Ask Lemmy

Don't. Learn and specialize.

The issue with chasing what the 'hot' high paying easy to get into job is, it won't be around in 5 years. Data Science is past it's prime already.

Stop chasing trends. Build skills and find a company that invests in it's employees and stay there. They exist. They just aren't 'sexy'. A lot of companies who burn and churn employees are more visible because they are aggressively recruiting people and are easier to get hired at since they don't really care so much about quality vs quantity.

Stop looking for a 'cheat code' to an easy and high paying career. That shit doesn't work unless you have the social status and connections to back it up.

I have been a Data Scientist for almost a decade now. I pivoted my career into it after working as a chemist / software tester. I got my work to pay for me to complete a three year Master Program after which they gave me the title which allowed me to jump to other companies when I wanted more money. So it can be done and I am glad that I did it.

However, I stared my program in 2015 when Data Science was HOT. Now I mostly see Data Scientist being promoted in place from data analysis or other related careers. You only really get hired at another company if have 5+ years of experience. So if you really want to do this you will need your company to promote you and train you in place. There's a huge pool of people looking to get into it right now. Most of which did a coding bootcamp to upskill so those are mostly useless. They only really work for people with a PhD in some technical field where they learned a few tricks to get business knowledge instead of their academic data skills.

I'm in the same boat. I'm trying to go from frontend developer/designer to project manager. My advice is to look for certifications that are respected in the field and then acquire them.

Sidestep into engineering. Utilities and maintenance will exist for as long as there are utilities and a need for maintenance.

My pivot from IT was to go into a front line support role that I hated but used to show my other non technical skills ("soft" skills) and moved into a knowledge org in the company. From there it's building out your portfolio with accomplishments and objectives you did/helped on. I have since moved further away from tech and into a more public role and it is the soft skills which have allowed me to keep my job. Everyone knows the tech in IT - it's why we're originally hired. Being able to talk to people, to help them learn and/or grow, and have them like the conversation is what keeps me valuable.

It's not the path for everyone but hopefully this gives you some ideas on where to apply your non-tech skills and your ability to be a person instead of a filled fix-it role.

Buy this book.

"Discover What You Are Best At," by Linda Gail.

First the book tests you're natural abilities in things like social skills and mechanical problem solving, then shows you a list of jubs that use those skills.

For example, both nursing and hair dressing need good social skills and good dexterity. Two totally different jobs with similar skill sets.

I got pointed at a job I'd never considered, and ended up with a good career.

Got me. I pivotted to IT to begin with but it was early in my career and I could still live at home so I could pay for and take the time for cert classes without having to worry about needing to pay bills. All why you had an area that was actively looking for people. Only thing that seems to even have some thirst for workers that is not super niche is healthcare but im unsuited to that.

Any chance you can do a lateral move within your current work? Might be easier, but you’ll probably have to accept a “demotion” if you have less experience than the people already there. On the other hand, you don’t “lose” your job and have to go through the entire process of quitting and applying. Having established connections and know-who’s within the org might also make it easier to pivot.

My two cents: start your own shop. Find a customer segment that you care about and build valuable things for them. It takes a fair amount of effort, but I've learned after several layoffs that it's a lot harder to lose 10 customers than it is to lose one W2 job. Precarity is constant. Diversifying your income is a much better mitigator for a terrible job market than pivoting.

This is all assuming that you like your current line of work. If not, pivot sooner rather than later. Take an online course or watch a YouTube video, and then start doing the new thing to learn it. Build some case studies to develop and showcase your skills. What would a data science portfolio look like? What do other data scientists demonstrate on their sites? Learn enough to do that, and pepper in the current experience you have to differentiate yourself.

If you can, ask people you know if their workplace is hiring and which positions. I've gotten more jobs from the people I've met in the past than from sending my resume out to online listings.