The paradox of studying vs working in DATA

In this article, I will write about a few things about how working in data is entirely different from when you are learning the skills to use and analyse the data.

People who are transitioning to data analysis or just starting should read this and always be ready for what they can expect.

WHAT I DO IN MY COMPANY

I am a product analyst by the profile which means I assist my PMs in doing analyses and getting data to make decisions.

I am also involved in the engineering side of data where I work on setting up trackings for new features, creating dashboards and other Ad-hoc tasks which require me to write frequent SQL queries.

WHAT I HAVE STUDIED FOR DATA ANALYSIS

I studied the basics of Python (Pandas, NumPy, visualisation and statistical libraries), SQL basics and window functions and finally analytics process.

In the analytics process, one needs to understand, identify, clarify, plan, implement, test and then iterate the steps for desired numbers or results.

GAP ANALYSIS

So, you can see that my work is more inclined towards results and getting things done rather than what I have studied or learned in the past.

1. While working your skills is the last thing that would be discussed. The focus is on the problem and how can we achieve the delivery of that solution. The first question that comes to mind is do we have usable data?
2. I have not learned any tools like GA, Mixpanel, Segment or Tableau explicitly. But I have used all of them and mastered them with the awareness of the problem. These tools are pretty simple if you know what you are doing.
3. Product knowledge and impact can not be learned unless you are working, so being mindful of the actionable insights always helps.
4. While you will be rewarded for your process but giving results will have extra benefits and value addition to the organization.
5. One should be ready to not fall in love with their code or tool especially if you are working for a start-up. The iterations and failures are the places where growth happens.

Having listed all these things, I am still learning and one thing which bothers me is that I have not mastered EXCEL yet. It comes in handy for quick ad-hoc data analyses.

Thanks! :)