Spencer Adair transitioned to a data analyst role after completing Pathstream’s Tableau Data Analytics Certificate. He is a new sales enablement analyst at Rheem Manufacturing Company, responsible for half of the country’s wholesale market data.

“I leverage our data to benefit regional sales managers. Essentially I extract the insights they need from the market and product data to close sales faster. I use data tools such as Excel and Tableau. At the same time, I also present to agencies, distributors, and vendors frequently, so I use PowerPoint decks/Google Slides.”

Before becoming a data analyst, Spencer worked as a Sales Director for a small restaurant group. While he found his previous job exciting and fast-paced, he wanted to build his data analytics skills.

“After COVID impacted our industry, I had time to invest in myself. I took the Data Analytics certificate to help me better do my job. During the program, I realized I wanted to inject more analytics into my sales role, inspiring me to pursue a sales analytics role.”

After much research, Spencer chose Pathstream’s program for several reasons. The program offered career guidance, interactive learning, and was delivered in partnership with Emory University, his alma mater.

“I was making a mid-career transition, which was intimidating. Career services drew me to enroll in the Pathstream Tableau Data Analytics Certificate. I leaned on the career coaches heavily, and their guidance was amazing. The coaches helped me condense my resume to focus on my relevant and new skills. They also introduced me to a former Pathstream student to learn more about the field. Ultimately, the career coaches helped me get my dream job, which combines sales and data analytics. They are very invested in helping you build your career, and I can still reach out to them for advice. The career guidance Pathstream offers is more effective than career services that you get from a college.”

Spencer described what stood out about Pathstream’s learning platform:

“I can’t sit still in front of a computer for hours. Pathstream’s learning platform is interactive and keeps you engaged with labs and different types of content. The labs were my favorite part of the courses and were very important for my career. I built an online portfolio of the data projects I completed throughout the program to showcase my data skills to prospective hiring managers. The data portfolio is instrumental to the hiring process.”

Spencer also shared one final piece of advice:

“I was always a hard worker, but the program showed me the importance of setting and achieving career goals. There is so much opportunity within and outside your organization, but identifying those roles or what skills you need to transition to a new field can be challenging. Enrolling in a certificate program was the first step. I learned how to use tools like Tableau, SQL and improved my Excel skills. The second step was getting the support of career coaches. They helped me identify the right opportunities, position myself to apply to those open roles, and I embarked on a new career path.”

Navigating a career path for success

It’s essential to take the time to identify what you are passionate about professionally to find the right career path. It’s a challenging yet rewarding process that can help you discover what type of work makes you feel fulfilled, engaged, and excited about life. But for many working professionals, the process can be confusing and strenuous. Pathstream is on a mission to give everyone access to a meaningful career. We work closely with employers to upskill thousands of frontline workers, identify their hidden transferable skills, and train them to grow at your organizations. Navigating your employee’s career paths doesn’t have to be challenging, and you don’t have to do it on your own. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you transform your workforce.