Career Change... Grad Cert. in Data Science/Engineering/Analytics?

ChickenDinner123 on 06/07/2021 - 14:41
Last edited 06/07/2021 - 14:54

Hi folks,

As the title suggests, I am looking for a career change from my current unrelated blue-collar job. I have also recently graduated from a science degree (chemistry/biology) after completing it part-time and have undertaken a Intro to Data Analytics subject and a Python/Java programming as one my final electives.

I am looking at doing a graduate certificate in Data hoping to get a job as a Data Analyst and work my way up while I learn the skills and tools on the job. I have applied for the ANU Grad cert in Data Engineering ($4k) and a Grad Cert of Data Science at Newcastle Uni ($2.5k). Unfortunately they are both 1 year part-time and would have preferred to smash it out in 6 months if possible.

I am not yet ready to commit to a full Masters which would be extremely expensive and time consuming until I am 100% sure of the job prospects/outcomes. Ideally I would like to work in a government role so that I can get paid decent and hopefully get them to pay part of my masters if I decide to go pursue it.

Will a grad cert. be enough to get into a data analyst position? How can I strengthen my application over the next 6 - 12 months to ensure the best outcome? Does university name and prestige have any relevance on the job? Will a grad cert from say UNE or CSU be okay vs. Anu?

Education & Work

Comments

  • jv on 06/07/2021 - 14:42
    -3

    and would have preferred to smash it out in 6 months if possible.

    Just do one of the many free Udemy courses.

    • ChickenDinner123 on 06/07/2021 - 14:44

      Does that help in getting an entry level data analyst job? I understand most people recommend doing some of the MOOCs but I feel like it isn't enough to get recognized by the recruiter in todays market.

      • jv on 06/07/2021 - 14:48

        Does that help in getting an entry level data analyst job?

        Depends how much you learn and understand to get you through the interview…

  • jv on 06/07/2021 - 14:43
    -3

    Anyone have any salary figures that I can expect over time after my first DA job?

    here…

    • ChickenDinner123 on 06/07/2021 - 14:45

      Thanks but thats for a District Attorney job lol? I meant data analyst. :)

      • MrKnowItAll on 07/07/2021 - 16:55

        My substantive role is a reporting type role and that pulls in just under $100k (award wage so gets leave, loading, etc. on top), managing a team of two analysts (yet to hire 1 and i'm acting in the higher role so it's just me) gets 115k but that's salary so includes the extras already.

        This is a private healthcare org and these roles are not technically analysts per se - it's a hybrid arrangement so not sure what the going rate might be elsewhere, I've never worked in this capacity anywhere else.

        • ChickenDinner123 on 07/07/2021 - 17:24

          Thanks for replying mate. Can I ask roughly how many years of experience it took to get where you are? How do you find the workload and subject matter, Is it a steep learning curve from what you learnt at uni?

          • MrKnowItAll on 07/07/2021 - 17:38

            @ChickenDinner123: My path was a little unique in that respect as I worked my way up the ladder slowly - starting out, of all things, as a storeperson (for 1 day) and then moved into a very basic reporting role as someone was seconded for a few weeks - loved it and self learn excel, VBA, Power BI, Tableau, SQL, etc. as I went. Eventually they saw value in what I was doing and kept me on in a few capacities until there was a recent restructure where they created an "intelligence" department which I slotted into.

            The workload at the moment is fairly intense being the only person doing what I do and, being healthcare, covid has made my workload even more intense, but with some creative time management (logging tasks in Trello, using calendar events, detailed note taking and automating whatever I can) I've been able to do it fairly well so far. Some days are made up of grunt work where you do repetitive and manual tasks that can't be automated but I live for the challenges in life and just remind myself the next one is only around the corner and that's keeping me going.
            Looking forward to when covid pisses off (if ever) so I can get back to the more meaningful work instead of reporting on PPE levels and stock obsolescence.

  • netjock on 06/07/2021 - 15:05

    I have also recently graduated from a science degree (chemistry/biology)

    Now you want to go into IT. Do you like anything you have done or what you are proposing to do?

  • ECE on 06/07/2021 - 15:11

    Data is the way 😷

  • tomcat83 on 06/07/2021 - 15:16

    Can't really answer your query but I've just enrolled into the data science graduate certificate at unisa (thanks Commonwealth govt!). You may have luck getting an entry level analyst role, tbh analyst is so broad that it really depends on the role. I have virtually no coding skills outside of vb macros and have been a commercial analyst, financial analyst and business analyst for the last 5 years (my background before that was in corporate accounting)

  • isthisreallife22 on 06/07/2021 - 15:42
    +1

    I've hired data scientists - you sound like you have an interesting background which is always appealing when hiring for what is frankly still a novel career path. E.g. the fact that you can tie blue collar with biology and then also data analytics makes you appealing for innovative teams, startups, or even just an org looking to gain an edge from out of the box thinkers e.g. financial services, travel, telco, etc.

    I'd go for it but maybe work backwards from how you plan on selling yourself

    • ChickenDinner123 on 06/07/2021 - 17:36

      Hi,

      Thanks for the response. To be honest, I started the degree over a decade ago and recently went back to finish it so I can move on to something new. My current job is completely unrelated to my degree lol.

