26F transitioning into data analytics with only small family business experience. How do I frame this honestly without sounding like I'm padding?
Hi everyone. I'm 26,Female, based in Indonesia. For the past 1.5 years, I've been helping my mother run her small home-based ice cream business while during that time I also helped take care of both of my parents when they were first diagnosed with heart disease and diabetes, which was the hardest period for our family. They're in a much more stable condition now with proper treatment, so I feel ready to pursue analyst roles more seriously.
Currently transitioning into data analytics from an English Literature background. I would really appreciate help from people who've been through career transitions or who hire analysts.
I've tried applying to entry-level corporate jobs but keep getting rejected. I suspect because (1) I don't have corporate experience, and (2) my degree is in English Literature, not anything quantitative.
What I actually do in the business:
- Handle daily sales operations at my mom's school, cuz she is a teacher (70-80 ice cream units + 110-130 ice pops sold per day)
- Manage custom bulk orders for ice cream (100+ units per order) for 6-7 recurring customers, plus walk-in clients
- Source raw materials, basically procurement, balancing cost efficiency with quality
- Track seasonal demand patterns (celebrations, school calendar)
- Iterate on products based on customer feedback and market trends
I know it's not "corporate," but it's where I've learned about sales patterns, customer behavior, cost optimization, and basic business operations.
What I've done to transition:
I invested my own money in certified courses for:
- SQL (intermediate , SQL Server)
- Excel (intermediate, including statistics with Excel and some macro/VBA)
- Power BI (intermediate)
I've built several portfolio projects using these tools.
About a month ago, I also started applying for freelance work on platforms like Upwork and Freelancer to try a different route, but I haven't landed anything yet. I'm not giving up on that, and I'll keep trying. But the reason I'm writing this post is that I'm really stuck on the CV/resume side of things, and I think that might be what's holding me back the most right now.
My questions:
How do I write about my family business experience on a resume/LinkedIn in a way that's honest but doesn't sound like I'm padding? I don't want to lie or oversell, but I also don't want to undersell skills I genuinely use.
Has anyone successfully transitioned into data analytics from a non-technical degree + non-corporate background? What worked?
Are there job titles or framings I should be searching for that are more open to non-traditional backgrounds?
I'm feeling pretty frustrated and small right now. I'm not lazy. I'm trying. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong, and I don't have anyone in my circle who's done this transition. Any honest feedback would mean a lot.
Thank you for reading.