Career has been a constant struggle

[Career Compromise]

I spent the first year or so after uni deciding what I wanted to do through research and observing other people. I decided upon a career as a data analyst because I've always liked looking at data behind subjects that interest me and finding interesting facts. In a more general sense I've never liked the idea of sitting at a desk all day, but I encountered people who would be going out and about to meetings etc all the time and thought I'd like to do the same.

Around 18 months later I landed what I thought was a graduate data analyst role. When the paperwork came through I saw the job title was a more mickey mouse sounding one and the job was basically just sending out reports. There were 3 others doing the same job who were all graduates but then one left around 4 months later and an 18 year old got promoted into that role which basically confirmed it was a mickey mouse job that anyone could do. On the plus side I went to external meetings around once a month, would have preferred more but it was better than nothing.

Admittedly I'd been a bit lazy with my job applications prior to that job, but once the 18 year old got promoted I started applying for jobs every day. Despite this I ended up staying for 2 years when I finally got offered a genuine data analyst job.

The downside was that it wasn't a client facing role, but it was a big company so thought that opportunity could come later down the line. Another downside was there were no other data analysts in my division so I had to teach myself everything without really knowing if I was doing it right or not.

My boss and many others considered me to be very good at my job though. Around 3 years later I was still a one man band so thought it was a good time to move on. I had an interview where I was told my technical experience was good but not so much on the insights side. I also had an interview for a more technical job but found it very uninspiring. I like writing VBA macros and don't mind SQL but find the more technical stuff pretty boring.

Later on that year an analytics director was brought in who then became my manager. I thought maybe that was an opportunity to develop and grow, but he turned out to be the boss from hell who did his best to keep me away from the work I wanted to do. I started looking for jobs again with no success.

After 2 years of working for him I moved teams and gave up on looking for jobs as I thought it wasn't a bad place to be stuck now I had a better manager.

2 years after that my manager left and I had another boss from hell. I started looking for a new job again and had on average an interview a month but no offers. It was mostly for companies in the same industry but as time went on I decided I wanted to move to another industry because I'd grown to resent the industry I was in.

Then 2 years later I got made redundant. 6 months of unemployment followed, but I had an interview almost every week. There was one week when I had 5 interviews.

Most jobs were in different industries but at the same time I was contacted by companies and agencies about jobs in the same industry and as I was unemployed I couldn't really say know.

The job I ended up being offered and taking was in the same industry. Fortunately the job is more insights focused and its not a bad company to work for. The problem is I have no interest in the industry which makes the job very boring.

I've been there just over a year. I decided to stay for at least a year because basically I was exhausted from years of constantly job seeking with no success.

What I do have though is the constant dread of going to work. I'm questioning what's the point. I've persevered, not given up despite knock back after knock back just to end up in a job I hate.

I'm now 40 and thinking what have I done with my life and what can I do to rectify that. Admittedly I did genuinely want the job at the company I worked at for 10 years in the beginning, but everything else hasn't really been my choice i.e. I stayed there for 10 years because I never got offered another job rather than wanting to stay for 10 years and I left because I was made redundant rather than resign and I'm doing the job I'm in now because it's the only one I've been offered.

I want to do something I genuinely want to do. My original career ambition hasn't really changed, I just haven't fulfilled it.

 

[Slam62]

Yeah that's life, keep looking and try to find something that interests you outside work, work to live or live to work.

 

[throwaway4372]

Work aside for a second, what's the rest of your life like? Fulfilling?

 

[Stu999]

A lot of people feel like that, including me. Do you want to stay in the same sort of field or could you work in a different role?

 

[OspreyO]

Research and observing other people sounds more like UX and Ergonomics.

 

[Career Compromise]

Work aside for a second, what's the rest of your life like? Fulfilling?

Yes and no. There was a time when I basically put my life on hold so I could get my career started. In the 4-5 years between uni and getting the first genuine data analyst job I didn't go on holiday at all because I didn't want it clashing with a potential job interview and I wanted to make sure I had enough annual leave in reserve to take off for an interview.

These days I do value what I do outside of work more but it still takes over to some extent. I was out all day yesterday doing something fun, but in the morning I was getting anxious about the fact that when I get home I'll go to bed and when I wake up it's a Sunday which is the day I spend dreading the week ahead. I know this is something I need to address because it isn't healthy.

What does make me angry though is for example in December 2019 when I was still at my previous place I had an interview at 2 different places which both went to 2nd interviews which both involved tasks and presentations. As a result I missed quite a few social functions to do the tasks and preparation.

I suppose what's getting to me now is knowing that to get a more fulfilling job I need to go through the recruitment process again and potentially put my life on hold whilst doing it with no guarantee of a successful outcome.