      I'll definitely do some more research and will stalk a couple of linkedin profiles to see what other people have done.

  • Jagernaut on 06/07/2021 - 16:33
    +2

    I am actively hiring data analysts and would look at someone with a GradCert for a junior role. Don't seek to rush through it, spend your time and do some useful projects as part of the course as this is what you will be talking about with an interviewer. Focus on applying to an organisation that is broader focussed than just data analytics, i.e. bigger consultancy, so that your earlier skills are also viewed positively (rather than just an interesting pathway). There is a lot of data crunching in areas related to chemical engineering and biology - try to combine your skills for your initial job and pivot from there.

  • Donaldhump on 06/07/2021 - 16:50

    how is the ANU grad cert only 4k?

    it is $17,906.00

    an entire master of data science at usq is 14k, as its commonwealth supported.

    • tomcat83 on 06/07/2021 - 17:26

      In fairly sure it will be Commonwealth supported @$4k under the covid short course subsidies the govt put in for 2020 and 2021. I know my grad cert in data science is Commonwealth supported and fees are very similar.

  • Orico on 06/07/2021 - 17:23
    +1

    I honestly don't recommend doing data science/software engineering if you have no talent in maths and problem solving. It's a boring and uphill battle to like and upskill in something as dry/bland as discrete maths and statistics. I'm a calculus kind of person but I fell asleep in all my stats and discrete math lectures.

    science degree (chemistry/biology)

    Yeah, there's no relation between doing IT/computer science to what you studied. It's a completely different learning experience and chances are you're going to struggle if you've never done programming or hardcore maths before.

    A lot of engineers try and move into the field of data science and get bored out of their minds because there's no physical design aspect of it and it's a different type of maths. Programming side of it also gets quite tedious when you've been an electrical or mechanical engineer for all your life.

    Since you are coming from a science background, you can definitely use data science/analytics in your field, but dont' be afraid to pursue a career as a medical researcher which is far more exciting, hands on and rewarding in my humble opinion.

    Does university name and prestige have any relevance on the job?

    A lot of companies look for people with drive, intelligence and specialisation in computer science, maths/stats and software fields. An ideas person is also very useful and someone who brings creativity, positivity and inclusiveness to every discussion.

    Source: I have degrees in science, engineering and computer science/data science.

    • ChickenDinner123 on 06/07/2021 - 17:31

      Hi Orico,

      Thank you so much for your response. I agree the bulk of my degree doesn't have much to do with IT/Data but I do have a bit of passion in technology. I started the degree over a decade ago and so really only went back to finish it last year so that I can move on to something new.

      Towards the end I did do a Intro to Data Analytics subject (played with KNIME, Python and a bit of pandas) and also did another programming subject (did mostly java). The rest of the degree did involve data analysis of large files with excel and other proprietary programs so I'm not afraid of hard maths.

      Compared to my current job, anything is more interesting :)

  • ColtNoir on 07/07/2021 - 10:40

    I stumbled into Data Analytics about 5 years ago, after working my way up from the call centre at work. I was lucky enough to get a Junior position, designed around teaching me on the job.
    Prior to landing the job I did some free online learning SQL courses. In my initial interview, I actually bombed the SQL test, but I was able to demonstrate that I had at least tried learning the skill, and did quite well in the more generalised problem solving questions.

    What I have learnt the most over the last 5 years is that it's not always the most technical people that thrive in the job, it's the people who have problem solving abilities. The people who can break down a question into something actionable items do the best, and then being able to communicate actionable recommendations to stakeholders.

    The job market at the moment in analytics is so understaffed right now (due to lack of immigration), I'd honestly take a crack at applying for some entry level jobs, with the assumption you'll skill up with on the job experience and your grad cert. Make sure you write a cover letter showing your reasoning for applying.

    Good luck mate.

  • ag1 on 07/07/2021 - 23:55

    I work as a Data Engineer and came from a non-traditional background. Originally worked as a management accountant and hold a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics.

    Will a grad cert. be enough to get into a data analyst position? How can I strengthen my application over the next 6 - 12 months to ensure the best outcome? Does university name and prestige have any relevance on the job? Will a grad cert from say UNE or CSU be okay vs. Anu?

    A Grad Cert would technically qualify you for junior roles although beyond the formal qualification it doesn't hold much weight. This is a career that I believe requires an innate technical aptitude, passion for learning and a genuine interest in the work. Demonstrate this to recruiters and you will be competitive.

    Strengthen your application by learning the core tools of the trade. This includes intermediate excel (pivot tables, index match, lookups etc), advanced SQL (absolutely critical for a data career), basic relational database theory and Python or R (both is ideal but not necessary). If you are targeting a data analyst career then a data visualisation tool would also be necessary. I would recommend learning Power BI. If you want to go above and beyond there is the option of gaining a Microsoft Certification - E.G. Microsoft Certified: Data Analyst Associate. Lastly, ​I would recommend starting a GitHub portfolio and including this on your resume.

    In my experience university prestige holds almost no weight but this might not be the case if you are applying to more competitive organisations.

    Happy to answer any questions and good luck!

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