What A Data Analytics Manager At University Of San Diego Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Data Analytics Industry
Christian, a Data Analytics and Reporting Manager, wishes they had mentorship or a junior data analyst role to learn from before entering the field, as "most of how [they] learned how to do data analysis was through failure, like trial and error." They also feel that current tools like ChatGPT would have been extremely helpful, as it can explain complex topics "in like layman's terms," and overall, thriving in the industry requires being unafraid to fail.
Data Analysis, Mentorship, Trial and Error Learning, Technology, Resilience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christian Guerra
Data Analytics and Reporting Manager
University of San Diego
Cal State University Los Angeles
UC Riverside - PhD
Anthropology, Sociology, Criminal Justice
Education
Data and Analytics
Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Importance of Mentorship: The interviewee wishes they had a mentor or a junior data analyst role early on to guide them and avoid learning solely through trial and error.
2. Value of Embracing Failure: Thriving in data analysis requires being comfortable with failure as a learning opportunity. The interviewee emphasizes that those who aren't afraid to fail tend to succeed in this field.
3. Leveraging Modern Tools: The interviewee highlights the usefulness of resources like YouTube videos and AI tools such as ChatGPT for learning and understanding complex concepts in data analysis, especially for explaining things in layman's terms.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
That's a good question. What is something that somebody would have told me before I entered the industry? I guess it would have been nice to have a mentor of some sort. Most of how I learned data analysis was through trial and error and failure.
If you're okay with failing, you should do well. People who thrive in this industry are also not afraid to fail. That's another important thing I didn't mention.
I guess it would have been nice to have a mentor or been a junior data analyst beforehand. Most of my knowledge came from trial and error and a lot of YouTube videos, which are extremely helpful.
Now, when I don't understand something, I use ChatGPT. It does a pretty good job of explaining things in layman's terms. We didn't have ChatGPT in graduate school, so maybe I wish ChatGPT had been out before then.
To summarize, I wish some of the new tools that are out now had been available before. It also would have been nice to have had some kind of mentorship, but it is what it is.