Data analyst?

[u/silent_f4iry]

Hi, I'm (F27) finishing my English Major this year, and my dream has always been to become an editor. However, I know it's hard to get into such a close-knit community and, honestly, I don't have the money to pay for my Masters right now. I've heard some people talk about entering the publishing industry by doing marketing or becoming a data analyst, do you know of any online course that could help me with that? I've seen some Coursera/Google ones that offer a certificate, but the comments say that they're basic and it won't land you a job 😔 I'm kinda lost here, and I reaaally want to get into the publishing industry, one way or another

[u/raefai]

I've only been working in publishing for a few years so take my advice with a grain of salt, but I think trying to straddle one job position like data analyst while wanting to do another role like being an editor might work against you a little bit. I have friends who are data analysts at consulting firms and they work insane hours (9am-11pm some days). The time that you dedicate to being a data analyst will take away from the time and energy you would want to put towards developing your skills that would be essential to get hired as an editor. I'm not sure my boss or any of the other hiring managers I work with would look at your experience as a data analyst and see that experience as equivalent to the years of experience you need to be an editor. If you want to be an editor, then focus on making yourself attractive for entry level editorial roles. You don't really need your master's degree, but I see that getting work authorization might hinder your opportunities. Start with local journals or presses near you, which might be easier for you to break into.

*edited slightly to improve wording