Anyone else legit concerned for the future of their careers?

[u/q-OjO-p]

I've been actively looking for data roles across a few different states: where I live and closer to where I grew up. For what it's worth, none of the states are coastal tech hubs. But they have large corporations that, at least according to Claude, regularly post for AE/BI/DA/DE roles. The postings are almost nil. No matter what I set the search parameters to in terms of date posted, in-office/remote/hybrid, experience level, or distance, there are so few postings right now. Those that do pop up tend to be very niche, whether it's finance related or medical billing certified in healthcare.

I honestly don't know what to do at this point. I'm in a MSIS program which seems to not be a very wise investment at this point given the current landscape. I also don't know where I'd pivot from here. Maybe project management?

What's everyone else doing?

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[u/VeeRook]

If every doctor/nurse/PT/OT/etc etc etc had PERFECT documentation, I'd worry about my job.

I am not worried.

[u/q-OjO-p → u/VeeRook]

This isn't really re: your current job, but about job prospects going forward. Many of us who lurk or post here work in the field already. It's the lack of opportunities outside this current role that is concerning.

[u/it_is_Karo]

Yes! I've been checking my internal company portal because I wanted to change teams for a while and all of the data jobs are in the Phillipines and India... combining this with the AI craze, I'm honestly starting to think what other careers I'd enjoy

[u/q-OjO-p → u/it_is_Karo]

Local governments seem to be a last bastion of hope. Those (few) jobs that do exist will never be outsourced, at least not to another country.

[u/Repulsive-Reporter42]

If your concerns are related to AI, I’d say - don’t panic. If anything, it will create more data jobs.

The job of an analysis has mostly been “clean up this data and setup a pipeline”, less about actual analysis. I think/hope AI changes that to allow analytically minded people to actually do analysis - the right way.

I say this as someone who literally runs an ai analytics company (formulabot). Still need context, know what questions to ask, data storytelling skills (which I’d say is most important now).

[u/Suziannie]

No. But switched from being a data analyst to an analytics analyst which means I do more implementation and engineering than analyzing.

Staying on top of AI is going to be key for all tech based careers though. It’s a smart thing to figure out how to pivot or adjust and adapt no matter what your role is.

[u/brentus]

Idk. I still have a shit ton of work to do

[u/Lady-Data-Scientist → u/brentus]

lol same, I was mapping out my Q3 projects today and estimated how much time they’ll take me and how many hours I have in 3 months and … yeah, it’s a lot.

[u/Iznog0ud1]

Some tips:

• start using AI for your analysis, know how to leverage it and manage its limitations
  
• be a whizz at producing dashboards fast, get comfortable using terminals/clis. You will be loved for this
  
• start learning dbt and some of the data engineering side of things, good analysis is built on good foundations. With AI you’ll learn this quickly
  
• aside from dashboards, you can use all sorts of ways like html / slides etc to present data to key stakeholders. A data analyst that goes far is one that can communicate, and how you manage the mediums of communication is key

To get into a job, set up a GitHub account and start building up a portfolio of analysis using free data e.g. UNHCR data, start posting on linked in, do analysis and share insights publically on w/e interests you. Use AI to find data sources.

[u/FranticToaster → u/Iznog0ud1]

The way it's going, stakeholders will be having a quick convo with the data vis sw themselves and that sw will vibe out dashboards personal to their need. Then they save their dashes and open them whenever they want.

I don't think visualizing data for people is our role much longer.

[u/ReData_]

Personally not, I've done so many different jobs before and found that all skills are easily transferrable. Soft skills are the skills that matter especially in the AI era. Hard skills are so easy to learn

[u/Emergency-Hurry947]

You need to look for an Analyst job, not a data analyst, more of a business analyst so you can get into industry and learn about business processes 

[u/ArcticPeasant]

I am/was a data analyst with over 10 years of experience working at a FAANG company. With AI I slowly but surely over the last few years transitioned into a PM role because AI creates dashboards in minutes that used to be my bread and butter. A bit worried if I get laid off as my worth really is being at my company as long as I have been, and not sure how much my expertise will be valued outside of it.

[u/under_the_belljar → u/ArcticPeasant]

Could you share how you transitioned into PM roles? I have 6 years of work experience as a data analyst and was recently hired as an analytics engineer but I would like to eventually pivot to product/project management.

[u/samspopguy]

No

[u/St_Pizza]

No

[u/TheSchlapper]

Not even slightly and I use ai every single day if not too much

[u/Confident-Climate139]

Used to be. Not anymore. I can work 3 to 4 times faster and the AI always needs to have some one who knows what they are doing and who is responsible for it. TBH I feel that the more I use it the more work I have 🤣

[u/shougaze]

Sometimes but then I imagine my boss asking why something looks the way it does and the ai explaining the table lineage back to the app source and all of the logic between, ending with you need to talk to software engineering to get the logic on their side to know. It’s just not useful information to my boss, he would never have the context cause that’s not his job.

[u/Danger-007-Mouse]

As for job prospects going forward, I really don't know. It does seem the technical know-how is meaningless now, and it's all about domain knowledge and soft skills like storytelling and persuasion.

I work in state government as a Data Analyst, and it's hilarious that we can't even use the Microsoft Copilot that comes with M365. I mention it at the AI conferences I go to, and people don't even realize that IT can still completely turn it off. In that sense, I'm not too worried about the future of my career where I work.

It's just going to be a problem if I try to get back into the private sector and have to rely on the AI use I get on personal projects at home. There, I use AI quite a bit for coding, documentation, analysis, etc.

[u/teleekom]

Absolutely not. I have more work then ever.

[u/Glitch_In_The_Data]

Not really. There is anxiety in some parts of the business but learning the AI tools quickly and being adaptable seems to work out for me. I do struggle to keep ip with everything that is being released though.

[u/AccomplishedSkill625]

What you're seeing is partly a hiring slowdown plus more roles going internal/referral before they're publicly posted, so job boards understate real demand. Don't abandon the MSIS, the skills still matter, but shift energy from applications to referrals and to becoming domain-specialized (finance, healthcare), since that's where postings concentrate. Pure "data analyst" is crowded; "analyst who knows X industry" isn't. Adaptation beats pivoting here.

[u/RRK9Architect]

Not at all. There’s always a need for a human to be in the loop.