…go to school for another year and graduate with a BS in Information Systems.
My situation: went to school for psych with hopes of gaining acceptance into a (paid) grad program. Ended up having to work almost full time for the entire duration of college = did not acquire any research experience.
I still managed to keep an almost perfect GPA (3.9 accumulative, 4.0 major), however continuing on with higher education does not seem like something I would want to do, especially since I would have to take out even more loans than I already have.
Moving forward, I have always had a knack for IT/Computers, so I looked at my school’s (DePaul) Info Systems program and saw that I could get the major if I went back to school for another year of undergrad. I have since taken classes pertaining to data analysis and IS, however, acquiring the major would mean another year of school plus another 12k in debt.
So I guess my question is this: would it be possible for me to find a suitable job if I graduated at the end of this academic year with the Bachelors in psych and only a minor in either Information Systems or Data Analysis (a career in the “field” of psych is not a priority). Or would it be best for me to carry on and do another year of undergrad and Major in IS?
More about me: I tutored statistics at DePaul for credit and received an “award” for this, I currently have an internship as an administrative assistant at a small psychology firm, and I have work experience in warehousing and manufacturing, as well as experience as a lab assistant and years in customer service.
With your experience and only the education you are on track to finish this year, you are in a good position to get a job that many people would regard as suitable.
I’ve seen a heavy focus on technical abilities and knowledge and little concern with degrees in “Information Technology” job announcements, although looking today I suspect there is a rise in degree expectations for entry-level people. Still, your degree and minor should be sufficient to get into the field, as long as you show knowledge and relevant coursework when you are being considered for jobs, and then you can work up, acquiring skills and experience. “Information Systems” jobs I see have a little more emphasis on degrees, but still are more focused on abilities than on degrees. “Data Analyst” jobs I find have even more emphasis on degrees and frequently seek a master’s degree.
There is substantial value in accumulating Information Technology and Information Systems courses that cover the specific abilities that you find are being sought in IT and IS jobs. (The requirements of the minor shouldn’t be regarded as the maximum you do.) I also think there’s value in learning key, marketable IT/IS knowledge on one’s own (from books or ebooks).
While I don’t think it’s essential that you have a BS in Information Technology, you will have somewhat more opportunities, as well as more comfort and confidence, entering the profession with it, and any really valuable courses not in the minor will presumably be “bundled” in.
Most jobs are not tied to any specific major. Start browsing some job descriptions on aggregators like Indeed and visit your college’s career center to see if they also have listings and advice for you.
It depends on the kind of data analyst job, and where. Some data analyst jobs are not called “data analyst” but rather “____ analyst” (business analyst, sales analyst, marketing analyst, etc.) They’re all essentially data analyst jobs in that they need somebody to do some data analysis, and the vast majority of them don’t need someone with a master’s in statistics to do the simple analysis they want done. I’d do some poking around.
…also, note that some of these positions will have a ridiculous list of software and programming languages and other tools they say they want new hires to know. While some positions really do want all that, for other positions it’s really a “wish list” - they would love someone who knows everything on the list but will often take someone who knows only a few things on the list. Don’t let that be the only thing to hold you back.