As with any job search, there is a certain mixture of technical prowess and artistic or creative expression that when married in an interesting way allow data analyst candidates seeking work in Texas to stand out from the competition.

But what is the right mix? When applying for a data analysis job in Texas, we see candidates who often become one of the hundreds of applicants for a single position. Aside from writing your resume in Crayon or sneaking doughnuts into a board meeting, we wanted to deep-dive into what actually sets data analysts apart from the herd?

Have a Strong Vision that Reduces Employer Uncertainty

It can be unnerving for a Texas employer to make an expensive and risky hire without much data to go on. If you have a great deal of work experience as a data analyst that, of course, can go a long way in reduces some of those perceived risks. But, even so, experience alone is not always the primary focus of internal recruiters, especially in the most innovative and forward-thinking companies.

What could be more important than work experience? Vision. Employers want to see candidates who are not only technically strong but who have a strong vision on where they and the industry is headed. Writing out your personal and industry goals and vision for the next one, five, and ten years before going into an interview for a data analysis position in Texas can be a wildly valuable exercise, as writing out your thoughts gives you clarity and clarity translates into confidence in an interview scenario.

Listing Data Analysis Skills Without Their Application is Dubious

When submitting a resume, it can be tempting for new and seasoned data analysts to make a long list of “skills” which they could speak to, if pressed, in an interview. The problem is that these “skills lists” don’t do much in the way of highlighting your actual ability to implement said skills.

Most internal technology recruiters we work with in Texas are much more interested in how you’ve applied your skills than they are that you might be intellectually astute in them. Pick the skills that are most meaningful and salient for you. Talk about in your interview how you’ve applied each of those skills in creative and interesting ways. Creativity goes a long way. It’s often worth taking on a hobby-project that takes one of your skills and does something different or interesting with it, just as a talking point for future conversations related to your career growth and trajectory.

Empathize With a Hiring Manager’s Struggle

There’s a tendency in many circles of technology engineering to become so focused on one’s technical abilities that we forget that ultimately technology is here to serve and better humanity. The hiring manager data analysts in Texas are sitting in front of during an interview is a human being who has their own career goals and trajectory they are hoping to achieve.

Finding empathy for the hiring manager’s struggles and knowing how to pair your skill set as a solution to their most intimate challenges will easily set you apart as someone who is not only “different” than other candidates who are often so nervous or unaware that they come of as being self-centered, but someone who can be a strong team player and contribute at both a micro and macro level.

If you feel you’re a strong candidate for a data analyst position at one of the top companies in Texas, we’d love to put you to the test and decide whether it makes sense for us to represent you in your future career growth. Answer a few questions, here, and we’ll be in touch if you feel like the right candidate.