Interviewing for Your First Data Analyst Role? Here's What Might Be Holding You Back I recently spoke with someone who said during an interview: "I'm open to new challenges." And in that moment, I knew they'd probably get passed over. - Not because they weren't smart or motivated — but because their answer was so vague, it could've come from anyone. In data analysis, your value is in bringing clarity, evidence, and real problem-solving. Generic lines don't show that. The Mistake Many First-Time Analysts Make When you're trying to land your first role, it's so tempting to stick with the "safe" phrases: "I'm a quick learner." "I'm detail-oriented." "I work well in teams and alone." But guess what? Hiring managers hear these every single day. They don't prove what you can do – they just show you know the buzzwords. What Works Instead Bring receipts. Talk about what you've actually done. Even if you've never had a paid data job, you can show the analyst mindset: Instead of "I'm open to new challenges," try: "I built an expense dashboard in Excel and Power BI using real financial data I sourced and cleaned myself, to practice tackling everyday analyst problems." Instead of "I'm a quick learner," say: "I didn't wait to get hired - I started learning SQL and used it on public datasets to analyze spending trends." Instead of "I work well in teams," share: "I worked with a peer on a project analyzing purchase patterns - we used GitHub to divide tasks just like in a real data team." See the difference? Now you're showing real initiative, practical skills, and evidence of how you Fully agree think. Great insight https://www.linkedin.com/posts/durojaiyeadebayo_interviewing-for-your-first-data-analyst-activity-7347882102119358464-MILB?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAFgZRrEBeVoqhfD_av4JtDNQy16P-0qg7_I

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With her impressive engineering and technical operations background, she will have many more opportunities coming her way!

Huge congrats to you James, and more income to come! 🚀