From software engineering to data analytics: Why I'm making the switch

My journey into Data Analytics has been unconventional, to say the least. You see, I started out as a radio DJ many many years ago. Believe it or not, it was my goal in life to play music for others, and I loved every minute of it! Fast forward a few years and I find myself doing tech support at Earthlink Inc. in Pasadena, CA. This led me down my eventual path of software engineering. If you ask me why I want to transition into data analytics and forego any possibility of being a software engineer in the future, I would probably lie and tell you I'm just tired of working on websites. Yes, I've tried my hand at other things like Mobile App development, but I've come to one conclusion. I just really like working with Data! I've always been somewhat of a database nut, but analytics opens up new horizons with opportunities to use some of my other skills such as communication and story-telling. But beyond that, there are other reasons for switching to a data role from an engineering background such as:

1. Job Security: While AI is predicted to replace untold numbers of software engineers, the data sciences will continue to explode for the foreseeable future.
2. "Too much programming will make you retarded": That's an actual quote from an ex-software engineer who was being interviewed for television. He went on to say that programmers "need to get girlfriends". Kidding aside, programming is fun, but so is communicating findings to stakeholders so that they can make informed data-driven decisions. Data analysts get the best of both worlds.
3. Your work REALLY matters: If you feel like you wasted the last year working on a widget that the company eventually decided to scrap, you may be suffering from 'cog in a machine' syndrome. When you feel like your work doesn't matter, you suffer. And what matters more than being able to influence the direction of a company from your data insights and story-telling abilities? Rather than being stuck in the corner working on that widget with no one to talk to, it wouldn't be unusual when working in a data role to report to C-suite executives themselves.

All in all, data analysts just have more fun!