How To Break Into A Career In Data Analytics (Without Any Prior Experience) - w/ Sai

In this episode, featured not-expert is Sai Kumar. Sai is the Lead Data Analyst at Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina. Coming from an electrical engineering background, Sai managed to not only get into a top Data Analytics program at University of Connecticut, but also break into his current position without having any prior work experience whatsoever.I believe anybody who is currently in the job market can immediately appreciate what a gargantuan task that is - and Sai breaks down for us his exact strategy using which he was able to succeed. He also shares how he networked effectively, and grew his LinkedIn following to over 57,000 followers in just over a year. Finally, we also cover the exact resources and tools he used to break into his first data position. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the Ready Set Do podcast:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Resources:https://www.linkedin.com/in/saibysani18/jobhire.aisonara.aiTimestamps:(00:00) Intro + Background(01:22) Sai’s meteoric rise to 50k followers on LinkedIn within a year(05:52) Transitioning from Electrical Engineering to Data Analytics/Science(07:42) Curating profile for MS in BA admits using online courses(10:17) Masters experience + Job-hunting journey(12:27) Job Search Challenges and how to overcome them(16:58) Job-hunt regrets and lessons learned(19:30) Interview process for data science/analytics roles(20:55) How to prep for technical rounds in data roles oriented interviews(22:09) Platforms/sites for upskilling + practicing data technical skills(25:28) On having ZERO work experience as a huge hurdle & how to overcome that(29:02) On FAKE job offers 😮(31:17) Day in the life of Data Lead at BCBS South Carolina(32:19) Relevant tools & technologies for data analytics(34:23) Importance of efficient data cleansing + storytelling(37:18) AI Tools for Job Hunting and Applications(40:09) Giving back to the community + FAQs asked by students/job-seekers(44:08) Importance of mock interviews for technical expertise(46:19) Outro + Gratitude