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Maybe look into a masters in business analytics?
I’ve heard those aren’t very useful because they’re not quantitative enough. I can already probably do an analytics role once the market picks up (I have experience building Python scripts and doing analytics for deals at large companies), so I’m looking more to go for the higher paying data science/ML engineering roles
What you've outlined is typically within the realm of a data analyst, a role that many businesses equate to that of a data scientist.
The swift progress in Large Language Models (LLMs), especially in areas of code development and model creation, is steering business analytics towards a more user-centric approach.
Your aim, it seems, is to create a career path that is both future-proof and fulfilling. The lines separating Data Analysts (DAs), Business Analysts (BAs), and Data Scientists are increasingly blurring. While Data Scientists in the business sector are tasked with developing models, they often do not engage directly with business intelligence aspects.
Moreover, I would argue that a master's degree is not a necessity; specialized courses in business intelligence and project management alone can sufficiently qualify an individual for these roles considering your current experience. You can have a portfolio and a CV reflecting your expertise with data and not focused on finance.
What kind of data science roles are you looking for? Are they mostly data analyst type of roles or more of ML modeling? If latter, it might be that you don’t have experience with ML models and what you have mostly done is data analysis and visualization at the best. So firstly narrow down the roles since data science is a very broad term. Other suggestion would be to look for such roles in financial industry, I’m sure they will appreciate your existing degree with python experience.
So speaking very broadly, what I’m passionate about is using data to make intelligent decisions and improve efficiencies. The reason I got into finance/accounting is because they’re the numbers-oriented side of business and I was hoping that forecasting, etc would combine these passions.
The problem I’m having is financial forecasting in practice is based on very simplistic “modeling”. You basically use a few assumptions and use financial jargon, like days inventory outstanding, to spin a narrative to stakeholders or buyers of your business.
What I hope to get from a data role would be:
1. Being more free to do independent data exploration and not just be confined by random revenue assumptions the CFO wants to show to board members.
2. I want it to be a bit more objective/results-driven. I know corporate egos are everywhere, but end of the day, if your algorithm doesn’t effectively predict churn, it’s objectively wrong. A lot of finance/other business roles are fluff and political in terms of how people see your product.
3. I want to keep being strategic and be an expert in terms of using my domain knowledge to inform decisions. I briefly did a “ticket taker” style analytics role where I was just ETL-ing data and building excel/PBI dashboards for non-tech savvy people and it was hell on earth. Working with people who think programming is magic and can do anything with a snap of a finger is exceptionally frustrating.
To me, it sounds like Data Science and ML Engineer are the way to go. Just trying to figure out how to get there ASAP. I have the programming baseline skill and absolutely have the domain knowledge/communications skills. Just need to prove to employers that I can do the quantitative piece now too
Georgia Techs OMSA degree is exactly what you are looking for.
I got about halfway through the program before switching to the OMS CS program, but OMSA is fantastic.
Top 5 CS school
10k total cost
All online
You can take the first three courses for credit before applying to see if the program is right for you. Completing those three courses basically guarantees admission.
There are some requirements you may have to catch up on to succeed in class like linear algebra, but not needed for admissions. The program has an “easy to get in, hard to get out” philosophy.
I also was a CPA and transitioned to analytics consulting after completing 3 classes of Omsa. 10/10 program. Happy to answer any questions but also suggest checking out the subreddit r/OMSA. The community is HUGE and it is pretty easy to feel connected to other students.
As far as coding goes, that about covers it. I would pick a cloud platform though and do a dive into DevOps and data warehousing. Being able to manage an analytics team doesn’t involve much writing code, but lots of reviewing code. Be able to define requirements, architect solutions, translate to developers, and manage the deployment lifecycle is what will land you director roles and bring in the money. IC work like coding and data analysis will only get you so far