A lot of people feel like that, including me. Do you want to stay in the same sort of field or could you work in a different role?

I'm thinking continue as a data analyst but in a more interesting industry.

 

[OspreyO]

If you are not being successful at interviews/job applications. You need to change how you are doing them.

Similarly if you are spending a lot of time on something with no result, you need to change this as well.

I would look at the CVs of people working in the areas you want to move to, they see what they have that you don't, and go out and get that.

 

[Holst1981]

I can totally relate to this.

I was working in a specific industry and although I enjoyed some parts of the job the stress and poor work life balance eventually led to depression.
Some industries are much worse than others and it took several job changes for me to figure out that I worked in an unhealthy industry.

I had a few months off work and now I'm doing something completely different and I'm much happier.

Sunk cost fallacy is real and sometimes you are better off trying something completely new.

Good luck.

 

[OspreyO]

I can also completely relate to this. I've come to a few cross roads and had to make a decision. On a path.

I've considered the data analytics route, I have the technical skillset but to be competitive (because there's lots of competition) I'd need to get a degrees or masters in it. But it's not my passion. I think you need to decide what your passion is.

 

[HangTime]

If you are not being successful at interviews/job applications. You need to change how you are doing them.

Similarly if you are spending a lot of time on something with no result, you need to change this as well.

I would look at the CVs of people working in the areas you want to move to, they see what they have that you don't, and go out and get that.

Reading between the lines it sounds like he's done about ~50 interviews with only 1 job offer, so certainly need to look at how to improve that conversion ratio.

As for the work itself I would be a bit wary of expecting the same role in another industry being more interesting. You could find yourself being a "data analyst" in an "exciting" industry but basically just churning out spreadsheets or whatever with very little insight. It really depends on what a given organisation wants from the role.

 

[OspreyO]

Have to say what interests me about my job is the tech, the IT. The subject matter of the organisation itself I have no interest in.

 

[Stu999]

Sunk cost fallacy is real and sometimes you are better off trying something completely new.

Fear of the unknown can be a big issue too along with perceived loss of status.

 

[mid_gen]

It does seem like you need to identify the problems with your interview technique and how you present yourself. 4-5 years between graduation and getting a job, in a booming industry, that's not typical.

What do you want out of a job? Even just doing Excel spreadsheet 'analyst' donkey work can get you £600+ a day if you want money. If not money, then what industries would interest you?

You talk about enjoying VBA Macros....sounds a bit like you need to update your skills. Look at what data science roles are looking for.....tons of work and money around in that area.

 

[dowie]

I spent the first year or so after uni deciding what I wanted to do through research and observing other people.
[...]
My boss and many others considered me to be very good at my job though. Around 3 years later I was still a one man band so thought it was a good time to move on. I had an interview where I was told my technical experience was good but not so much on the insights side. I also had an interview for a more technical job but found it very uninspiring. I like writing VBA macros and don't mind SQL but find the more technical stuff pretty boring.

Later on that year an analytics director was brought in who then became my manager. I thought maybe that was an opportunity to develop and grow, but he turned out to be the boss from hell who did his best to keep me away from the work I wanted to do. I started looking for jobs again with no success.

After 2 years of working for him I moved teams and gave up on looking for jobs as I thought it wasn't a bad place to be stuck now I had a better manager.

2 years after that my manager left and I had another boss from hell. I started looking for a new job again and had on average an interview a month but no offers. It was mostly for companies in the same industry but as time went on I decided I wanted to move to another industry because I'd grown to resent the industry I was in.

Then 2 years later I got made redundant. 6 months of unemployment followed, but I had an interview almost every week. There was one week when I had 5 interviews.

Were you looking for work during the period where you were told of the forthcoming redundancy too?

It seems like you're able to land interviews but either you're really bad at them in general or perhaps you're failing some competency questions or some technical/domain questions etc..?

If you're bad at interviews in general then try: https://www.toastmasters.org/

That should help with general confidence etc.. + there is plenty of material online about general competency type questions too.

If it's technical/domain questions then perhaps you need to hit the books a bit/check out some online courses? What subject was your degree in? Was it relevant to data analysis?

This should, in theory, be an area where there is a lot of demand right now and if you've got some experience then you ought to be able to land a job reasonably easily, though there seems to be some issue(s) you might need to address first.

 

[jaybee]

How many interviews have you gone to and not been successful in? A lot of interviews are a discovery and you can tell it's not for you and you kind of stop caring and don't give your best. Of those ones, it doesn't really matter how many of those there are. What do matter though, are the interviews where you gave your best all the way through, which you should be generally always doing where possible just for practice and to see if you get a favourable response/offer. Maybe, being very blunt, you just don't interview well. Maybe you nail the technical side but come across badly on the competency side or just general chat/personality. Have you had much feedback?

