What my 1st data analytics job taught me
What did my first data analytics job actually teach me? In particular, about how to have a successful career as an analyst?
đ Level One: keep your eyes open
Donât assume people presented with your work will âget-itâ.
In fact, assume, and prepare for, the opposite.
I needed a way to answer legitimate questions and concerns.
So I pursued an approach I now call âMutually Assured Constructionâ. This brings us up to Level Two.
đď¸ Level Two: “Mutually Assured Construction”
âMutually Assured Constructionâ has two governing principles. But, both need to be applied in order for it to be successful.
- Principle 1: âTest internallyâ
I connected with a few likeminded colleagues interested in the data modelling space.
We formed a loose analytical group that reviewed and critiqued the model at various stages of its development. Its assumptions, logic and architecture.
- Principle 2: âBuilt in public with the clientâ
The modelâs assumptions and architecture were shared with the client so it got to see the inner workings and provide feedback.
This bi-pronged approach was critical to persuading colleagues and the client of the validity and value of this kind of work.
This might sound obvious, but too frequently problems that arise with analysis can be traced back to simply not talking with the right people, early enough and often enough, inside and outside your organisation.
And, most analysts stop here. And they do good solid work on a project by project basis.
Good job. Well done.
But, by stopping here, theyâre missing out on a way to really strap rocket boosters to their careers.
You see, up until this point, Levels One and Two, weâve essentially been talking about âProject Thinkingâ â principles that you can apply to your experience in individual projects.
Yes, a project is arguably the fastest way to learn and sharpen analytical skills.
But for those of you whoâd like to progress their careers further and faster, thereâs a whole other level to explore…
đ§ Level Three: build your profile
Level Three represents the most important lesson I learnt from my first data analytics job. In order to open up new, wider opportunities, you need to maximise your project experience.
How?
By seeking out and teaming up with likeminded data nerds, you can contribute to something much bigger. By building a platform to support and showcase your organisationâs capability and capacity to do more and better data analytical work.
And being a part of building that platform can do wonders for your profile. Which, in turn, can open up all sorts of future opportunitiesâŚ
For example, the more your colleagues hear about what you can do for them, the kinds of problems you can solve, the kind of value you can add, you wonât have to go looking for analytical projects. Theyâll come to you.
Level Three Profile Thinking is how you leverage your project experience to build forwards towards your next analytical opportunity by building outwards across your organisation, and beyond.
Of course, the role of the analyst continues to be in flux, but there is a clutch of skills that are essential for any (data) analyst to continue to be successful.
The trouble is, that too often, they are overlooked by analysts. I’ll be talking more about them in the next newsletter.
Articles of curiosity
đš The death of the key change â this analysis of the 1143 songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 between 1958 and 2022 reveal something curious about the structure of music and its decline in 1991 to almost zero %. It chimes with what I discuss in What we get wrong about the future of music and how streaming platforms are serving up more of the same to us. For instance, a whopping 7 in 10 songs streamed on Spotify in 2017 were from playlists â either editorially curated or machine-generated. A ‘great musical flattening’ could be taking place before our very, err, ears.
ICYMI
đ¤ Need help to decide what your next strategic step should be? Well, here’s a quick way to spruce up an old familiar concept that’s fallen out of fashion in a really quick way to make it way more invigorating â and useful. Find out how here in the latest edition of the Quick Concept Series here .
đď¸You can read all previous issues of this newsletter (The Makers) that explore how we enage with the future here (scroll to bottom of the page).
Thanks đ
Thanks for reading, watching, subscribing and being a Maker. I really appreciate it.
This is the first in the new direction, so, please to hit reply and let me know what you think. You know what they say: “those who show up; shape it.”
Or, something a bit like that.
If youâve enjoyed this edition of The Makers, youâd be doing me a kind and generous favour by sharing it with someone who might enjoy it also.
And if you have questions or comments, do hit reply.
Until next timeâŚ
Best wishes,
James