162: This Loan Officer Became a Data Analyst WITHOUT a Degree (Ryan Ponder)

Break into data analytics EVEN without a degree, just like our guest for today's episode! He's Ryan Ponder, a Data Analytics Accelerator program student who transitioned from Loan Officer to Data Analyst within his company-- without a degree. He shares how he leveraged internal opportunities and attained his new role. Tune in and learn actionable steps for making an internal pivot and overcoming career challenges!

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⌚ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Introduction

05:49 - The Internal Pivot: A Unique Pathway to Data Analytics

09:57 - Networking and Overcoming Challenges

15:47 - Imposter Syndrome

23:02 - Final Thoughts and Advice

🔗 CONNECT WITH RYAN

🤝 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rtponder/

🔗 CONNECT WITH AVERY

🎥 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@averysmith

🤝 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/averyjsmith/

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/datacareerjumpstart

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@verydata

💻 Website: https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

May Cohort of the Data Analytics Accelerator — Now Open

🔗 datacareerjumpstart.com/daa The May cohort of the Data Analytics Accelerator is officially open for enrollment. This is my comprehensive data analytics bootcamp that takes you from wherever you are to landing your first data job. Doesn't matter your background, your degree, or your experience level — we're going to help you get there. What you get: 📊 Full curriculum covering Excel, SQL, Tableau, Python, and R 🛠️ 9 real-world projects across different industries to build your portfolio 💼 LinkedIn, resume, and interview prep so you actually stand out to recruiters 🤝 Weekly office hours, coaching, and a community of 900+ aspiring analysts who are in it with you 🎓 Lifetime access — go at your pace, come back anytime May enrollment deal: 🔥 20% off when you enroll now 🎁 6 free months of my unreleased Data Portfolio Builder tool — this isn't publicly available yet, and every May cohort member gets early access The live kickoff call is with yours truly on Monday, May 11th at 7:00 PM Eastern. Make sure you're enrolled before then so you don't miss it. 👉 datacareerjumpstart.com/daa Or just click the link in the show notes down below. See you on May 11th.

https://datacareerjumpstart.com/daa