 

[d_brennen]

Echoing asking for feedback. Some employers gladly give it, some will ignore you

 

[Career Compromise]

Reading between the lines it sounds like he's done about ~50 interviews with only 1 job offer, so certainly need to look at how to improve that conversion ratio.

As for the work itself I would be a bit wary of expecting the same role in another industry being more interesting. You could find yourself being a "data analyst" in an "exciting" industry but basically just churning out spreadsheets or whatever with very little insight. It really depends on what a given organisation wants from the role.

I've lost count but it's easily more than 50. It was 24 in the final 2 years at my last company alone, there was rarely a moment when I wasn't either waiting to hear back from an interview or had an interview lined up during that period. Pretty sure I had more than 24 during my unemployment period and then there's the ones I had in the past.

I hear what you're saying. In the early days it was churning out spreadsheets and could have been any industry. As I've geared more towards insights though it's made me realise I have no interest in the industry I'm in. I take your point though.

It does seem like you need to identify the problems with your interview technique and how you present yourself. 4-5 years between graduation and getting a job, in a booming industry, that's not typical.

What do you want out of a job? Even just doing Excel spreadsheet 'analyst' donkey work can get you £600+ a day if you want money. If not money, then what industries would interest you?

You talk about enjoying VBA Macros....sounds a bit like you need to update your skills. Look at what data science roles are looking for.....tons of work and money around in that area.

I'm more concerned about the jobs I've not been offered in the 12 years since.

Money is a big factor but at the moment any industry seems more interesting than the one I'm in. I like my sports so any data analyst roles related to that would interest me. Transport and logistics is also one that appeals or anything geographical. I've become interested in mortgages the last few years since I first got one. Even retail could interest me, I've always liked the thought of optimising stock levels.

I have updated my skills from VBA macros. I've used things like Python and done a little bit of machine learning too, but none of that interests me. I much prefer VBA macros, but above all I much prefer providing insight over the more technical stuff.

Were you looking for work during the period where you were told of the forthcoming redundancy too?

It seems like you're able to land interviews but either you're really bad at them in general or perhaps you're failing some competency questions or some technical/domain questions etc..?

If you're bad at interviews in general then try: https://www.toastmasters.org/

That should help with general confidence etc.. + there is plenty of material online about general competency type questions too.

If it's technical/domain questions then perhaps you need to hit the books a bit/check out some online courses? What subject was your degree in? Was it relevant to data analysis?

This should, in theory, be an area where there is a lot of demand right now and if you've got some experience then you ought to be able to land a job reasonably easily, though there seems to be some issue(s) you might need to address first.

Yes, I never stopped looking in my final 2 years there.

My degree was in maths and statistics so yes relevant to data analysis.

It's often the case that if it's not one thing its the other. For example at one place I had 2 interviews back to back, the first was more competency questions which I did good at, the second was a technical interview which turned out to be sharing my screen and typing out code which I bombed. Another place they said I showed I'm clearly very good at the job but they didn't like the answers to the questions.

How many interviews have you gone to and not been successful in? A lot of interviews are a discovery and you can tell it's not for you and you kind of stop caring and don't give your best. Of those ones, it doesn't really matter how many of those there are. What do matter though, are the interviews where you gave your best all the way through, which you should be generally always doing where possible just for practice and to see if you get a favourable response/offer. Maybe, being very blunt, you just don't interview well. Maybe you nail the technical side but come across badly on the competency side or just general chat/personality. Have you had much feedback?

I've lost count, but it's a lot.

There have been interviews where I've walked out thinking I won't accept the job offer in the unlikely event I get one. That's usually either because it's become apparent it's not what it said on the tin or I really don't like the person who's interviewing me.

I don't know what I did differently in the interview for the job I'm in now but my boss has since told me I was head and shoulders above the rest of the candidates. The last interview I had prior to that I made the final stage but then never heard back. The one before that was also final stage and seemed very positive and were very complimentary about my skills and experience but was rejected because I seemed nervous. Also at the point of getting offered this job I was through to the next stage at 2 other places but both never got back to me with an interview date and I never bothered chasing because I'd been offered this job.

I would estimate I get past the first interview at least half the time so I must be doing something right there, but you're right that given my track record I clearly don't interview well.

 

[mid_gen]

I've lost count but it's easily more than 50. It was 24 in the final 2 years at my last company alone, there was rarely a moment when I wasn't either waiting to hear back from an interview or had an interview lined up during that period. Pretty sure I had more than 24 during my unemployment period and then there's the ones I had in the past.

I hear what you're saying. In the early days it was churning out spreadsheets and could have been any industry. As I've geared more towards insights though it's made me realise I have no interest in the industry I'm in. I take your point though.


