Wow, two weeks in already! The time has already flown when I look back, although every single day has been a real challenge for me to be honest. I am not a native to coding and data admittedly, so my learning curve was always going to be steeper perhaps than most. However, my passion for the subject remains strong (the force is strong with this one!).
As we progress through the weeks I am starting to learn the logic behind what we are being taught. Essentially every data project will have a start and a finish and we are motoring through each stage sequentially. I'm sure to anyone who has done this before it will look like a sensible pace but as I say, without already having had exposure (I was a legal recruiter for 18 years before this), it feels like we are Michael Schumacher racing around the M25. At rush hour!
The good thing is with the Data School coaches and other cohorts around us the M25 has been cleared and we are firmly wearing our helmets. We are covering a lot but within a fantastic safety framework where we can make our mistakes and learn, learn, learn!
Early Days of Learning
What have I learnt so far, you might ask? Well, let me tell you. (And at the same time remind myself just how far I've come in a short space of time!). Week 1 was all about preparing data, using Tableau Prep for the very first time, thinking about the client and end users, and essentially the basics of what makes good data. Week 2 moved on to applying this to a client, essentially what is their User Story (As an...I would like...So that I...) and Chart Strategies (Aim...Action...Insight...) for what data they had provided and what they are trying to achieve.
I thought this would come a bit more naturally to me seeing as I spent my first career thinking about what info I have before me, what the lawyer is trying to achieve with their move and what the law firm is looking for. Essentially it's all about what is achievable, what is realistic, what is possible. But using a framework that allows us to be consistent has proven a little more difficult to get my head around. I'm certain I'll get it if I keep at it! It is consultancy after all, so the client's end goals should always try to be achieved wherever possible, all whilst advising them on what can be done (and realistically and importantly, what cannot be achieved). We can also consider where we might need to strengthen our data or adjust our expectations. Once I have more knowledge I'll probably find myself returning to these similar problems with a much clearer understanding.
In week 2 we also opened Tableau and had a crack at a Workout Wednesday. Lots of fun and I probably enjoyed this a little more as it felt more certain as to what was right and what was wrong i.e. if it was wrong, the charts wouldn't work!
The Coming Weeks
This week we are moving onto Alteryx and Power BI so no doubt yet more hair pulling and frustration and sleepless nights as my brain tries to understand it haha. I have those self-doubts constantly, especially being a little (ahem) bit older than the rest of my cohort and feeling as though I have to catch up, that I have something to prove and that I am always far behind. However, the only way time moves is forward so I intend to keep applying myself, turning up every single day with a renewed enthusiasm and believing that the knowledge cannot do anything but slowly leech into my brain.
I remember feeling similar when I first started in legal recruitment. Every word, every process, every interaction was brand new and I was lost for the first little while. However, I managed to make that work and the first step was simply by sticking to it. Perseverance should never be underestimated :)