Josh Geller is a data-savvy career coach who helps professionals clarify their value and communicate it with confidence, whether they’re preparing for a job interview, navigating a big career shift, or simply updating their LinkedIn profile. He offers a variety of 1:1 coaching services designed to help people working in data, analytics, and adjacent fields move forward with clarity. One session, Beat Your Career Bottlenecks, is a focused one-hour deep dive into your current approach, what might not be landing, and how to make your value clear, not just on paper, but in high-stakes conversations. I had the chance to do this session through our dub dub data marketplace, where we spotlight experts doing great work across the data industry. I expected a solid LinkedIn review. What I got was a new lens for how I think about my professional story, and how to show up when it matters most.

Storytelling with Data, Why This Session Wasn’t Just About LinkedIn

Josh didn’t start with job titles or buzzwords. He started with questions.

• What kind of work do you actually do?
• What’s the business outcome?
• If someone read your profile, would they understand your impact?

It felt like a conversation, casual, curious, but it was layered with insight. He helped me notice how vague language (like “seasoned executive”) can hide your value rather than spotlight it. Instead, he pushed for specifics, names, numbers, transformation. The kind of proof that builds trust and attention, fast. What clicked for me was this: You're not just selling a résumé. You're offering a solution. And that simple shift changed the way I think about every job description, every client conversation, every networking moment. It moved me from "here's what I do" to "here's the change I create."

From Résumé to Results, How Coaching Helped Me Own My Data Career Story

I’ve led large teams, delivered enterprise-scale transformation, and built data strategies across some of the world’s biggest banks. But talking about that work in a way that resonates? That’s where Josh helped.

He helped me shift from:

• Listing tasks to owning outcomes
• Naming tools to showing transformation
• Describing responsibilities to highlighting results

As someone who co-founded a data consultancy and community, I’ve always focused on delivery, strategy, execution, impact. But expressing that in a way that lands? That’s a skill in itself. Josh helped me see that clearly, and put it into action.

That mindset shift doesn’t just help on LinkedIn. It changes how you show up when it counts:

• Client meetings, where clarity builds credibility
• Strategic sales, where value needs to be obvious
• Job interviews, even informal ones that appear out of nowhere
• Peer networking, where positioning opens doors
• Internal influence, when you're trying to lead change

Practical LinkedIn Coaching for Data Analysts and Professionals

One of the most useful parts of the session? How practical it was. Josh and I pulled up my LinkedIn profile and walked through it live, line by line. He asked questions, gave pointers, and helped me spot the places where my language was underselling the work I’ve done. We focused deeply on the About section, which often gets overlooked, and reframed it from a generic overview to a story of real transformation. Then we looked at a few Experience entries, and Josh gave me a framework to carry forward for the rest. After the session, I reworked the updates offline.

Here’s a snapshot of how it changed:

The About Section

 What wasn’t working

• Generic language
• Words like “seasoned” and “skilled” are overused and tell you nothing specific about experience, scope, or results. They sound impressive but land flat without evidence.
• Attribute-based, not impact-based 
• The original relied on descriptors (e.g. “optimising performance”, “committed to results”) without showing how those outcomes were achieved or what they delivered.
• No narrative thread 
• It read like a list of traits and tasks, not a clear, cohesive story. There was no sense of progression, impact, or unique positioning that sets the profile apart.
• Missing proof points 
• No company names, metrics, or outcomes to build credibility or capture attention. Readers didn’t get a sense of what made this professional exceptional.
• Reads like a CV, not a hook 
• LinkedIn’s About section should engage and spark curiosity, not just summarise a career history. This one didn’t give people a reason to keep reading or reach out.
    

 Why it works
It leads with credibility and results, not personality traits. This version shifts from vague descriptors to tangible proof points that build immediate trust and interest. Here's why that matters:

• Opens with a strong hook
  • Instead of soft traits like “seasoned” or “passionate”, it starts with recognisable companies, scope of experience, and measurable outcomes. That builds authority from the first line.

• Shows, doesn't tell
  • Phrases like “scaled Tableau from 8 to 102 cores” and “drove 50+ strategic projects” give hard evidence of impact. The reader doesn’t have to trust that you're good – the results prove it.
• Names names 
  • Referencing brands like Standard Chartered, Citi, and Westpac adds immediate legitimacy and industry relevance, especially for those in data and analytics. 

• Connects roles to real-world transformation 
  • It explains not just what you did, but how it changed something – adoption, speed to insight, executive decision-making, analyst enablement. This tells a story of leadership, not just delivery.

• Clarifies the current value proposition 
  • It ends with a concise, differentiated summary of what you do now at dub dub data and why it matters. That helps potential clients, collaborators, or recruiters know exactly how you can help them. 

