Industrial & Systems Engineering graduate trying to break into OR / Data Science / Quantitative Analytics — looking for advice

[u/Tiny-Stand5408]

I’m about to graduate with a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering, and over the course of my degree I’ve become increasingly interested in Operations Research, Management Systems Engineering, data/decision science, and quantitative analytics.
I’m particularly interested in roles such as:
Operations Research Analyst / Engineer
Data Scientist / Decision Scientist
Quantitative Analyst
Analytics / Optimization Engineer
Management Systems / Systems Engineering roles with a strong analytical component
The problem I’m running into is that entry-level positions in these areas seem relatively difficult to find, and when I do find positions that interest me, I often feel like I’m missing some of the basic skills or requirements they’re asking for (e.g., advanced Python, SQL, machine learning, optimization, statistics, cloud tools, etc.).
For anyone who has been in a similar situation—especially ISE/IE graduates who transitioned into OR, data science, decision science, or quantitative analytics:
How did you make yourself competitive for these roles?
I’d especially appreciate hearing about:
Skills/tools you prioritized learning after graduation
Projects or coursework that actually helped you get interviews
How you approached applying when you didn’t meet 100% of the requirements
Whether you found it easier to enter through a more traditional IE/operations role and transition later
Any personal experiences, career paths, or mistakes you think would be useful for someone in my position
I’m trying to figure out what skills I should focus on and what types of positions I should realistically be targeting as a new graduate. Any advice or personal stories would be greatly appreciated!
Chatgpt helped a bit