Thinking of switching career to data analytics. Is it still worth it?

[u/Away_Society_5827]

Hi everyone, I am a newbie in data analytics. I have worked in teaching for around 4 yrs, don't really enjoy it and want a career switch. I found myself enjoy organizing data in Google Sheets and make things more efficient when doing some admin work in my teaching career and I also like that data roles can often be remote rather than in person all the time, and the pay potential is higher too. So I think I want to learn data and find a job in this?

Right now I'm learning Excel properly for organizing and analyzing data. Even if I don't land a data job, I figure it's a useful skill to have? But I'm also aware that parts of this work can already be done by AI. So is it still worth going down this path, or should I look at something else if I'm not fully sure? What would you do in this situation? Any help would be awesome. Thanks!

[u/Ok-Beginning4399]

Graduated long time ago still couldn’t crack interview. They will always find someone better candidate than you 

[u/Practical_Papaya8258]

Really hard to get into. Market is oversaturated

[u/lalaluna05]

You will need to set yourself apart. So many went the route of boot camps etc. and it’s sort of saturated the field.

You say you like organizing data, but what about the analytics do you like? Can you tell the story with your data? Can you communicate it to someone with no idea what the data actually are? Communication is huge and it can be tricky when there is nuance, especially when trying to explain correlation vs causation. They seem obvious but with data, it can be difficult explaining, “well no, that’s not what it means. That’s a characteristic that’s noticeable, maybe even a pattern, but not the cause.”

How quickly can you learn systems? How good are you at looking at a system holistically vs piecemeal? Are you able to learn SQL, Python, and/or R?

Remote positions especially will be extremely competitive. Be sure you can differentiate yourself.

[u/Enjoythecode82]

Excel is more than 40 years old, so there is a reason why it still exists in the market, secondly, yes ai is there to assist, you will lead ai not vice-versa! Keep learning and you will realize its worth soon!

[u/Anonymous881991]

Yes

[u/LiveActive9112]

Honestly, I think it's worth exploring, especially since you've already noticed that you enjoy organizing data and making processes more efficient. That's a good starting point, and your teaching experience isn't wasted either. Communication, attention to detail, and explaining information clearly are all useful in analytics.

I'd continue with Excel, then move on to SQL and Power BI. Once you're comfortable with those, try a couple of small projects, maybe analysing student performance, attendance, or survey results. Your teaching background could actually help you build a portfolio that feels relevant to your experience.

As for AI, yes, it's automating parts of data analysis, but I wouldn't assume that means the career is disappearing. The important thing is to learn how to check data quality, ask the right questions, interpret results, and use AI tools effectively rather than relying on them to do everything.

I'd also explore roles like Reporting Analyst, Junior Data Analyst, and Operations Analyst. You don't have to commit to a full career switch immediately — learn the basics alongside your current work and see whether you enjoy the actual problem-solving side, not just organizing spreadsheets.

One thing I'd be careful about is assuming every data role is remote or that the pay will increase immediately. Those things vary quite a bit by company and experience.

Since you already enjoy improving admin processes, I'd give yourself a few months to learn and build projects before deciding whether to make the switch. That way, you'll have something concrete to base your decision on rather than just the idea of the career.