• Balances breadth and depth 
  • It moves across 20+ years and multiple institutions without getting bogged down. Key proof points carry the narrative while supporting bullets make it scannable and actionable. 

• Highlights positioning and style 
  • The final lines around "strategy to execution", "data storytelling", and "HCD meets data" are brand-aligned and memorable. It’s clear what kind of thinker and partner you are. 

Experience Section

Next, we looked at my Experience section, where Josh’s guidance helped me completely rethink how I was showing up.

Rather than listing responsibilities, I focused on the transformation I led, the problems I solved, and the scale I delivered at. These updates weren’t just about adding more detail, they were about sharpening the message and making the impact unmistakable.

What wasn’t working

• Too vague, could apply to anyone
• The original text used generic phrases and passive language, which didn’t set the work apart or speak to the depth of experience involved.
• Missed leadership and scope
• There was little evidence of the size, complexity, or strategic nature of the roles. It didn’t reflect the fact that I led global functions, delivered across regions, and worked at scale.
• No context around the business impact
• Even where results were mentioned, they weren’t tied back to business value – why it mattered, what changed, or how the organisation benefited.
• Read like a task list
• It focused on what I did day to day, rather than the transformation I drove or the value I delivered.
• Lacked scale and measurable impact
• Without clear metrics, team sizes, or scale of adoption, it was hard for a reader to gauge the weight of the work.
• Didn’t connect to business transformation
• There was no through-line that connected the work to meaningful outcomes – like speed-to-value, executive decision-making, or cross-functional visibility.

 Why it works

It’s outcome-led,strategically framed,and clearly shows how I influenced the business,not just managed a process. It demonstrates scale,impact,and lasting value,and positions me as a change agent and strategic leader.

• Leads with transformation
• The new version opens with what changed,not just what was done. It shifts focus from activity to impact.
• Connects the dots for the reader 
• It clearly shows how my work influenced business outcomes like speed-to-decision,strategic alignment,and operational efficiency.
• Quantifies success 
• Concrete numbers and examples (like scaling Tableau adoption or leading across 18+ markets) add credibility and context.
• Highlights leadership and ownership 
• It moves beyond “supporting” projects to “leading” initiatives and building functions from the ground up.
• Frames cultural influence 
• It reflects how I helped shift the way data was used and valued across organisations,embedding new ways of working,not just new tools.
• Tailored for high-impact conversations 
• Whether someone’s scanning for credibility or digging deep,the language makes it easy to see the value I bring.

Final Thoughts, Why This Data Career Coaching Session Mattered

If you're doing great work but struggling to communicate it, whether to clients, collaborators, hiring managers, or stakeholders, this kind of coaching is a game-changer. Josh didn’t just help me tighten up my LinkedIn. He helped me completely rethink how I show up when the stakes are high.

Here’s what I walked away with:

• Sharpened messaging, I stopped hiding behind broad terms and buzzwords. With Josh's help, I started leading with what I've done and why it matters. Every word now earns its place.
• A reconnection to my 'why', It’s easy to get caught up in the work and forget the story behind it. Josh brought me back to the real impact I’ve made, and the purpose that drives me forward, especially now that I’ve co-built a company I deeply believe in.
• Language that lands, Josh has a way of helping you strip things back. What sounds good in your head doesn’t always translate, especially on a LinkedIn profile or in a client meeting. He helped me find the words that stick.
• Proof, not polish, We didn’t chase perfection. We focused on clarity. He challenged me to show results, not rhetoric, and to think like the person reading the profile. Are they solving a problem? Are they scanning for credibility? Are they seeing someone they trust?
• A new way to show up, This wasn’t just about LinkedIn. It was about showing up in high-stakes moments, meetings, sales conversations, interviews, with confidence and clarity. Instead of over-explaining or downplaying, I now frame things around value. Around outcomes. Around what it’s like to work with me.

Josh didn’t hand me a new personal brand. He helped me find mine, one that reflects what I’ve built, what I believe in, and what I offer. Yes, my LinkedIn got a major upgrade. But the real shift? How I talk about what I do, how I connect with others, and how I lead with value, not just credentials.

Want to Work with Josh?

You can find him at joshgeller.com.au. If you're a data analyst, data leader, or professional in analytics looking to advance your career, land a new job, or show up more confidently in high-stakes moments, he's absolutely worth talking to.

Full Disclosure

Josh kindly offered this session to me at no cost, as part of our Dub Dub Data initiative where we spotlight outstanding experts in the data space. Everything shared here is entirely my own experience and perspective.

Want to Dive Deeper Listen to our Podcast on From Dead to Drive Coaching Data Professionals with Josh Geller