How Yuliya Gained Essential SQL and Data Storytelling Skills to Become a Data Analyst at Allianz

My Journey as a Data Analyst: From IT Solution Designer to Data Analytics Expert

I'm Julia La Gadria, and I'm based in Munich, Germany. I've been with Advanced Direct for three and a half years, having joined originally as an IT solution designer. In April 2021, I made the transition to working as a data analyst, a role that has been a long-held dream of mine. Data is everywhere, and it's not just limited to real-life applications – it's also a fascinating topic professionally. As a data analyst, I'm excited to work with data and analyze it to gain insights that can inform business decisions.

My Background and Education

I graduated from the Cavallar Polytechnic University in 2005, when my education was more theoretical in nature. My knowledge quickly became outdated, and I had to adapt to new technologies and concepts. After graduating, I worked for Nokia and then Allianz, where I held the role of solution designer. As a solution designer, my responsibility was to take the needs from the business side and translate them into technical requirements. This involved checking configurations, identifying missing pieces, and testing the implementation. Although I enjoyed this role, I soon realized that I needed to understand the impact of data on our projects.

My Entry into Data Analytics

When I joined Advanced Direct, I knew nothing about data analytics at all. However, within a few months, I understood the importance of having this skillset. To bridge the knowledge gap, I took online courses and attended free resources like basics of the basics. These initial steps were helpful, but I soon realized that I needed more practical experience. That's when I stumbled upon DataCamp, an online learning platform that offers bite-sized videos and interactive exercises.

DataCamp and My Journey to Certification

I was fascinated by DataCamp because it offered a different approach to learning compared to traditional courses. The bite-sized videos were perfect for busy schedules, and the ability to pause and resume lessons made it easy to fit into my schedule. I also appreciated the practical exercises that helped me apply theoretical concepts to real-world problems. As I progressed through the platform, I learned SQL skills that I could immediately apply in my daily work. These skills are essential for data analysis, as they enable me to work with complex datasets and create reports.

My Certification Journey

After completing several SQL courses, I knew it was time to take the next step – getting certified. DataCamp offered a certification program called the Data Analytics Associate, which I found extremely appealing. The program consisted of 40 hours of studies, but I completed it in less than the required time because I already possessed some knowledge. However, this experience taught me the importance of refreshing my statistics skills, even if they are theoretical.

The Certification Process

I first completed the theory part of the certification and was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't as difficult as I expected. The practice test was indeed challenging, but I had prepared well for it. When I saw the results – that I had passed – I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment. The experience not only validated my skills but also showed me that with dedication and hard work, I could achieve my goals.

My Approach to Learning

Throughout this journey, I've come to realize that learning should be enjoyable and fun. When I'm faced with a challenge or a new concept, I try to approach it with enthusiasm rather than fear. This mindset helps me stay motivated and engaged in the learning process. DataCamp has been instrumental in teaching me these skills, as well as providing practical exercises that allow me to apply my knowledge.

