Pivot to Data Analytics Update: Learning to Excel

Ismail Abdur-Rahman

Originally published at https://www.ivibesconsulting.com/blog/2021/12/20/pivot-to-analytics-update-learning-to-excel

This past week of my learning journey in data analytics has been interesting. Things are ramping up with my data analytics studies, and I’m loving every minute of it. The @MyTechBestFriend Business Intelligence and Scrum Bootcamp has moved into data analytics now, after earlier modules on business analysis and Scrum.

I enjoyed the earlier modules because I was very familiar with the concepts introduced as a result of my work experience. I’ve been doing analysis work for quite a while now, albeit without the tools that are currently in use in the burgeoning data science industry. However, the process of eliciting requirements and analyzing data to draw insights comes naturally to me, as I’m pretty inquisitive by nature.

Now that we’ve moved into data analytics, I have a great opportunity to begin working with tools like Power BI and Tableau, which will certainly help me add tremendous value to clients as I master those skill sets. Currently, we’re working on using Excel for analysis, which is undoubtedly appropriate given that most small and medium sized businesses are using Excel for analysis of mid-sized data sets like the sample shown below.

While I’d used Excel before, to be honest, I wasn’t all that comfortable with some of the functions, so I was limited with respect to what I could actually do in Excel. However, now I’m making pivot tables, filtering data, and using functions to look up values in the data set, and I’m doing some other cool stuff with functions and visualizations.

Meanwhile, with the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree program, I’m wrapping up the data segment, which focuses heavily on Excel modeling. So, although it wasn’t planned this way, doing dual programs is actually shortening the learning curve and helping me gain skill mastery at an accelerated pace. As a matter of fact, I’ve got to submit an assignment analyzing NYSE data tonight insha’Allah, and I think that’s really cool. The good news is that I’ve already submitted my bootcamp assignments for this week, so I can focus on this assignment without distraction.

I’m nearing the end of the Udacity program, and I’m expecting to finish in the next 2-3 weeks insha’Allah. The assignment I’m working on now finishes the current module, and after that, there is SQL and data visualization. Again, the cool thing is that as I’m wrapping up this program, I’ll be doing data visualization and analysis with Power BI and Tableau in the bootcamp, and doing data queries in SQL, too.

I’ve also started dabbling with creating dashbaords in Excel, and I think I might spend next weekend making a series of dashboards just to sharpen my skills. OK, full disclosure, NOT just to sharpen my skills - I’m going to try to start picking up some clients that need some analytics work in January insha’Allah. The dashboards will be great for selling prospects on the value I can add by helping them visualize what’s happening in their businesses and making the necessary strategy and process improvements to boost performance.

I’m aiming to build a dozen or so projects by the end of the bootcamp insha’Allah. Practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect, but it does help facilitate skill mastery, and that’s my aim. I don’t do things half way because I’m allergic to mediocrity.