I’m writing this blog to share my learnings and experiences during the first two weeks at Data School.
Our cohort’s first day was Monday 4th October, but due to public holidays in Sydney, we set up our laptops and software on Friday. Following a brief introduction about the IT policies at Data School. We installed all the software and communication tools that we would be using throughout our training.
On Monday I thought the first thing would be an introduction of ourselves, but things were different. We split into two-person groups and asked about our colleagues’ background, reasons for joining, and favorite foods. Then after 10 minutes, we introduced our colleagues- it was Fun. Our orientation covered the training road map. What MIP and Data School is all about? Who are the key people in MIP? What do we expect, and what do data schools expect from us. The first day was exciting and went well as expected.
During the next three training days, we covered all the basics of Alteryx software. Including setting up the software, understanding the UI, and learning all the tools that we would use throughout our careers. I like the training approach. First, we got detailed training on how things work. Information about tools and how we can use them. Afterward, we did follow-me exercises to grasp the concepts. We practiced our understanding by doing some exercises. These three-day training left me feeling overwhelmed with so much information.
Friday is project day in data school where a challenge is given at 9:00 AM and everyone has to present at 3:00 PM. On Friday we got a challenge to apply our first weeks’ learning on a dataset that we have used for our application for data school and create a workflow in Alteryx.
The second week was all about Tableau training. During this week we covered all basics, intermediate, and advanced topics of Tableau. We got training about the best practices in the industry. How to use Chart types and color combinations to reduce cognitive load and enhance understanding. The training theme was similar to it was on the first week. We got detailed explanations about each function in Tableau. Afterward, we did follow-me exercises and finally, we practiced some exercises that are in the training manual. Like the previous Friday, we got a task to apply what we have learned in these two weeks and improve one of the visualizations that we have used for our application and present.
The first two weeks at Data School are all about intense training, learning, application of what we have learned, and FUN.
