This may not come as a surprise to you, but entry-level data analyst jobs are nearly non-existent.

It seems every data analyst job requires 2-5 years of experience. That's not entry-level!

So what do we do? Panic? Cry? Give up? Maybe.

But before that, I've found there's a subset of data jobs that are often actually entry-level. You may not have heard of them. They're not talked about much. Why? I'm not sure.

But they could be the key to getting you into the data world. So here we go....

Six overlooked entry-level data titles:

1. Data Specialist

2. Data Clerk

3. Data Coordinator

4. Data Steward

5. Data Assistant

6. Data Entry

Screenshot this. Write them down. Take a mental picture. They're important. I talked about these roles in depth in a recent podcast / video I made.

Look, these roles aren't as sexy or glamorous as a data analyst, a data scientist, or a data engineer role. They don't sound as cool. And frankly, the work isn't as cool. But these roles rock because they:

• Don't need 2-5+ years of experience.

• Don't need 10+ complex data tools.

• Don't need a data bachelor's

• Are a lot less competitive.

• Are often remote.

• Are more domain-focused.

• Help you get paid to learn.

• Look great on a résumé.

Sounds good, right? Almost too good.

There is a catch. They don't pay particularly well. These roles pay around $18-45 per hour ($36k - 90k per year - big range, I know). Many of them are on that lower end. But the goal here isn't to get rich and retire in Hawaii.

The goal is to get your first data job.

Everything is easier once you have your first data job.

The forgotten entry-level data roles.

So why aren't people talking about them? I dunno. I am. And more people should.

It's something I've talked about in Module One of The Accelerator for years.

I discovered these roles when an Accelerator student told me he needed a new data job ASAP. He had no degree. Very little data skills. But he was commuting in 3 hours of California traffic per day and needed a new job yesterday.

Not my easiest coaching request. 😰

But after some research, we discovered the data specialist title. Low barrier to entry. Low applicant numbers. Low requirements. He applied and got the job. His career has grown from there.

I encourage my students to apply to these roles after Module 2 of The Accelerator. Just after they publish their first Excel project. Why? Many of these jobs only require Excel. That's it. And I want my students to land data jobs. Isn't that the point?

So what should you do?

Wipe away the tears. Quit feeling like a victim. Yes, it sucks that entry-level roles are disappearing. But we can't control it. What can we control?

Stop searching for "Data Analyst" only when looking for jobs. Try one of the six alternative titles. Read some job descriptions. See what you find. Try your luck.

You can find these jobs on LinkedIn. But I've also set up my job board, FindADataJob.com, to find these jobs for you. Just bookmark that exact link. Visit it often.

And consider getting a mentor, someone who can tell you about cool roles like this. Someone like this guy. 😉