Not a brag post. I want to be specific because vague upskilling worked! posts drove me insane when I was in the same position. I was a data analyst at a mid-size startup for 2 years, salary frozen, role unclear. I started focusing on AI tools over the weekends, specifically on automating Excel and using GPT for data analysis narratives. I didn't get the hike at my current job. I used what I learned to completely redo my portfolio, added a project where I built a GPT-powered dashboard for a mock client, and started applying. Got calls from places that previously ghosted me. Took an offer at 40% more. Point being: the skill itself got me there, but what really changed was that I had something concrete and different to show.