My major motivation for entering the Data Space is to help organizations make more informed decisions from the insights gotten from their data. So, I started by taking a lot of online courses to have a basic understanding of data itself. I took courses in Statistics, Python programming, and Microsoft Excel, yet I wasn’t confident in my skills because:

• I still hadn’t done an independent project end-to-end.
• I knew there was so much more to learn, and I needed help putting all the tools together.
• I also wanted to have a real community to accelerate my growth.

After making inquiries from those who are ahead of me in the field, I knew the next thing for me was to get an internship opportunity. So, I started applying, and alas, I got into the Blossom Academy Fellowship Program.

I started the fellowship program on the 7th of May 2022 with a lot of excitement to learn new things and meet amazing people, so here I am to tell you about the journey so far — my experience, thoughts, and feelings, and I’ll also share some of my projects in the subsequent post.

Did I mention that I got in for the Data Analytics Immediate track? The track is a compilation of the four primary data analytics tools: Python, SQL, Power BI, and Advanced Excel. The curriculum was designed such that we can conveniently analyse datasets with any of the tools mentioned above and also be able to communicate our insights to a non-technical audience. The program is structured such that we get every skill needed to stand out in the field, such as communication skills, teamwork, and networking skills.

One of the major things I love about the fellowship program is the peer-to-peer learning method. Through this program, I have learned about the importance of collaboration and communication. Working in a small team of people, we individually applied our skills into achieving the same goal. Contributing ideas from different aspects, perspectives and opinions managed to bring out the best in a team.

I have also improved on self-discipline and time management through this internship. Having to alter this program and my workplace has generated more work to be completed. I created a timeline schedule and made reminders to create convenience in order to get work done in an organized manner before the deadlines. I decided to bring along this method to help me with future practices as I find it really useful and the results outcomes were great.

My learnings and takeaways

• Before analyzing a dataset, you need to focus on understanding the project objectives and requirements from a business perspective.
• You need to get familiar with the data, identify data quality problems & discover insights into the data first before visualizing it.
• Collaboration and communication are key
• Evaluate your performance regularly to maximize your learning. Work on as many projects as possible.
• Don’t hesitate to put your work out there. It validates your skills to recruiters and potential clients.