How to Identify Key Industry Sectors

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 Not from a book, and not by listening to an expert. Instead, public markets make it easy to study how an entire industry works. 1. Identify 3-5 of the biggest publicly traded companies in the industry. 2. Download their last 10K and their most recent 10Q from EDGAR. 3. Listen to each company's most recent earnings call on Seeking Alpha. 4. Download investor presentations for each company from their websites. 5. Search Google for the name of the industry and the words 'report', 'research' and 'white paper' to find a PDF with a good analysis of the industry. 6. Search PACER for each company's name, you might find ongoing legal cases that shed light on the industry. 7. On Yahoo Finance, create a watchlist of the three companies, and subscribe to their press releases. Keep track of how their stock does. This will take three minutes a week. 8. Set up a Google Alert for the name of the industry. 9. Use Yahoo Finance to compare each company's stats for ROA, ROE, P/E, net margin and market cap. 10. In each 10K/10Q, carefully read the sections on Risk Factors, Competition and Business Environment. Notice where time and attention are being spent and where the industry is changing. 11. For a final check, skim the table of contents from the Standard Industrial Classification Manual. Make a note of how the top 10,000 companies are categorized. After doing this eight or nine times, you'll find you know as much as nearly anyone about the category you're studying.

WHERE ARE THE EXECUTIVE-LEVEL JOBS?   How about looking at where most of the hiring occurred in March 2025?   Here are five key takeaways from the recent ADP Employment Report you can use to create your company target list: 1️⃣ Target Resilient Sectors: Manufacturing and Financial Services Lead Growth “Manufacturing delivered stronger-than-average job gains for the second straight month… Financial activities surged with 38,000 new roles” (ADP Report). Jobseekers should consider focusing their career transition efforts on industries demonstrating consistent demand. Financial roles (e.g., risk management, fintech) and advanced manufacturing (automation, sustainability) are hiring despite market turbulence. 2️⃣ Small and Large Employers Are Hiring – Mid-Sized Firms Lag Small businesses (1-49 employees) added 52,000 jobs, while large corporations (500+ employees) contributed 59,000 roles. **Mid-sized companies grew more slowly.** Action: Cast a wide net – target agile startups and established enterprises to maximize opportunities. ** This is noteworthy! Most companies in the world employ less than 100 employees. If you focus most of your efforts on the “big fish,” you’ll miss out on opportunities where the action is happening. 3️⃣ Upskilling for Services Dominance Professional/business services (+57,000 jobs) and leisure/hospitality (+17,000) dominate hiring. Staying on top of market trends to future-proof your career. Prioritize certifications in project management, AI tools, or customer experience to align with service-sector needs. 4️⃣ Geographic Strategy Matters While national data shows growth, regional variations exist. Use LinkedIn’s job search filters to identify hotspots for your target roles. Where are the hot spots? 5️⃣ Network Smarter, Not Harder It is widely agreed upon that career changes at the executive level often happen through personal connections. With 155,000 jobs added, many roles remain unadvertised. Prioritize 1:1 conversations with industry insiders over blind applications – especially in active sectors like financial services. Final Thought As Nela Richardson, ADP Chief Economist, notes: “The March topline number was a good one… if not necessarily all sectors.” Your career pivot isn’t about chasing every opportunity – it’s about strategically aligning with growth areas while leveraging transferable skills. Are you focusing on these areas where hiring is taking place? Find the report here: https://lnkd.in/gFymwQEX #CareerVelocity #QualfiedIsntEnough #jobs

How to find a niche in Data Analytics "Clarity comes from engagement, not thought." — Marie Forleo Finding the right role in Data Analytics is tough, especially when every industry has some form of data: marketing, finance, supply chain, healthcare, you name it. The sheer options can leave you scattered and unfocused. Here’s a framework to figure out which industry resonates with you: Step 1: Reflect On Your Interests Your gut feelings matter more than you think. Take a moment and ask yourself: What topics spark my curiosity? (Sports, e-commerce, sustainability…) Which industries pique my interest? (Finance, healthcare, manufacturing…) Where do I enter flow state? (Visualizing data, machine learning, storytelling…) Step 2: Try a ton of things, Don’t Overcommit You don’t have to sign a 5-year contract with one specialization right now. Test the waters: Take free or low-cost online courses in different sectors. Join relevant LinkedIn groups or online communities and see which topics consistently keep you engaged. Listen to industry-specific analytics podcasts. Treat it like “dating” for your career. You’ll naturally discover which domain feels right without fully locking yourself in. Step 3: Focus Once you sense a pull toward a niche—marketing analytics or supply chain optimization, for example—commit to a deeper dive: Pick a hands-on project. (Could you analyze marketing data for a local non-profit? Create a mock supply chain dashboard for a made-up company?) Document your process on a public GitHub or personal blog. Seek feedback from peers or mentors in that specialty. The more you immerse yourself, the clearer the path becomes. Step 4: Build Your Personal “Brand” in That Niche Once you’re feeling good about a specialization, let people know! Highlight relevant projects on LinkedIn, your portfolio, or a personal website. Connect with professionals in your chosen field—comment on their posts, share insights, ask questions. Keep refining your skill set with industry-specific tools (e.g., Google Analytics in marketing, or SAP in supply chain). This is how you stand out as a “go-to” person in that domain. Key Mindset Shift: You won’t find your path by staring at job boards forever. You'll find it by DOING and exploring different datasets ---- Enjoyed this? ♻️ Repost or tag someone who might find it useful.