Landing a first data analyst job in London

Maya (not her real name) graduated in statistics with a solid dissertation to her name. Forty applications went out and nothing came back. The problem was the CV: it read like a list of modules rather than evidence she could do the job.

Nobody tells you why you were rejected. For two whole months the only feedback I got was silence.

Turning coursework into evidence

JobExpress rebuilt the CV around the dissertation: a two-million-row dataset, the methods used, the conclusions reached and what they meant for the business. Coursework was condensed into three concrete projects with numbers attached, and the skills section kept only the tools that appear in real job descriptions: SQL, Python and one BI tool.

Applying only where the door is open

The search strategy moved from big-name employers to teams genuinely hiring at junior level: roles confirmed as open, smaller companies, and jobs where the core requirement was SQL plus statistics. Over three weeks she sent 14 applications, each one adjusted to the job description.

Week five

Six passed the initial screen and four became interviews. In week five a retail analytics team made an offer; in the interview, the interviewer had quoted the dissertation line from her CV word for word. In her second week on the job, Maya's first dashboard went live.