President’s Message: Advance Your Analytics Career in 2012
POSTED BY: Web ManagerPOSTED ON: Jan 31, 2012 7:00:00 AM
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Thirty percent of people that make New Year’s Resolutions break them within a month. So if you’re smoking a cigarette, eating a Twinkie, or charging those Prada shoes to a maxed out credit card while reading this newsletter, rest assured you aren’t alone.
There is one resolution this year that I’m sticking with – contributing to the advancement of the digital analytics profession.
Recently, I co-authored an article with Corry Prohens titled, Top 10 Tips: Advance Your Career in Digital Analytics, where we outline a few ideas on professional development for digital analysts. I’m also speaking at eMetrics San Francisco on a panel titled Analytics Career Development.
For me, this topic is top of mind in 2012. That’s why when I saw the results of a recent survey showing that WAA members valued the WAA Career Center as one of the Top 3 member benefits, it caught my eye.
I wasn’t very familiar with the WAA Career Center so I checked it out. There are two great resources there that I’d encourage you to check out as well.
The first, Career Guidance for Digital Analytics Professionals, is a downloadable guide for learning more about the digital analytics profession. The topics covered include:
- The types of companies analysts can work for;
- Typical hierarchy and responsibilities for each role;
- Educational and skill set requirements, including the importance of emerging skill sets; and
- Advice for those looking to break into the field, be promoted or find a new opportunity.
The second resource is the WAA Job Bank. In the month of January alone there were over 30 analytics job listings. This isn’t the usual hodge-podge of tech/analyst jobs you find on mainstream job sites; rather, all of the listings were exactly the type of roles that we analysts seek (not to mention a few listings in attractive locations like London and NYC).
Sometimes in the general governance of the WAA I get too caught up in dealing with strategies, policies, and the organization’s finances. Checking out the Career Center was a nice reminder of the tangible benefits that come with my WAA membership.
Go check it out yourself. You may be surprised.
Good luck sticking to your resolutions, whatever they may be. I hope one of them is to continue advancing your career (and the profession at-large). Collectively we can make the WAA the platform for powering our careers (and the careers of those that follow us) ahead.
Peter Sanborn
President

