seeking advice

srishtitoutam·Oct 04, 2023

Posted in:Advice Job Hunting Vents Career Growth

dear elpha community,

i'm a passionate data analyst actively seeking full-time opportunities all over the states. i've been on the job hunt for a while now & i'm tired of feeling like i'm stuck. i've been studying and applying for jobs all day for 3 months now and there's been no breakthrough at all. it's taking a toll on my mental health and i know i can do better.

any advice/resources/connections would mean the world to me. thanks in advance.

Briana·Oct 04, 2023

Hi Srishti, just FYI that I consolidated your two posts and made the tag here "Job Hunting" that you had in the other post - "Job Board" is for those posting positions. As well, I'm sorry about the toll this is taking - the market is super tough out there. Some things I've seen people doing are building a portfolio of work, even if it means doing it contract or pro bono for people. And another avenue to consider would be perhaps helping nonprofits that could really use your data analyst services, which will both give you more experience and perhaps even build connections while you're searching and while the market is in its current state.

Iynna·Oct 04, 2023

I am sorry you've been feeling like there's no progress. If you scan the latest posts on elpha, you will realise you really aren't alone and I hope it brings you some kind of comfort to know that it's not "you" per se... there's too much going against you eg too many other applicants, limited number of jobs etc. So all you can keep doing is optimising for your chances to be seen by firms/employers/people: building up the network, keep applying to roles, keep meeting folks and consider roles that are also data adjacent ie. you are looking for data analyst roles but perhaps the saame roles have different names/descriptions across companies due to the size of the firm, products built etc. And lastly, please check out elpha.com/jobs, elpha.com/c/job-board, and these resources: hiring.cafe, https://elpha.com/posts/qwyd7zxl/get-matched-with-a-remote-job, https://moderndatajobs.co/ built by a fellow elpha member @cndege

rachelserwetz·Oct 04, 2023

Hi there @srishtitoutam, job search can be difficult, but you absolutely can master it with the right guidance. I suggest 1) having a support system to help you (coach/mentor/peers/community), 2) balancing your time across key activities like networking with professionals at target companies, joining professional events, producing thought leadership, researching target roles/companies, and measuring/reflecting/pivoting on a weekly basis, 3) having an accountability plan -- set goals per week, 4) consider how many roles/industries you are applying to (if you’re pursuing multiple directions you may want to reconsider which path is the best fit and makes the most sense for you to pursue), and 5) do self-care activities to make sure your mindset is resilient. Here’s some resources with more guidance: https://www.iamwoken.com/post/follow-this-weekly-reflection-exercise-to-assess-improve-your-job-search and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXIbDy-6VAg&t=19sPS, I’m Rachel. If you want to discuss further, check my profile to book a call to dive deeper into your goals/challenges.

cndege·Oct 05, 2023

+1 on having a portfolio that can showcase your capabilities, even writing a blog or 2.I would recommend joining data focused slack communities such as dbt, data angels (women in data), or locally optimistic. Hiring managers will post and are open to being DM'ed!Also please consider having a few people review your resume. If you're not getting that first interview, this could be your bottleneck. Feel free to to DM it to me and I can offer some feedback.

kaitlingraham·Oct 11, 2023

I don't know of any opportunitiesI don't know of any opportunites right now, but I will keep you in mind if I come across any!