Four months ago, I began an intensive journey into the world of data and consulting. At the time, I was working in a Quality Control Lab, but I knew I wanted to expand my skills and pivot (no pun intended) into the data space.
This training wasn’t just about learning software, it was about a complete shift in my career goals, ambitions and mentality. Here's what I gained from the experience.
What Technical Skills Did I Gain?
Over the course of training, I learned to use a wide range of tools:
Tableau
Getting to grips with Tableau has been one of my favourite parts of The Data School. From data prep challenges in Tableau Prep, to complex techniques in Tableau Desktop. My favourite Tableau challenge from training was creating an exploratory analysis of the gender pay gap during Dashboard Week. Can't wait to really fill out my Tableau Public and try out some even more complicated techniques.
Alteryx
I've found a real appreciation for data prep during training. I've loved taking on all of the difficult logical tasks we've had to do. Coming up with creative solutions to data cleaning and transformation to make analysis easy. Some of the things I've found most challenging in Alteryx include complex apps and macros and APIs and I look forward to being able to practice these a lot more in the future.
Power BI
Making dashboards in Power BI has shown me how quickly you can go from the data prep steps to gaining insights in one integrated platform. It's so useful in a business context and I can't wait to use it more in the future.
SQL
With resources like LeetCode's SQL 50 and the SQL Murder Mystery challenge, I've been able to build on my SQL knowledge a lot and even create a GitHub page! Looking forward to filling it up with more complex challenges and projects as time goes on.
How Did I Develop as a Consultant?
Training wasn’t only technical, a huge part of the experience was about building consulting skills.
I learned how to:
- Present dashboards clearly and concisely.
- Provide clear insights to stakeholders.
- Learn to scope projects realistically (identifying what could be achieved within the time available and prioritising accordingly).
- Collaborate effectively within teams and gain experience leading as a project manager.
One of the biggest lessons I learned was that if a client request couldn’t be completed within the project’s time limitations, it was still important not to overlook it. Providing sketches, ideas, or next steps helped to make sure clients felt heard.
What Was It Like Working on Projects?
Working on client projects was a great experience. I had the chance to explore industries ranging from higher education to tech and chemistry, which kept things varied and interesting. I also had the opportunity to be project manager twice, which taught me a lot about the importance of communication and transparency with stakeholders in building trust. Over the course of these projects, I became much more confident presenting and really enjoyed working with real data to solve real problems.
What Are My Biggest Takeaways?
Looking back, here are the three lessons that stand out most:
- Confidence in presentation
- Using multiple charts to answer a single question
- Planning is key!
If I had one piece of advice for someone about to start this training, it would be: It may be obvious, and literally everyone will tell you the same thing, but ASK FOR HELP! you have great support network around you and there is no shame in utilising it. No matter how silly you think the question is.
Where Do I Go From Here?
Now that training is complete, I’m excited to continue my professional development with some time on bench and looking forward to getting a placement secured soon.
Final Reflections
In just four months, I’ve gone from someone who couldn't imagine presenting in front of an audience, to being able to present my analysis and insights confidently. I’m grateful for the support of my peers, coaches, and trainers, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me next.