Data Analytics

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I have a bachelor's degree in geography, math skills up to precalculus and basic statistics and business math, and five years experience in GIS (geographic information systems).

After very little luck finding more GIS work since being laid off 5 months ago, I have wondered where I would stand in getting employment in data or business analytics.

Any pointers? Would I need a master's degree (or second bachelor's in another field)?

Maybe learn SQL? It's highly in demand in those positions. There are other skills you can learn which can give an edge in applying for jobs like this. Good luck!

How much do SQL analysts make in your area? I make around 85K in central Illinois and am wondering if this is a good salary.

Tim, "data analytics" and "data science" cover a wide range of mathematical and computing skills. Jobs at the low end require high school/ secondary school level mathematics, a thorough understanding of MS Excel, and some knowledge of Visual Basic programming. Jobs at the high end require advanced (i.e. graduate level) mathematics (especially probability and statistics) and computer science (e.g. programming machine learning algorithms).

There are some free courses available online, which might give you a better idea. See https://www.coursera.org/ , https://www.edx.org/ , https://www.udacity.com/ , and http://www.datasciencecentral.com/group ... enticeship . (If your mathematical background is a bit weak and/or stale, then see the courses at http://www.hippocampus.org/ .)

Across all levels, the ability to communicate is very important, especially the ability to communicate the results of complex analyses to a non-technical audience. Also important is the ability to manage one's workload, especially handling multiple assignments. (The areas of autism that affect me the most are those related to communication and executive functions .)

In general, if you have the time to spare, it is worth improving your skills in computers, ICT, and mathematics, even if you do not have a specific job in mind.

I like GIS, but it's a very small field.

These days, any college degree not in business, healthcare, or computer science is virtually useless. I have attempted Calculus I twice, but had to drop because I had trouble understanding it, plus I am rusty at trig.

Ha, yeah... If GIS is a small field, FM is just a shade tinier.

I wanted to make the leap to Analytics. Even with a degree geared toward it, I couldn't get a second look without actual experience in SQL or R, etc.
I ended up getting a break through a contact and becoming a system analyst and I'll get to do a bit of analysis later on the data within the system. Still in FM, but, at least I'm being exposed to SQL and real projections.

It's tough making the switch to a different field, everyone expects you to take entry level stuff to earn your chops, like your experience doesn't have value.

My counselor at school advised me to switch from a chronological resume to a functional resume. Rather than listing my main duties, I could call out the more transferable stuff.

I never took calculus or differential equations, so, I can't comment whether they'd be useful.

What's FM?

Oh, sorry... Facilities Management. We can use some of the same software tools on our campus as the GIS guys, though on a smaller scale.

Used to work in Engineering for a Facility, now I support Lease Managers and Maintenance Managers, great roles for the detail oriented and those who have trouble keeping focus.

What about a job as a market research analyst? Would I be able to do that based on my experience, even though my degree isn't in marketing?

I have tried applying to data analysis jobs, but I was told that my qualifications did not match their profile of their ideal candidate.

So I guess it's GIS or nothing.

Have you checked out Khan Academy? This helped me a lot when I was new to calculus. GIS can also be combined with computer science, since it's essential to most outdoor navigation tools.

Update: I am taking an Oracle class and a Java programming class this fall, and researching certification. Even then, I hope potential IT employers will overlook my degree being in geography.

Why not go for the BS in computers?

another update:

The Java class is going extremely well, and I have an A average. Unfortunately, the Oracle class was cancelled due to not enough people registering.

Oh, I'm SOOOO happy for you----it sounds like you're really getting into it (the class, etc.).

Here's wishing you the very BEST, of luck!!

The semester just ended and I have an A for the course!! !