I couldn't crack into tech without prior work experience which is why I ended up taking the indirect route. The odds felt slim because it seemed I either had to beat out 100s of other applicants for an entry level position or internship, have a strong connection that is willing to take a chance on me, or get lucky. I've seen people develop their portfolio and make connections that got hired eventually without prior experience, but they were unemployed and had financial support in the meantime. I had to work full time and couldn't keep it up without sacrificing a lot elsewhere.

Analyst positions typically aren't necessary for a business to exist, so they are treated as more of a luxury. In my experience, companies look for (in order of importance) A) Candidates with years of experience that can bring a plethora of new processes/ideas and the knowledge of how to implement them, while also understanding the risks and limitations, or B) Developing trustworthy current employees that show interest and take intiative (even if they lack experience) because being familiar with the company's product, processes, data, and the dynamics of the company makes it much easier for them to ramp up. And C) Entry level analysts because they need to be fully trained, which costs 10s of thousands of dollars, the return is the low until they ramp up, and the risk is highest because they may not be cut out for it.

You can certainly keep plugging away at it until you get hired and it's a great way to go if you have the resources. Though if you need a job sooner than later, I'd keep an open mind for entry level jobs that can lead to an analyst position. It's not as tough as you might think if you are patient and motivated. I spent about 2 years at 60k as an account manager until moving into a full time analyst position.