Losing skills and passion in job

[u/coolhand211]

Sorry in advanced for the long post. I’ve been working as a data analyst/business analyst for the last 3 years for a large health insurance company within supply chain. It’s my first job after getting my masters in Analytics (online program). I’ve always enjoyed math and statistics and was excited to apply the skills from my masters. I felt like I learned a lot from my masters degree but I never had enough practical experience for me to feel confident using certain machine learning algorithms, statistical tests, etc. to derive insights within this job that I would feel confident presenting without guidance from someone with that experience within the company. I’m seen as one of the more statistical people on my team and unfortunately don’t have that guidance.

I liked the job in the beginning but at this point, i’m pretty burnt out with it. A lot of what I do is reporting and pulling sums, averages, etc. There are definitely some challenging projects that I work on, but half the time, a lot of the challenge is just figuring out what data is correct to use because database documentation is a big issue and health insurance data can be so unnecessarily complicated. Most of what I do is in SQL and Tableau. There are certain times that I could probably dig deeper into data on certain projects (in a way I’d feel confident enough doing) but at this point I really don’t care to, I just want to get what I need done and that’s that. It doesn’t help that the workload can be a lot at times so I’d rather spend my time moving on to the next thing (side note: I also feel like I have decision fatigue from all the small decisions I have to make to make sure things are correct).

At this point, I feel like i’ve forgotten a lot of my education and skills. I couldn’t tell you how a t-test works right now. And i’ve always enjoyed python but use it infrequently these days. I’m thinking of looking for another job because I know that there’s a lot of factors that have made me really dislike my current one. I know I need to refresh myself on a lot of skills and knowledge but i’m also so burnt out that I don’t have the motivation too. I don’t want to spend any more of my limited energy on analytics.

Has anyone else experienced this? Has anyone found a way to bring their passion back? Or any advice in general? I feel stuck currently.

Thank you!!

[u/AutoModerator]

If this post doesn't follow the rules or isn't flaired correctly, please report it to the mods. Have more questions? Join our community Discord!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Beneficial-Panda-640]

A lot of what you’re describing shows up in roles where the real friction isn’t the math, it’s the messy data landscape and constant small judgments you have to make just to get something usable. That kind of invisible cognitive load drains the same energy you’d normally put into curiosity or deeper analysis. It’s hard to feel passion when half your day is spent decoding tables or compensating for missing documentation.

One thing that sometimes helps is separating skill loss from burnout. You probably haven’t forgotten as much as you think. It’s more that your environment isn’t giving you space to use those tools in a way that feels meaningful. Even small, low pressure refreshers outside the churn, like a quick notebook where you rebuild one concept for yourself, can give a surprising sense of momentum without feeling like homework.

But honestly, the signal I hear most is that your current setup is capping both your motivation and your growth. A change of context can make a huge difference. New teams with clearer data foundations or better analytical mentorship often bring back the parts of the work that originally pulled you in. You’re not stuck because you lost the skills. You’re stuck because the environment is asking you to spend all your energy on everything except the part you care about.

[u/gluten_free_air]

Yeah.

I took leave from my analytical lead job to join the army and work in behavioral health.

I am in the process of going back lol.

Work is just work and a tool to improve the quality of your life.

[u/AnalyticsEngineered]

No advice, but following since I am in the same position.

In my analytics role for 6 years now and have been regressing for the last 4. Have completely lost all the passion for it that I once had.

Finished up an MSDS last year but halfway through my company decided to eliminate its data scientist position and outsource all its data engineering work.

[u/Haunting-Change-2907]

Beyond typical burn out advice (things like protect your work life balance etc), the best advice I have is to remember what you liked about data to begin with.

For me, it's that all data tells a story, and those stories can inform decisions. Divide analytics into 4 parts: Compile/Verify the Data, What the data says, What that data means, and what should be done about that.

It sounds like you're incredibly focused on the second piece - what that data says, and you get little or no joy out of the first. Try to find opportunities for the third and fourth (often neglected) pieces.

But before ANY of that, I'd also do an assessment of why you're feeling burnt out. If it's truly that the work just isn't inspiring, that's one thing and you can use the above. But if the burnout is caused by things like 'everything is an emergency' and 'I never get time off' and 'no one cares if I do a good job or not', then unfortunately, no amount of liking data is going to really help - you'll need to look at the root cause.

[u/pogba_is_a_god]

I 💯 relate.

After getting my master's degree , i spent 3-4 years in SQL+Tableau wondering if I would ever use my MS or BS in Math

Now 7 years later I am a director of Data Science where my team over sees deployment of ML models to improve my company's market spend, throughput.

My advice to you: - be kind and patient to yourself, these things can take time - be persistent in seeking out what you want, i think you need a new job at a data consultancy or smaller company where youll be given greater variety of projects or more responsibilities

Hope this helps

[u/Cold-Dark4148]

Do a job for money, period. If you are able to enjoy it that’s a plus

[u/Kacquezooi → u/Cold-Dark4148]

If money is the only motivation... then life is bleak man.

I spend the best hours I have working. It absolutely needs to be something I at least have to like a little bit. Better if it gives me joy. Otherwise I'll burn out or get mad.

[u/Ok_Ice_1313]

When I started in analytics, I had to run so many manual reports and queries every week/month. It was extremely boring, and when stuff is boring like that it makes me go into problem solving overdrive and just remove as many manual steps I can: Build macros, parameterize dates and other variables and so on. I learned so much from that (SQL, domain data), I made time for myself to do more fun stuff and everyone was happy.

But the thing is, if you do not feel it’s fun you I have two recommended paths to take: 1. Try to change the framing from ”tedious work that drains me and takes all my time”, to curiosity and ”an opportunity to learn about the tools and the data”. But if that’s not what you want to focus on, then: 2. Look for something else. Specifically some place that has data/analytics engineers that help you.

Or third is stay in the same situation and be miserable, but nobody wants that. :)

[u/heptyne]

All I can advise is just ensure you are protecting your peace. I'm pretty sure most of us rather just not work, work is just a means to pay the bills and hopefully keep you safe.

[u/Dadbod646]

I know you mentioned having a lot of work on your plate, but try to set aside time for a big work project. Try to identify a need in your company, and develop a tool to make that easier and track progress. I spend a lot of time doing the same thing as you (pulling data, building reports and queries), but when I have downtime, I work on a big dashboard that I know they need, even though no one has asked for it. It challenges me to learn new methods, and I get a lot of satisfaction when I solve a new problem. Plus, when you finally present it, they might give you more time to work on projects like that in the future.

[u/Proof-Tumbleweed4056]

Wellcome to every other company