Conclusion

My journey from an IT solution designer to a data analyst has been nothing short of transformative. I've learned so much about data analysis, SQL, and statistics – skills that will undoubtedly benefit my career and personal growth. The DataCamp platform has played a significant role in this transformation, offering bite-sized lessons and interactive exercises that have made learning fun and engaging. As I continue on this path, I'm excited to tackle new challenges and apply my knowledge to real-world problems, all while having fun with it.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enmy name is Julia La gadria I'm based in Munich Germany and I've been for three and a half years with Advanced direct I joined originally as a it solution designer and currently since April I'm working as a data analyst which was long wished for data is everywhere data is everything you can see it in the real life like you can analyze it I don't know the turnover of the milk in your fridge and something like that starting with that but also professionally it's a super exciting topic and I'm very fascinated that I had a chance to join this role I graduated from a cave Polytechnic University in 2005. at that time I would say it education was pretty theoretical my knowledge very quickly became outdated then I joined a bunch of roles I worked for Nokia 4kn and then when I joined the Allianz I was a solution designer the role of solution designer is basically to take the needs from the business side Translate them into the technical side and Implement so it's again it was like checking the configuration seeing what is missing and then doing the testing for all this time I couldn't avoid touching the data because of course if you are implementing something you need to understand what is the impact and what is the result when I joined aliens three and a half years the boy didn't know any school at all I knew nothing about it and basically within first couple of months I understood that this is my biggest need I first took a free course online some online school which was basics of the basics and I used it and it was very helpful and everything and then I understood I want to go forward and then in March 2021 I got this wonderful offer from the alliance data analytics Academy and I got so fascinated with the datacam platform because I tried some learnings before but they were so heavy so long so like hours of explanations very little practical experience it was so boring and what is really cool at data camp this bite-sized videos it was very helpful for me sometimes you just have 20 minutes between two meetings and you think what can I do useful which is still not just the beginning and then you have to cut it in the in between and like you can watch a few videos and do a couple of exercises and actually move forward with it it's also very great to have practical exercises they are very helpful to to understand the concept I must admit I was not always patient sometimes I'm just like come on this is like so obvious and then you're typing something quickly and submitting and it's not working you're like oh wait a minute and I was learning like one SQL course after another which was like super much useful for me because I immediately applied it in my daily work I'm not automating tasks but I'm doing very complex reports so sometimes it's 20 30 tables merged together and of course if you are more proficient with with SQL you can do better things faster Plus for me I also work with two different notations because we have different databases like a SQL server and we also work with Azure data bricks which is a separate notation of the SQL language and like knowing the basics it makes it easier for me to understand how I translate the queries from one system to another thank you and this is how I came to it and then I heard that there is a possibility to get certified and I personally got a super excitement I cannot say that it's really necessary for my role because my manager trusts me and she knows what I can do and she always asks me like can you do it what do you need to be able to do it but in this sense I felt like a personal challenge I really felt excited and then I went for the certification I'm very happy that I passed it so the course that I selected was a data analytics associate and I was super excited but I'm such type of a person that needs to reach let's say a point of no return or to reach a particular threshold of knowledge in my head before I there or before I say I'm ready so first step now I first have to complete the program and it was around 40 hours of studies I think I did it a little bit faster because a few things I really knew already it gave me several insights first I understood I really need to refresh the statistics knowledge despite that it's just a theoretical subject I see how it applies to the real world and visualize Asian part was amazing so I think my two favorite Parts besides the skill which I really need was visualization on all kind of data storytelling any way of representation of the data because that really teaches you how you can talk to people about it like it's great to have a nice report but if you are the only person who can read what's in use of it I set myself a Target I said to myself that by end of May I have to apply and make a test and then I applied and I immediately took the theory test because I wanted to have more time for the practice I was like close to the point of panic because it was very difficult it was also time test and in real life it's a bit different because you have time to think to rethink maybe to search for something but if you have 90 seconds to answer what type of distribution you need to use in this case you really need to focus and I passed it I didn't know if I would and when I see it congratulations you passed through this I was like yes and then I took the practice right away I must say it was easier than I expected because maybe I was better ready than I thought I would be and it was like super fun I got so excited working with it I really enjoy solving real business problems first of all I discussed it with my team lead general rule was Friday afternoon I could take for my education and I did so then of course I had to use my private time it's not always working during the working hours the person needs to find their own motivation so if it's just I have to do it that's at least for me it's not working for me it was like excitement challenge I really felt and that would be my achievement that would be my own accomplishment and also I understood how it will help me and I think the most important is to have fun with it like maybe it's also like my approach to life and to education but if it's boring then it's not going to work but if you say hey but look my practice data set is about I don't know how many pairs of socks with Dinosaurs assaulted in the child store so maybe a little bit of fun with it and enjoy it and yeah it doesn't have to be boring\n"