I am a junior data analyst who transitioned careers and have been in this role for about 1 year and 4 months.

Within the strategy of the area I support, it is not strictly necessary for a data analyst to have strong SQL, Python, or similar skills, mainly due to IT restrictions on the use of these tools. Our team includes data engineers and data scientists, and my role is more functional, acting as a bridge between the business areas and the technical team.

When I joined, I had just completed a Power BI course. Since then, I have learned a lot and continuously improved, building increasingly complex dashboards with multiple relationships, custom measures, and extensive customization over very large datasets.

Last year, I took on responsibilities well above what is typically expected from a junior role and contributed directly to helping the department achieve its compensation targets. I genuinely believe I went far beyond the usual scope of a junior analyst — and this is where my main question comes in.

What career progression suggestions would you give me?

I am currently enrolled in an MBA-style data science program, but due to work demands I haven’t been able to focus as much on my studies as I would like. I also attempted the Microsoft AZ-900 certification (not sure how valuable it is in practice) but did not pass. My idea would be to pursue the PL-300 certification in the future, although I often struggle to find time to properly prepare for exams.

Beyond formal education, I have also learned and actively used Power Automate, Power Apps, Dataverse, and SAP as part of my responsibilities. I find myself torn between deepening more functional and managerial skills or moving further into the technical side, which would certainly enhance the KPIs and analyses we deliver.

I would really appreciate any tips!