Sharia Rahman’s career took an unexpected turn after graduating with a degree in biology and working as a pharmacy technician. Feeling lost and unsure of his next steps, Sharia discovered the potential of a career transition through a certificate program.

“I wasn’t sure where to go next and felt lost. Then my uncle told me I could take a certificate program and learn new skills to transition careers. Despite my initial skepticism, I quickly realized that data analytics might be a good fit since I got to work with data, which was my favorite part of biology.”

Enrolling in the Emory Business and Data Analytics Certificate program, Sharia embarked on a transformative journey that would open doors to new possibilities.

Finding the right career path

While pursuing the Emory program, Sharia secured a position as a personal banker at a credit union. This experience further fueled his motivation to excel in data analytics, knowing that his current role was not his long-term aspiration.

“In the meantime, I got a job as a personal banker. This decision motivated me even more to study hard and pursue a data analytics career because I knew I didn’t want to work there long-term.” 

Sharia’s dedication and hard work paid off as he transitioned to an asset management analyst at Credigy.

 “All my hard work paid off because I am an asset management analyst at Credigy now.” 

Taking advantage of Pathstream’s career resources

Throughout his journey, Sharia received invaluable guidance from his dedicated Pathstream career coach, Angelica. With Angelica’s assistance, Sharia took ownership of his career path, revamping his resume, honing his interview skills, and presenting himself as a competitive candidate.

The support provided by Pathstream’s career support system became an essential factor in Sharia’s success, enhancing his confidence and helping him excel during the interview process.

“Angelica was helpful and personable. She would review my resume, help me clean it up, check in on me, and teach me how to sell myself during interviews. After working with my career coach, I passed the first stage of interviews a lot more. My only regret was not reaching out to the career coaches sooner. Pathstream has a great career support system.”

Building a strong skill set to land the job

Sharia’s background in the financial sector proved advantageous during his job search, as potential employers recognized the value of his banking experience. He encourages aspiring data analysts to expand beyond specific industries, emphasizing the high demand for data skills across various sectors.

“Potential employers were more receptive to meeting with me when they saw I had banking experience. But I don’t think that should deter you from applying for different opportunities. The demand for data analyst skills is high in every industry, so whether you’re changing careers or looking for a data analyst position at your organization, you need to focus on picking up the right data skills.” 

Sharing an impressive example of his abilities, Sharia recounted an incident at work where he utilized his data analytics skills to rectify a glitch in the data cleaning process. By leveraging SQL’s update command, he saved time and ensured the timely delivery of critical reports.

“At work, we use Easymorph to automate the data cleaning process. However, it glitched, and I used the update command in SQL to fix the data so that we didn’t have to re-upload it and restart the process. They were surprised with my skills, which kept us on track to deliver our end-of-month report.”

Future ambitions and continuous professional growth

Sharia envisions a future as a senior analyst. He remains committed to continuous learning and plans to capitalize on the available upskilling opportunities.

Sharia intends to pursue a data science master’s degree and utilize his company’s access to an extensive library of courses through LinkedIn Learning. Expressing the importance of employer support, he highlights the value of a tuition assistance program in facilitating career advancement.

“I want to become a senior analyst in the future, but in the meantime, I will take advantage of the free upskilling opportunities at my disposal. I plan to pursue a data science master’s in the future. My company currently offers access to an extensive library of courses through LinkedIn Learning. If my organization provided a tuition assistance program, that would also be a valuable benefit.” 

His final piece of advice to students:

Sharia’s journey offers valuable insights to students embarking on their own data analytics path. In addition to dedicating time to study, he emphasizes the significance of maintaining personal well-being. Engaging in activities that clear the mind, such as hiking, helped Sharia unwind and reset, enabling him to approach his studies with focus and renewed energy.

“Keep yourself healthy. The program requires a lot of your time, and I recommend you commit to a hobby that clears your mind. I spent a lot of time hiking, and it helped me unwind and reset.”