My journey of getting selected into Data School Down Under

by | Apr 24, 2021 | Kamaldeep Singh

About me ?

I did my graduation in Industrial Engineering from Punjab Technical University, India. I have worked as a Quality Assurance Engineer in automobile parts manufacturing company, in India. My job role involved improving products and processes, rework and rejections by identifying, correcting and eliminating recurring problems through SPC (Statistical Process Capability) studies and MSA (Measurement System Analysis) studies. I used to collect the data during the manufacturing of parts and later clean and arrange it. After arranging the data, I used to visualize it by making x-bar, r charts, histograms and Pareto Analysis in Microsoft Excel and Minitab Software.

This helped me to make decisions based on the facts rather than on the gut feeling. Gut feel can be different on the different days, but data shows the truth. This prior background and experience with data, motivated me to enhance my skills in data analysis and pursue a career as a Data Analyst.

How did I start learning Tableau ?

A friend of mine introduced me to Tableau and shared the link of the free e-learning program of Tableau. In March 2020, Tableau started 90 days e-learning program which covered Tableau Desktop Fundamental Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. I took the opportunity of being a part of this program. I completed all three levels along with the activities that were shared as part of the course. This gave me a good understanding of Tableau and helped me to enhance and test my knowledge.

I came across “Makeover Monday Challenges” community, while searching for some data set to improve my learning. It is a weekly learning and development opportunity for hundreds of passionate data people from around the globe. Every Monday a data set is shared to create better, more effective visualizations. I started taking part in Makeover Monday challenges. I have worked on many different datasets that were shared in the challenges and have made visualizations based upon that.

You can visit my Tableau profile by clicking on the link below to check “Makeover Monday Challenges” and other visualizations.

https://public.tableau.com/profile/kamaldeep.singh6721#!/

These challenges have helped me to explore different features in Tableau. They also tested my ability to think and analyze the data. Doing this every week was a good way to practice and learn.

How did I manage to get through to data school application process ?

I came across “Data School” through Seek. The application process really impressed me. There is no need to submit any resume which is basically the requirement of most of the companies and recruitment agencies at the time of applying for the job. Data School, values PASSION, CREATIVITY & FLAIR for the data in the candidate, if you have these, then Data School is for you.

I had submitted my application for Cohort 7. The coach assigned to me provided the feedback. He suggested me to improve my visualization and asked me to add more insights into it. He said, “Find the hidden stories in the data, that are hidden behind the raw numbers”. The visualization should tell the story and it should be easy to navigate even by a layman. I worked on my feedback and tried to improve my visualization based upon it. It was unfortunate that I could not get through to the second stage of the application process. Coaches encouraged me to not give up and apply for the next cohort. And I did the same.

I worked continuously to improve my technical skills. Story telling through a visualization was a tough row to hoe. I learnt few important features in tableau like set actions, parameter actions etc. I also focused on learning the techniques to make the visualization more interactive and engaging.

It was time for Cohort 8 now. The application process was in progress and I applied for cohort 8. My first visualization was accepted, and I was able to move to the second stage. The second stage required me to present the viz that was created through phone screening along with follow up questions. I was happy to hear that I successfully made through this stage as well. I was desperately waiting for the final interview. Data School shared the data for the final interview. We had to create and present the viz bases upon the given data, discuss, and talk about the insights derived from it.

The next day of the interview, I received a phone call from the coach that I am selected in the data school. I was very ecstatic to hear that I cleared the final interview round. Being a part of Data School is like a dream come true. The Data School provides an extraordinary environment to its cohorts. The support system here is remarkable.

For those who want to choose data analytics as their carrier and spend some time learning Tableau, I am sharing some important links below. These have helped me a lot and, I am sure; these will provide a good understanding to you as well. Refer these to enhance your skills.

Best of luck to all the data enthusiasts for your journey 😊.

 

Kamaldeep Singh
Author: Kamaldeep Singh

Originally from India, Kamal did his graduation in Industrial Engineering. He had worked with automobile parts manufacturing company as a quality executive. It was through collecting and applying the insights gleaned from this data that he first discovered his passion for it. After migrating to Australia, he was introduced to Tableau by a friend and took to it with great enthusiasm. From there, it wasn’t long before he learnt of the Data School and sought a career in data analytics and Tableau. If only allowed to choose one meal to eat for the rest of his life, Kamal loves an Indian Rajmah, Rice dish. Kamal is a keen runner and most recently took part in the Sydney Blackmores half-marathon. He also has an interest in extreme sports and plans to add bungy-jumping, hang-gliding and sky-diving to his list of achievements.