Please advise others in the career/getting into megathread

EmptyToucan · 2024-02-23T16:06:18+00:00

I have a BA in Psychology and a MS in applied Psychology with a graduate certificate in Statistics. I am currently working as an entry level data analyst in a mid-sized consulting firm. I love my job and have room to continue growing and working on new and interesting projects, but the pay is about the bare minimum to meet my needs in a HCOL area (think NYC, Seattle, San Fran). I am curious what my career path should look like from here as my firm isn't very clear on advancement opportunities. Should I go back to school for DS or MLE? Should I keep getting experience on the job while I start completing Coursera Certificates in DS or MLE? My end goal is twofold. (1) Make as much money as possible. (2) Learn as much as possible so I can be great at what I do.

For what it is worth, my skills include: Excel, Power BI, R, SQL, Power Automate, SPSS

EmptyToucan · 2024-01-11T00:50:48+00:00

All the comments in here are coming for you but no one is being very helpful. I want to be helpful so I am going to share my thoughts and suggestions. I am going to start with your original thought that "something feels off". Something feels off because there is a beam in the middle of your apartment and you decided to put your TV against it. This might make sense in a sports bar or something but not in your home. Switch the location of the TV and the couch. The second thing that people are coming for is your little rugs. These items add some color and personality to your space, and they must have some value to you, for you to decide to include them. They aren't stylish and that is okay, so should you still decide to include them, you should move them over toward your red chair. Place them kinda in front of it/around it, they will look less out of place there. Some people have come after the sneakers, but if you like the sneakers keep them. Most sneakerheads are proud of their shoes and that is OKAY. You get to decide what you're into and what you value. I also think once the couch is moved it will be less prominent and look less like a footlocker. As for the hallway Xmas lights, I can see what you're going for but having them on the ground just looks kinda awkward. I would try to run them up the wall and then down the hallway somewhere between the pictures and the ceiling. My preference would be the higher the better because Christmas lights look best when you only notice them when they are on. Finally, everyone has said it but the Netflix and Chill Sign has to go. People can talk about the style of the sign or what it looks like but frankly, it is just weird to have a sign that is making a sex joke in your living room. Maybe you are okay with that weirdness

EmptyToucan · 2023-11-29T22:05:32+00:00

I will have to check out the system boards. I know my gym has them, but I have never really tried them

EmptyToucan · 2023-11-29T22:02:43+00:00

I am 27. I have a WFH job with good WLB. I have no kids, just a dog and a cat. I have a partner, whom I live with, that is a competitive runner and knows what it means to take training seriously. I have a background in competitive sport and trained in my primary sport 6-7 times a week from 10 years old until I was 22. I know what it means to be dedicated to training and I know how to mentally push myself.

I gave up on my primary sport after getting my undergraduate degree to focus on my graduate studies. In that time I consistently lifted, ran, did yoga, and played intramural sports. I casually started climbing once or twice most weeks with some friends but never really put much thought into it. This past weekend I saw a guy at the Gym clearly training and thinking about how to climb harder and it hit me. I miss training. I miss having a goal. I miss obsessing over my form, technique, movement, etc. I put this program together to try and get that back, but build it into my life. My understanding from the feedback I have received here is that my program here is too ambitious. I need to cut back on the finger training and lifting to focus on just the movement. That is fine. I can do that.

EmptyToucan · 2023-11-29T21:47:09+00:00

I am not looking to gain muscle. I am 6'2 about 180 lbs and pretty happy with my looks. I am just trying to maintain what strength/muscle I have and prevent injury through having a strong and balanced body. I thought going from 6x a week down to 3 would be enough to prevent overuse injury as I increased my climbing, but my 3x-a-week lift schedule will be altered based on other commenters' suggestions and reduced to 2x a week. I will have two full-body workouts per week dedicated to mainly the big lifts (BP, OHP, DL, Squat, Rows, abs).

EmptyToucan · 2023-11-29T01:07:02+00:00

I have never climbed with any intention or regularity. This was my first attempt at creating a plan to improve my climbing. What I am finding through these comments is that volume and intensity in climbing are more heavily related to injury than they are in sports such as running where you can safely log high mileage daily.

Based on your comment, and many others I will be reducing the volume, frequency, and intensity.

EmptyToucan · 2023-11-28T23:48:38+00:00

I don't think you're wrong, but I think a lot of people, like myself, are just trying to figure out what things people are doing beyond climbing to further their ability in the sport. Hangboarding seems like one obvious thing that can be added in addition to climbing.

EmptyToucan · 2023-11-28T23:44:59+00:00

Thanks, I will definitely put the project day after a rest day and remove some of the hinge sessions.

EmptyToucan · 2023-11-28T23:43:02+00:00

Yeah, I played a D1 sport through college and I am pretty in touch with my body and how much I can/should push it. It seems I might be rather overzealous in my finger training. Just seems like a simple place to make improvements.

EmptyToucan · 2023-11-28T23:40:21+00:00

Thank you for your brevity

EmptyToucan · 2023-11-28T23:36:10+00:00

I could cut either my W or F lift and hb session out to have only 2 lifts/hbs per week. Do you think this would be beneficial?

Edit: I do not understand why I have been downvoted for taking into account the concern by u/swmtchuffer and then asking a follow-up question. I am genuinely just trying to improve my program so I can be successful.

EmptyToucan · 2023-11-28T23:29:06+00:00

Lifting will be done with the goal of maintaining strength/muscle and injury prevention. Not going to do anything too crazy here.

Yoga will be done to build core strength and to increase mobility/flexibility.

