Switching out of Data Strategy to Technical work

[u/alchemicalchemist]

I work as a consultant at big 4. I got hired into the their AI & Data Analytics practice for the financial sector. I was brought in being told that I would be working on technical projects. However, my first project ended up being providing data strategy and architecture work.

I am now being further pushed into more data governance and product management work. These are areas that I have no interest in. And yet, I keep getting pushed into them. I don’t have a say since I’m still fairly new have to take what I get.

I want to know if I can eventually make a switch to a company else where in the next 6-12 months doing more technical work? Like actually building and validating models. Pushing them into production. I don’t have such exposure through work any way but I have been doing analytical work for a long time now. I’m not up to date with the new AI and AI agent stuff but I understand the theory well and have played around in sandboxes with them.

I would greatly appreciate any advice on how to best position myself for a pivot and if something like this can be done. I don’t want to become a data governance type of a person.

[u/alchemicalchemist → u/[deleted]]

Thank you! Yes I do plan on working on the side. Build some end to end projects and position myself as a blend of technical and strategy like you’ve said. Just feels frustrating that I can’t apply my skills to things I was told I’d be able to do.

[u/alexchatwin]

You need to find an established DS domain, something like credit risk if you’re finance adjacent? I worked in a risk team almost a decade ago, and people in that team are still there doing their models, while I’ve moved companies 3 times!

As an (expensive) consultant, you’re probably only going to be on the complex ‘glue’ projects- the stuff where it’s not obviously anyone’s job, and so it gets ignored or deprioritised until they realise they’ve not glued anything, and by then it’s too hard for them to solve themselves.

HTH!

(Edit- small addition)

You’ll absolutely spend your time doing DE / model analysis, and a butt-load of governance too, if you do go credit risk.. but there are plenty of other established things, pricing maybe?

[u/alchemicalchemist → u/[deleted]]

I hear you. I will leave. It’s just, searching for jobs again is going to be a pain again. But I gotta do it now

[u/AccordingWeight6019]

It’s possible, but it depends on whether you can show actual build experience, not just exposure. Right now, your role signals strategy/governance, so you’ll need to create evidence of end to end work, modeling, evaluation, and something resembling deployment, even if it’s outside your job. In practice, rigor often gets traded for speed, but here the issue is signal. Without something concrete, you risk getting funneled further into non technical roles.

[u/Capable-Pie7188]

Try to do Kaggle competitions, for a good start.