In this episode of the Data Career Academy Podcast, I sit down with Jennifer Jaurequi, a newly hired staff accountant with a data edge. Jennifer’s path to her current role at Coast Hills Credit Union is anything but linear. With a background in math, a season of teaching, and multiple data bootcamps under her belt, she’s proof that you don’t need the title “analyst” to leverage data and break into a stronger career path.

Jennifer shares how she went from teaching math to working in accounting, and how her curiosity about analytics led her to enroll in data bootcamps at UC Berkeley Extension and Data Career Jumpstart. Along the way, she picked up technical skills like Python, SQL, and advanced Excel, while also building projects that caught the attention of interviewers—even when she was applying for strictly accounting positions.

We dig into:

• How her math and teaching background helped her shift into accounting and later into a data-focused role.
• Why she pursued a data bootcamp and how it directly boosted her resume, confidence, and interview storytelling.
• The behind-the-scenes of her job search strategy, including 20–50 applications, 5 interviews, and the one that landed.
• What she learned about fit vs. skills during the interview process, including handling tough questions like “Why should we hire you?”
• The importance of projects on your resume (and how even a CityBike or DoorDash project can make you memorable).
• How she balanced the challenge of wanting professional growth while staying positive about past employers in interviews.
• Why getting your foot in the door with the right company matters more than chasing the “perfect” job title.

Jennifer’s story is a real-world example of how combining domain expertise (accounting and finance) with data analytics skills creates a powerful, marketable profile. She also reminds us that selling is storytelling—preparing examples tied to the job description and telling stories that stick in the interviewer’s head makes all the difference.

If you’re an accountant, finance professional, teacher, or anyone considering a career pivot into data, this episode will give you actionable insights and encouragement. Jennifer shows that it’s not about abandoning your roots—it’s about adding data to your toolkit and letting that open doors.

Finally, Jennifer shares how listeners can connect with her on LinkedIn, where she’s happy to answer questions and share more about her journey.

Whether you’re searching for your first data job or looking to level up your career by blending your current skills with analytics, you’ll walk away from this conversation with strategies you can use right now.

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