When I graduated college as a political science major, many assumed I would pursue a career in law, but I was more interested in working in media. I learned how to articulate the skills I gained in my studies and began working to craft the right story to demonstrate I was qualified for the jobs I wanted. Having a particular focus, strength, or area of study doesn't have to limit you to working in that area. Figure out which of your skills translate to other industries. It will require some out of the box thinking, but it will be rewarding when you are able to leverage your talents in an industry or role you are passionate about.

Monster.com recently posted an article about how to leverage a strong data skillset for other positions. Here are some snippets where I weigh in:

<Marketing analyst

A lot of people think marketing is strictly creative, says career coach Angelina Darrisaw. But data is an increasingly significant part of how companies develop and evaluate their marketing strategies. “While there can be creative elements, a lot of the decision-making in marketing is led by industry research and an understanding of the audience. Data is also frequently used to evaluate the success of paid marketing spends.”

Business strategist

People who work with data may find roles as business strategists for entire companies or individual departments. If you’re comfortable working in Microsoft Excel and using data to support your recommendations, these roles may be a good fit, Darrisaw says. People who work as business strategists may be hired on at companies, or work as consultants.>

Read the entire article by Catherine Conlan here.