Affinity Search Partners

Analytics in the Age of AI For the past decade, analytics meant querying databases, building dashboards, and translating numbers into narratives that business leaders could act on. That work had real value and still does. But AI is compressing the mechanical parts of that process dramatically. What used to take a team of analysts days to produce, a well-prompted model can surface in minutes. So where does that leave the humans? The analysts who will thrive in this next era aren't the ones who can write the best SQL. They're the ones who can ask the right questions, challenge the outputs, understand the limits of the model, and connect data to decisions in ways that require judgment and business context — things AI still genuinely struggles with. The skillsets that matter most right now: prompt fluency, data storytelling, pattern recognition, and the ability to design an analytics strategy — not just execute one. Organizations are moving fast to embed AI into their analytics stack, and the talent gap between those who can lead that transition and those who can't is widening by the month. If you're building an analytics function, the question isn't whether to adopt AI tools. It's whether your team has the skills to use them with precision — and the wisdom to know when not to trust them. The data doesn't interpret itself. It never will. But the bar for what humans need to bring to the table just got a lot higher.

2026 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 5 h𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐲! 𝟭. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 • 𝗗𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: If you work full-time, aim to devote 15-20 hours per week to your search. If unemployed, treat it as a full-time job with 40 hours weekly. • 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁: Research and identify companies that align with your career expertise and goals. • 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲: Narrow your list down to the top 10 companies you’d love to work for. 𝟮. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 • 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁: Make a list of former colleagues, managers, or industry peers who know and enjoyed working with you. • 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: Identify if anyone from your network works at or has connections to your target companies. • 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗢𝘂𝘁: Contact them personally—preferably via a phone call—to catch up and share your career goals. Set up coffee or lunch meetings to discuss your job search further. 𝟯. 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 • 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗨𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁: Use these meetings to rekindle relationships while seeking introductions to your target companies. • 𝗕𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰: Clearly articulate the role you’re looking for and the companies on your list. Ask if they know anyone who can help or if their own company is hiring for your skill set. • 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽: If they can’t make an introduction, ask if there’s anything you can do for them. Networking is a two-way street. 𝟰. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 • 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺: Recruiters can be valuable allies in your job search, actively seeking roles that match your skills. • 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: If you don’t know any recruiters, ask trusted friends or colleagues to connect you with someone reliable. 𝟱. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 • 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁: Job hunting is hard work, but persistence pays off. Keep grinding and stay focused on your goals. • 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: The best roles often come through connections—whether it’s a personal introduction or a trusted recruiter’s recommendation. Remember, your determination and effort will lead you to a role that maximizes your potential. Keep pushing forward, and success will follow!

You have a great offer for a new job, but your current company makes a counteroffer. Do you take it? We get asked this about once a month, and my answer is almost always the same. Probably not. This is why: if it took you leaving to be offered what you're worth, what does that tell you about how they value you? The stats back this up. About 50% of people who accept counteroffers end up leaving within a year anyway because the money wasn't really the problem. It was the lack of growth, or the bad manager, or the culture, or the feeling that you'd hit a ceiling, or a combination of factors. Whatever it was that sent you looking to begin with. But here's the exception: if you explored your options because you were genuinely curious about your market value, and your current company comes back with not just more money but also a clear path forward—new responsibilities, a promotion, a commitment to the things you said were missing—then it's worth considering. Just make sure you're staying because it's the right move, not because it's the safe one.

“I applied to 50 jobs and only heard back from 2.” We hear this all the time, and it’s rarely because someone isn’t qualified. What’s usually happening is simpler — and more frustrating: your resume isn’t making the match obvious fast enough. Yes, most companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS). But those systems aren’t sitting there “auto-rejecting” good people. They’re sorting based on alignment — job titles, skills, tools, and how clearly your experience maps to the role. If that alignment isn’t immediately clear, the resume stalls before a meaningful human review. A few fixes that will genuinely help: - Use the same language the job posting uses for key skills and tools (clarity beats cleverness) - Keep formatting simple — single column, no graphics, no hidden text - Use bullet points that show what you did and what tools you used, not paragraphs that require interpretation Also, remember - those 2 responses out of 50 applications? That could be all you need. Just ONE conversation with the right person at the right time can take you where you want to go. Hiring isn’t a numbers game. It’s a clarity game. Your job is to make it easy for both systems and humans to see why you belong in the room.

I had a conversation with a hiring manager last week who said something that stuck with me: "We hire for skills but usually fire for behavior." He was frustrated because they'd just let go of their most technically talented developer—someone who could solve any problem but left a trail of resentment and frustration wherever he went. Meanwhile, their most beloved team member is someone who was a mid-level hire but asks questions, shows up for others, and makes everyone around them better. Technical skills get you in the door. But the things that keep you there—and get you promoted—are the things they don't teach in class: humility, communication, the ability to say "I don't know, but I'll find out." Your code might be brilliant, but if no one wants to work with you, it doesn't matter. On the flip side, if you're a hiring manager reading this: stop overlooking the solid engineer with great soft skills in favor of the expert with an attitude problem. The team will thank you.

Three years ago, Natalie was a high school teacher, wondering if she was too old to learn coding at 34. Last month, she accepted a senior developer role at a fintech startup. What happened in between? Night classes, a bootcamp, a junior role where she worked harder than everyone else, and a lot of imposter syndrome (which she persistently pushed through). The tech industry often emphasizes the importance of a specific background or education, but I've found that grit, curiosity, flexibility, and a willingness to learn outweigh a CS degree from the right school almost every time. If you're thinking about making the switch but wondering if it's too late, it's not. The best time to start is now.

The interview question everyone knows is coming, yet no one prepares for: "Do you have any questions for us?" Usually, panic ensues, and a candidate might ask about parking or PTO or just say, "No, I think you covered everything." Here's what you should ask instead: "What does success look like in this role after 6 months?" "What's the biggest challenge your team is facing right now?" "How does this role contribute to the company's goals this year?" Alternatively, conduct some research on the company and ask questions about its vision and mission. Be curious. These questions do three things: they demonstrate strategic thinking, provide you with necessary information, and make you memorable. Interviews aren't interrogations. They're conversations. Be prepared to hold up your end.

You know what costs more than hiring a recruiter? Hiring the wrong person. The average bad hire costs 30% of that person's first-year salary (according to the DOL). For a $120K engineer, that's $36K—plus the 6 months you spent onboarding them, the team morale hit, and starting over from square one. Good recruiting isn't an expense. It's insurance against expensive mistakes. We spend at least 15-20 hours on every placement—talking to the client, understanding the role, sourcing, screening, scheduling, interviewing, negotiating, checking references—because getting it right the first time is cheaper than getting it wrong three times.

Can we talk about how strange the tech hiring market is right now? Companies are complaining they can't find talent, while qualified engineers are applying to dozens of roles and not hearing back. How does this happen? The truth is, most companies aren't struggling to find candidates. They're actually struggling to make decisions. There are too many stakeholders involved in the hiring process, the requirements are unclear, priorities keep shifting, and budget freezes are re-packaged as "we're still interviewing, we'll let you know." If you're job searching and getting ghosted after final rounds, it's most likely not you. It's organizational dysfunction and indecision. Keep moving until you find a company that knows what it needs and values what you bring.