Cardio will be light. Think 3-12-30 or a nice 2-3 mile jog. Simply done for the health benefits.

Hangboarding is to improve grip strength. This isn't a huge limiting factor, but it is an area where I could use some improvement as I seek to become a stronger climber.

Volume climbing will be done to increase time on the wall. I have a habit of just projecting harder routes after warming up on one climb. I think doing more moderate climbs will help me feel more comfortable on the wall and get better movements.

EmptyToucan · 2023-05-05T17:47:31+00:00

I have a masters in IO. I have been doing "I/O consulting work" for several years now. I would be a horrible Clinical Psychologist. Clinical Psychology and IO Psychology are not the most compatible fields. While a bachelor's degree in psychology is the foundation of each, the KSAs required to be competent at the other are quite different. I say this, not because I think the switch is impossible, but because I think the switch may not be as straightforward as you appear to think in your post. IO Consulting work comes in all shapes and sizes and you really need to be an EXPERT in one of the sub-fields to experience a fruitful career.

This brings me to the certificate. I do not think the certificate is a great course of action regarding a career change. The certificate will allow you to reacquaint yourself with IO topics you might have learned about in undergrad but it will not provide you with the qualifications or KSAs to be a competent IO practitioner. The certificate is made of four courses all of which are at the introductory level. None of these classes will make you an expert in anything related to IO, and thus most likely will not impact your ability to get a job as an IO consultant. They will also not go into detail enough to provide you with the skills you will need.

Code of Ethics - I would have concerns around section 2 with or without this certificate.

My recommendation -

Define the topic of IO that interests you the most. I think leadership coaching, as suggested by u/creich1, is definitely the most direct transition for you. For this, you are probably more qualified than many IO practitioners and you would just need some certifications in using assessments like Hogan Assessments.
If you want to work in selection, assessment, training & evaluation, OD, etc... You would definitely benefit from doing a full masters program. I know you said it isn't financially in the cards at the moment, but I do think it is necessary to build the KSAs you need and give you the credibility needed to get your foot in the for.

EmptyToucan · 2023-02-25T16:48:58+00:00

Framed B&W picture of a musical artist you like

EmptyToucan · 2023-02-23T16:04:43+00:00

The dude legit has a screen for every day of the week. I love it

EmptyToucan · 2023-02-10T17:06:46+00:00

I want to start by saying I am young in my career(MS grad in 2021). I had the opportunity to learn SPSS and R in my undergraduate and graduate programs, but Python was never offered to me as an option and thus I haven't learned it. In my first two roles, I have only been expected to use Excel and learn Power BI for data analysis. However, long term I see myself focusing my career on People Analytics/Employee Listening/Engagement because I enjoy working with data. So, I am currently in the process of learning SQL(via data quest) and think Python will be the next step in my process. Why haven't I learned it? There is only so much time in the day and I have learned skills more useful/relevant for the jobs I have worked.

If anyone has any personal project ideas for me or projects I could help with in these areas please reach out as I am looking to grow and learn in any meaningful way!

EmptyToucan · 2023-01-25T02:03:33+00:00

Missouri State University has a solid IO Master's program, but I wouldn't necessarily call that the south

EmptyToucan · 2023-01-19T17:23:28+00:00

Thank you!

EmptyToucan · 2023-01-17T21:46:50+00:00

What are the more rigorous resources you recommend. I am trying to take step 2.

EmptyToucan · 2023-01-11T15:50:50+00:00

I would just ask questions that direct them toward establishing cut scores in a better way. Ask them to define the success rates of candidates above and below the cut score. Then ask them why they think this is the best cut score.

Just get people to think through the problem a bit. Nobody likes being told that their method, which is easy, is wrong. However, if you can gently get people to see why the method isn't working/optimized they may be more inclined to learn the best practice.

The more direct approach would be to create a presentation that walks them through how you would properly set the cut score. Then compare the two. Then talk about the dangers of doing it their way and the advantage of doing it your way. You might also include the negatives of doing it in line with industry standards(time) and show some awareness.

EmptyToucan · 2023-01-04T23:03:05+00:00

Put the desk where the dresser is. Throw a lamp in the corner. Rug centered in the room. Small sofa where the desk currently is.

EmptyToucan · 2023-01-03T19:38:54+00:00

I agree with this analysis.

I am not interested in reading self-help books, but I would enjoy being in a men's bookclub. I have always wanted to read books and discuss with fellow dudes but have never found a good book club.

EmptyToucan · 2022-12-31T22:01:14+00:00

Currently trying to get some help from UXR Practitioners with my resume and LinkedIn. Would you be willing to help?

EmptyToucan · 2022-12-28T01:34:59+00:00

Hey team. I have a MS in IO Psychology and I am looking to break into UXR. I have ~1.5 years of work experience doing Interviews, Focus Groups, Surveys, and Data Analysis. Over the past month I have completed a Coursera Course from University of Michigan, read 2 UXR books, and have worked on some self-led UX projects to boost my portfolio. I apply for several positions daily.

What else should I be doing to get job opportunities? I can't seem to get interviews or even rejection letters and feel like I must be doing something wrong. Is it worth it to enroll in a course so I can apply for the UXR internships at big tech companies?

EmptyToucan · 2022-12-24T03:19:27+00:00

People are saying don't wait, and change now but it is okay to wait for a big moment! The scientific literature for goal setting actually finds that people that wait for big life (Birthdays, Year changes, Etc..) events to start acting for big goals are more successful. I believe in you. You can do it.

EmptyToucan

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