Last Friday (July 28, 2023), after seven months of spending nights and weekends on this project, I completed the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate program. The program consists of eight courses that are organized around the process of data analysis. As you proceed through the course, participants learn to use some of the technology tools used by a data analyst (Excel, SQL, Tableau, R). The course culminates with a capstone project, which becomes the first project in a portfolio the learner is expected to build over time. After completing the course I am now qualified to be a junior data analyst.
Overall, I enjoyed the course and look forward to using the skills I’ve learned. I feel “barely qualified” to do anything in this field. I am not overly excited about the results of my capstone project, so I don’t feel like I can walk into a new career tomorrow. However, I have a plan for leveraging the skills I learned to deepen my skills and increase my qualifications. I will be, over the coming weeks and months, following the program’s advice by conducting self-study work and completing projects using publicly-available data. Also, in a few months, I plan to start the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate.
This achievement is part of a larger goal for my life and work. I now live alone—my children are grown and living their own lives. So, that leaves me with time to pursue new interests. Since I’m not someone prone to run a marathon or hike all the tall peaks in New Hampshire, I’ve decided to pursue goals that more closely align with my interests. This exploration of data analytics, and someday soon the related discipline of data science, fits much better with how I would like to spend my time. I’m excited to see where this exploration will take me.
Reference
Image by Mudassar Iqbal from Pixabay.