Escaping the Corporate Rut: My Journey of Deep Diving into Data
Escaping the Corporate Abyss - How I Reignited My Data Exploration Passion
Bye Bye, Boring Cubicle Life
For over 14 years, I was living the corporate dream - or so I thought. I had this comfy job that was supposed to be my jam, don’t get me wrong I still enjoy it but let me tell you, the spark had well and truly fizzled out.
The excitement, the thrill of learning something new? Poof, gone like the wind.
I was stuck in a rut, just trudging through the motions day in and day out. Until one day, my bestie came along and gave me the wake-up call I desperately needed. Bless His Soul for bringing the passion back.
Falling Back in Love with Data
You see, back when I was doing my master's at Symbiosis Institute, Pune India, I was head over heels for databases, SQL, and all that good data stuff had to offer. I was also exploring Teradata along with other databases and enjoying it to the core.
I also choose DWH as my dissertation topic for my final year.
I loved the challenge of exploring & analysing data, uncovering those hidden gems, and extracting insights that packed a punch.
It was like solving the world's most captivating puzzle, and I was determined to master it.
Data warehousing and big data - that was my jam, baby! But then life happened, and I ended up in this migration project for my first job out of college. Not exactly what I had envisioned, but hey, you gotta be open to different possibilities when you're a fresh-faced grad, right?
Little did I know, that project would turn out to be a total game-changer.
Crushing Those SQL Queries
To be frank, at first I felt like where was I stuck, being a fresher, but I knew less of what was next for me.
One of the biggest challenges was optimising those SQL queries. My manager wanted me to slash the runtime from 3 hours down to just 10 minutes. With a bit of help and a whole lotta determination, I managed to get it down to a sweet 7 minutes. Talk about a major win!
After that, I had to switch projects due to some personal reasons, but the experience only made me grow.
I took on the role of a Business Analyst, and that led me on a wild ride from Business Analyst to Program Manager and beyond. The journey was truly amazing, it was a different perspective more from the business side of things.
At the start, it sure was challenging, as I would always wear the technical hat, but slowly I got the hang of thinking from the customer’s / business point of view.
But you know what they say - the heart wants what the heart wants.
Back in the Data Groove
And now, as I find myself on a break, that data world is calling to me like a siren's song.
It's beckoning me to explore the possibilities of data journalism, uncover mind-blowing problem statements, and dive headfirst into the data pipeline and analysis process.
In today's world, we're generating data faster than a wildfire on a dry summer day. I mean, the sheer amount of info out there is absolutely mind-boggling - it's like the data is practically screaming to be uncovered and analyzed, just begging us to find those juicy little patterns hiding in plain sight
So here I am, staring at that familiar black screen once again.
This time, I've got my trusty SQL Workbench, Tableau, and a whole arsenal of tools at my disposal and my guide my BESTIE.
I'm relearning how to work that data magic - loading up CSV/ JSON files to the database, cleaning tables to have quality data, and creating those oh-so-satisfying SQL queries.
And let me tell you, it's like riding a bike - the muscle memory is there, and it's just a matter of getting back in the groove.
So, I'm really curious to get my hands on some real-time data and start digging into what insights I can find. You know, just kinda explore and see what the data has to tell me, y'know?
I'm pretty stoked to dive in and see what kind of stuff I can uncover.
Uncovering Emotional Trends
But the real fun starts when I dive into the data. I got my hands on some social media platform data, and
I'm on a mission to understand how different trends are impacting people emotionally based on their demographics.
It's like a treasure hunt, where every discovery leads to more questions, more insights, and a deeper understanding of the world around us.
The hours just fly by as I lose myself in the data, creating these captivating Tableau visualisations that bring the stories to life.
Below is a quick snapshot( work in progress).
It's a far cry from my corporate gig, where it was all about deadlines and deliverables.
Here, it's all about the joy of learning, the thrill of discovery, and the satisfaction of uncovering those juicy new patterns and trends.
The Adventure Continues
Alright, listen up. If you ever find yourself feeling like something's missing, that spark of excitement and wonder just ain't there anymore, don't sweat it.
Alright, time to dive back into that dark computer screen, whether you're new to this tech stuff or a seasoned pro. Embrace the data, let it work its magic.
For some of you, maybe it's playing around with colors and designs, or writing up some killer content. Find whatever it is that sparks that fire in you again. Trust me, it'll reignite the passion that first got you into this whole tech/creative gig. Totally worth it, my friend.
And hey, in the next one, I'm gonna take you on a deep dive into some insights I've been uncovering from the social media data. We're talking Tableau visualizations that are gonna blow your mind. You're not gonna wanna miss it, so make sure to subscribe and hit that like button.
Together, we're gonna uncover the hidden drivers behind social media trends and gain a deeper understanding of different generations.
The possibilities are endless, so let's get this party started!