Data School Reflections

by Stephanie Kearns

Four months on and I still can’t quite believe that this is an actual job. I have learnt more than I ever thought possible and had fun whilst doing it. Thank you so much to Andy and everyone he brought in to teach us at the Data School.

Aside from the Tableau and Alteryx lessons, here are some things I’ve learnt from my time at the Data School.

 

Ask questions

I’ve always been one to ask questions, but this is definitely a good one to remember.

 

Feedback is invaluable

Ask for it. Listen to it. Give it to others.

 

Sit and talk someone through your work

Sometimes just voicing things or walking someone else through a piece of work will help you answer questions, get fresh ideas or even just give you a bit more confidence in the work you’ve already done.

 

Don’t feel you have to do everything

I missed some User Groups, work drinks etc. It’s OK to have a life outside of work.

 

Blog

Listen to Andy when he says it’ll help you. It’ll not only help cement what you’ve learnt, but will help with building your personal brand within the Tableau and Alteryx communities.

 

Embrace Twitter

Even if you’re not in to social media, it’s worth it.

 

Help others

This is something I’d like to think I’ve always tried to do. It’s easy for people to get caught up in their own work, but the benefits of taking some time out to help others are endless. You might learn something too by working through a problem together.

 

Be confident and believe in your ability

Imposter syndrome is a real thing but, if you’re asking for feedback and sharing your work, it may eventually start to sink in that you’re pretty good.

 

Know when to move on

You’ll always take more time to perfect something if you can but at some point you have to draw a line under the work you’ve done. Do your best, get the feedback, iterate, but know when to just click Publish…

 

 

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Stephanie Kearns