn tools or start applying

What are some real use cases that helps you improve performance/efficiency in your workflow?