Hi everyone. My name is Sachin, and I’m a part of the new cohort, DSAU4. For my first blog, I thought it would be interesting to talk about my experience of applying to The Data School.
How I Discovered It
I first heard about The Data School in early April, while trawling my university job board for graduate positions in the data analytics industry. At first, I thought it was a teaching institution (I mean, technically it is), but more in the form of university learning. After a bit of digging, I was pleased to find out that it was nothing like university, and instead an amazing opportunity to catapult myself into the industry. It felt like I had stumbled across a hidden gem, and I proceeded to put all my eggs in The Data School basket.
My Thoughts On It
I was really surprised by the application process. I never knew that there were jobs out there that didn’t require a CV. Imagine choosing people based on their aptitude and passion, instead of on a piece of paper. Crazy, right? A line about the application process that really struck me was from this article by Tom Brown (TIL UK), “We’re hoping to find people who demonstrate a passion for the subject by spending a ridiculous amount of time using Tableau with no guarantee of anything to show for it.” It gave me a deeper understanding of the why behind the application process.
Why I Enjoyed It
My favourite part about applying for the job was learning so much in such a short space of time (although it’s nothing compared to the training itself!). It started at the Meet & Greet, where I spoke to several current Data Schoolers about not only the process but also their experience so far. It certainly made the whole thing less daunting. Then for both my first round and final round viz, I was blown away by the detailed feedback I received from our Head Coach Craig and MIP consultant Nick Duncan respectively, which helped me iterate on my viz immensely. Even the final presentation was a great learning experience, as my first foray into presenting my work in a professional setting. Overall, the feedback I got throughout the process helped me open my mind to ways I could improve things. It’s amazing how hearing someone else’s perspective can challenge your thinking and make you realise that something you previously thought was great, actually has room for improvement.
So in conclusion, I found the Data School application process to be amazing (so much so that this blog probably reads like an advertisement). If you’re thinking about applying, I promise you that regardless of whether or not you make the final cut, you will learn a lot.