“I want to progress in my data career but I have no idea what I could be doing next. I feel like there aren’t any role models for me, there isn’t a clear path I can follow.”
This has been such a regular comment in recent client calls that I decided it’s worth tackling in this newsletter.
Welcome to a (fairly) new industry
Our data industry is still pretty new and evolves constantly. Compared to more traditional sectors (e.g. medicine, law, accounting) there isn’t a set of pathways you can pick from.
That makes choosing daunting, confusing and leads to many data people feeling stuck, if not paralysed. What the heck are you supposed to do?
See the opportunity to shape your own path
The beauty of uncharted territory is there are massive opportunities to shape a path for yourself. Sounds scary? It can be as simple as expanding your existing role to include more of the things you love and more of the challenges you want to tackle.
You can be part of the conversations inside your organisation, defining career pathways for data professionals, ranging from junior to very senior technical experts. Your input could make a huge difference!
How to tackle this challenge right now
I think you get the point, so here is a 3-step process you can use to get yourself unstuck:
Step 1: Assess where you are today
- What are your strongest skills?
- What experience do you have?
- What do you enjoy most in your job?
- What challenges excite you and would you like to focus on next?
Step 2: Research your options and network
- Look at the technologies you currently use and research the vendor companies:
- What skills do they hire for?
- What are those roles called?
- What are some of their priorities?
- Now look at competitors, other partners (e.g. consulting firms) and collaborators of your organisation: What do the people do who you have contact with?
- Attend events, in person or virtually, and learn more about the people who present interesting topics
- Network! Connect with people who have interesting jobs, e.g. those who presented at events you attended, but also people you read from and follow online.
- Ask them about their jobs
- Ask them what the most important skills are someone should bring to the role
- If the opportunity presents itself: ask to be referred for a job if you hear about an opening or if the person can introduce you to others worth speaking to
Step 3: Write your own job description
- This is the secret sauce: Once you’ve done your research and you’ve had conversations that sparked something inside you, write your own job description
- Not for the job you have, but for your ideal next job.
- If you want to stay in your current company, chat with your manager about how you can incorporate some of the things you’re missing into your current job.
- If you want to move to another company, use the job description to identify a good fit and to drive the conversation about what you’re looking for.
And that’s all for this week. I hope you found it useful and I look forward to hearing what you come up with.
If you’d like to save yourself time during this process and have the input of an experienced career coach who has ‘been there, done that’, grab a 30min slot on my calendar and let’s talk!
Have a great week!
Eva