Before applying to The Data School, I didn't like Tableau.
Why?
I never worked with it to create a project I was passionate about. A lot of our inability to learn and enjoy new programs comes from a lack of interest in our work. This brings me to my first point... the importance of a dataset.
Find A Dataset
Search for a dataset that interests you! Don't try to tailor your dataset around what you think the team would find interesting. I know it's hard not to think of that when a job is on the line, but I can promise you it will not help. By finding a dataset you're interested in, you won't mind spending hours working on Tableau to discover insights. Showing passion is key and having a solid dataset will help bring that out!
Dataset ideas:
- Personal data (Netflix and Spotify allow you to request your data)
- Kaggle
- Data.World
- Google Dataset Search
Explore
Spend hours (if time allows) to sit down and play with the data. This is fun! Build charts that work... make some that don't. There aren't rules to what exploration can look like for you. During this time nothing is wrong so try everything you're interested in.
Ask Questions
While exploring your brain will begin asking questions about the data. Let those guide your discovery. Remember at the end of the day you're trying to build a dashboard showing insights and questions are a great way to lead that process.
Discover
Answers to your questions and even at times no answers! Find what charts have worked to tell your story and which haven't. Begin to piece together what story this data is showing you.
Build
Begin to build out your story. I like to draw a rough idea of what I'm hoping to include in my dashboard based on my exploration, questions, and discoveries. However, don't let this limit your work. Here's an example of my application viz:
Have Fun!
Yes, this is a job application, but enjoy every step of the process. Explore the world of data and all the resources available to you. I used many blog posts and YouTube videos made by Data Schoolers to build out charts, create calculated fields, and set parameters.