From retail to PR and marketing communications: My journey to data management and analytics
Like many people, I began my journey into the workforce with jobs in customer service and retail. Finding myself without a specific passion to pursue, I chose to work full-time, taking jobs at retail video stores. The mandate was simple: Be nice to the customers, reach the goals you're given, and everything will work out. But it didn't. The flow of customers dwindled, but the goals and targets remained, increased even. The world of retail was changing, and it scared me.
Shortly after my video store closed in 2012, I was given an opportunity to try something new: join the world of PR and marketing communications. It was something unknown and entirely different from anything I had done before. What did I have to lose? So, I jumped … and I'm grateful I did.
I flailed about for months while getting my bearings, but once I did, I realized the fit was right. I was a fit for the role and company, and I enjoyed the work in a way I never thought possible. But I still felt as though it was just a job.
Questioning the What's and Why's
In the world of PR and marketing communications, the premise is relatively the same for every agency: Create lists of curated contacts in your target industry, send those contacts materials through email marketing, follow up with distribution reports.
But what do the reports mean? Why are they important, and what areas require focused efforts? I found it all so intriguing. I wanted to know more. I began searching for answers to my questions, as well as questions from colleagues. I wanted to be the one with all the answers, to be a subject-matter expert for my co-workers. I found it fascinating.
Then, during a review in 2018, my boss discussed career-planning with me. I kept thinking, "Why? I don't have a career; I'm just working and doing my job."
He asked me about the work he knew I liked to do the most — working on the database and reviewing reports — and if I'd thought about pursuing a degree in either field. I thought, "I'm sorry … what? A degree … in what?" The answer: database administration and data analytics.
I didn't even realize that the work I was doing was considered a field of study. It was just something I found intriguing. Following guidance on what to research, I found numerous programs with scores of opportunities.
I heard that the professional soccer team in my state was offering a scholarship to an online university, so I figured, "Why not apply? It's not like I'll actually win anything."
Well, fate had other plans for me, because I did win a one-year scholarship! So, for the first time in my life, I had a solid goal and career plan and decided to go to college — at the age of 33.
Learning to Understand the What's and Why's
Attending college as an adult, with a full-time job and adult responsibilities, was more challenging than I expected. But I enjoyed learning new things, and the challenge was revitalizing. I appreciated my classes and did my best to incorporate everything I was learning for my newfound career into my current work. As much as possible, I found real-world applications for what I was learning. This opened my eyes to new possibilities. I began to see my tasks and projects from new viewpoints, questions needing answers laid out before me like a puzzle to solve. I realized that even if a process or task has always been done a certain way, it can be changed. Each class I finished provided me with more knowledge, infusing me with confidence. I gained certifications, discovered new tools and technologies, and shared what I had learned with my co-workers. I finally felt like a professional in the workplace.
Now, I look at a database and see a structure. I understand how elements connect, what they are for, and why they are important. This has allowed me to make informed decisions regarding the databases I maintain, as well as teach others why certain attributes are important or not. Now, those email distribution reports I had so many questions about are one of my favorite projects. I no longer just see numbers in boxes; I see possibilities, trends, areas of improvement, and successes. I understand what I'm looking at and how data analytics affects business decisions and data management and how it all works together.
Continuing the Journey
I still have plenty to learn, as acquiring knowledge is an endless pursuit. Working with data and technology, techniques, tools, and platforms are constantly evolving, and I hope to learn about as many of them as I can for as long as I can.
Jumping from retail into marketing communications opened a way for me that I didn't even know existed. I never thought a college degree was in the cards for me, let alone a career in a technical field. I found a passion for data, listened when I was shown the possibilities it could offer, and made the decision to take the path to college. I pushed myself harder than I ever thought possible and graduated with a B.S. in data management and data analytics on December 27, 2024. I made my personal goal of obtaining my degree before turning 40 (barely). If someone who was once as lost as I was can find their way, anyone can. Don't allow the possibilities to pass you by. I'm grateful I didn't.