I'm more concerned about the jobs I've not been offered in the 12 years since.

Money is a big factor but at the moment any industry seems more interesting than the one I'm in. I like my sports so any data analyst roles related to that would interest me. Transport and logistics is also one that appeals or anything geographical. I've become interested in mortgages the last few years since I first got one. Even retail could interest me, I've always liked the thought of optimising stock levels.

I have updated my skills from VBA macros. I've used things like Python and done a little bit of machine learning too, but none of that interests me. I much prefer VBA macros, but above all I much prefer providing insight over the more technical stuff.



Yes, I never stopped looking in my final 2 years there.

My degree was in maths and statistics so yes relevant to data analysis.

It's often the case that if it's not one thing its the other. For example at one place I had 2 interviews back to back, the first was more competency questions which I did good at, the second was a technical interview which turned out to be sharing my screen and typing out code which I bombed. Another place they said I showed I'm clearly very good at the job but they didn't like the answers to the questions.



I've lost count, but it's a lot.

There have been interviews where I've walked out thinking I won't accept the job offer in the unlikely event I get one. That's usually either because it's become apparent it's not what it said on the tin or I really don't like the person who's interviewing me.

I don't know what I did differently in the interview for the job I'm in now but my boss has since told me I was head and shoulders above the rest of the candidates. The last interview I had prior to that I made the final stage but then never heard back. The one before that was also final stage and seemed very positive and were very complimentary about my skills and experience but was rejected because I seemed nervous. Also at the point of getting offered this job I was through to the next stage at 2 other places but both never got back to me with an interview date and I never bothered chasing because I'd been offered this job.

I would estimate I get past the first interview at least half the time so I must be doing something right there, but you're right that given my track record I clearly don't interview well.

There's a lot to unpack here.

My background btw, is 10 years doing what used to be called Business Intelligence, building data warehouses mostly, for telcos, retail, wholesale, and then mainly investment banks. Got bored of it though and have been in the games industry the last 10 years.

Your interest.....sports, transport & logistics, anything geographical, mortgages, retail? Seems pretty broad. The most interesting analytics work I did was some new reports for Pret A Manger that broke down their wastage by product and store on a heatmap...it was pretty obvious which stores/products where the problem, and it immediately saved them some big sums of money. I can't say I really care about sandwiches though....does the actual industry matter?

If what you are really interested in is the actual data analysis, then you need to know your SQL/MDX, or whatever the tech is these days for querying relation and multi-dimensional databases. A lot of places will be using python/ML for getting insight from their data, but I suspect that majority of places are getting most of their useful data from plain old database queries still.

VBA macros are junk old tech and while some old places probably still use them to hold their reporting systems together with bits of string, that's not where the money or work is. It'll be in databases with an abstraction layer on top like Business Objects/Microstrategy (I may be showing how long I've been away from that industry here).

 

[Stu999]

If you’re interested in mortgages OP, there are literally tons of data analyst roles at banks. There’s always loads of demand. Shouldn’t be a problem to find something else.

 

[dowie]

Money is a big factor but at the moment any industry seems more interesting than the one I'm in. I like my sports so any data analyst roles related to that would interest me. Transport and logistics is also one that appeals or anything geographical. I've become interested in mortgages the last few years since I first got one. Even retail could interest me, I've always liked the thought of optimising stock levels.

I have updated my skills from VBA macros. I've used things like Python and done a little bit of machine learning too, but none of that interests me.
[...]
My degree was in maths and statistics so yes relevant to data analysis.

Almost certainly an issue with your interviewing ability then and perhaps a need to brush up on technical skills. You've got the right degree for it at least, plenty of "data analyst" types are more like developers who have rebranded, they can learn the relevant tools but often don't really have much understanding of statistics. Then again if the employer just requires someone to do some SQL monkey work or make pretty reports in Tableau or PowerBi then meh...

All the areas you've mentioned should have plenty of demand for a maths/stats grad who code, Python is quite popular thanks to things like Pandas, NumPy, PyTorch, Scikit-learn etc.. but you could be in a role using R too. The problem is "data analyst" can be quite a broad term ranging from roles that might otherwise be labeled "data science" through to the aforementioned monkey work.

Re: sports - there are some big gamblers/betting syndicates who employ statisticians, in particular re: football betting - AFAIK the pay can be very good and (AFAIK) might include participation in the gambling syndicate too.

You might still have some use for Excel/VBA, especially in banks, though you don't really have the domain knowledge/relevant experience it seems (maybe worth a shot tho...) - arguably if something can be done in VBA without too much faff then it's much easier to give a trader a spreadsheet that they can simply use right away than have them muck about with DLLs etc..