I’ve spent the last 10 years working as a data analyst, data scientist, and data engineer for some pretty cool companies like ExxonMobil, MIT, the Utah Jazz, and others. And the last 4, I’ve spent them teaching others how to land their first data job. My students now work at Apple, Amazon, Rivian, Tesla, and other cool companies. Let me share the 13 things I wish I knew when I was getting started. 💌 Join 10k+ aspiring data analysts & get my tips in your inbox weekly 👉 https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/newsletter 🆘 Feeling stuck in your data journey? Come to my next free "How to Land Your First Data Job" training 👉 https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/training 👩‍💻 Want to land a data job in less than 90 days? 👉 https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/daa 👔 Ace The Interview with Confidence 👉 https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/interviewsimulator ⌚ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 00:28 - 1. Your Skills Aren't Holding You Back 01:56 - 2. You Will Get Paid to Learn on the Job 03:25 - 3. You Don't Have to Know Everything 04:27 - 4. Who You Know Matters More Than What You Do 07:08 - 5. Your Domain Expertise Matters 09:20 - 6. Don't Take Job Rejections Personally 12:07 - 7. Data Job Titles Are Confusing 13:29 - 8. Data Tools Matter Less Than You Think 14:38 - 9. The Bookends of Analysis Are Most Important 16:14 - 10. How You Present Your Digital Self Is Important 17:42 - 11. All Industries Experience Cycles 20:11 - 12. Mentorship is the Shortcut to Results 22:11 - 13. You'll Never Stop Learning 🔗 CONNECT WITH AVERY 🎥 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@averysmith 🤝 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/averyjsmith/ 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/datacareerjumpstart 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@verydata 💻 Website: https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/ Mentioned in this episode: Join the last cohort of 2025! The LAST cohort of The Data Analytics Accelerator for 2025 kicks off on Monday, December 8th and enrollment is officially open!

To celebrate the end of the year, we’re running a special End-of-Year Sale, where you’ll get: ✅ A discount on your enrollment 🎁 6 bonus gifts, including job listings, interview prep, AI tools + more

If your goal is to land a data job in 2026, this is your chance to get ahead of the competition and start strong.

👉 Join the December Cohort & Claim Your Bonuses: https://DataCareerJumpstart.com/daa https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/daa