Career Advice

Welcome to 2026! The time for generic resolutions is over. Last year, I challenged you to become a better storyteller. That remains true, but the ground has shifted beneath us. The rapid evolution of AI means the role of the “Junior Data Analyst” is effectively dead. If your plan for this year is simply to […]

The presentation isn’t over when you show the final visual. It’s over when you survive the Q&A. This is where reputations are forged or shattered. You’ve spent weeks prompting an LLM to help wrangle data, form hypotheses, build models, and craft a narrative. You know your work is solid. But what happens when the VP […]

You have successfully executed the first four stages of this Masterclass. You used the Command Framework to structure your intent. You turned the LLM into a Data Engineer to clean your pipeline. You treated the AI as a Sparring Partner to destroy your own biases. Finally, you commanded the Technical Master to write the Python […]

The three-part Command Framework is now your standard. You structure your prompts and demand role, context, and instructions, effectively ending generic LLM usage. Last week, we treated the LLM as an Analytical Sparring Partner. We eliminated confirmation bias. The LLM presented you with a counter-hypothesis you must now test. This week, we pivot to advanced […]

We are back with Part 3 of The Data Analyst’s LLM Masterclass. In Part 1, you learned the Command Framework to direct the AI. In Part 2, you learned to treat the LLM as a Data Engineer to build surgical cleaning pipelines. Now, you have a clean dataset. The typical analyst’s next move is predictable. […]

Welcome back to The Data Analyst’s LLM Masterclass series. In Part 1, we stopped asking and started directing using the Command Framework. Now, we apply that framework to your daily reality. You have your raw data. At this stage, you could use an LLM for many things—summarizing its contents, generating hypotheses, or suggesting enriched data […]

Doubtless you’re using LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. But you probably have a nagging feeling that you’re not using them to their full potential. When you use an LLM for a real analytical task, I’ll bet the results are frustrating. You ask for an in-depth analysis; you get a generic summary. You ask for […]

You spend two weeks buried in data. You isolate signal from noise. You build a model, run a forecast, and uncover a multi-million dollar opportunity for your organization. This is the moment that defines your job, the insight that can change the company’s trajectory. You present your findings to leadership. You walk through the charts, […]

For decades, the analyst’s job has been to be a historian. You receive a request. You pull the data. You explain what already happened. “Why did sales dip in Q2?” “What was the conversion rate on last week’s campaign?” You are the keeper of the company’s memory, expertly explaining the past. This role is a […]

You have the framework for your new career. You have the commands to master your new tools. You understand why your role must evolve beyond automatable tasks. You know how to write prompts that get results. This will only get you so far. Using an LLM for one-off tasks is like putting a Formula 1 […]