Learn more about Diego's experience, from the time he applied to The Data School, to his career as a Data Analytics Strategy Manager at Lloyds Banking Group. Diego was part of Cohort 12 of The Data School London, which took place from December 2018 to April 2021.
Interviewed by Mel Niere | Edited by Vivian Ng
Before The Data School
Q: What brought you to The Data School? What factors influenced your decision to apply and ultimately join The Data School?
A: I discovered The Data School very, very much by random, as I’m not from a data background; I studied International Relations and Public Policy. I'm originally from Chile and was coming to live in the UK because my partner is British. When I was looking at what I could do in the UK, I thought I would apply for a master’s related to what I studied, when I came across The Data School.
When I saw that The Information Lab focused on training Tableau and Alteryx, I was like, maybe I don't need to do a master’s—maybe I'll apply straight to The Data School. Getting accepted was a blessing because it saved me from having to spend money toward getting a degree, before using that degree to find a job.
When I got to the UK, The Data School was the only place that I was able to apply for a job without actually showing my CV (resume). Not that I have a problem with having to produce my CV (resume), but because I was coming from a different country, it was hard for companies to take me seriously. But The Information Lab didn’t care, they just looked at my Tableau dashboard.
During The Data School
Q: What was your training experience like?
A: I had just arrived to not just the UK, but also the world of data, and training was done with a whole cohort, so for me, it instantly gave me a network and a group of friends. In particular, The Information Lab gave me a network for hundreds of people that shared the same interest in Tableau and Alteryx.
Those four months of training were literally one of the best times in my career, because you have that university/college feeling, while also getting paid. Everyone is taking it seriously, no one’s slacking, and you all have fun. Even after the training day ended, I would hang out with my cohort, plug PS4s into the big screen, and just play FIFA. Sometimes we played during breaks. In addition to spending time with my cohort after work, we also held social events regularly. It really was an amazing time.
I was taught by Carl Allchin and Andy Kriebel, literally learning from the Tableau Hall of Fame. As our coaches, they really wanted us to do well and pushed us to become better. Not only that, they conveyed their passion for data and made it fun. During training, everyone in the cohort had an opportunity to be project manager for a client project. It’s a very engaging experience; you’re always being challenged.
Q: What type of support did you receive at The Data School?
A: Before starting each placement, you would have a conversation with your coach or account manager about understanding your skills, your weaknesses, and what you want to get out of the placement. My first two placements were at PwC. Fantastic experience. PwC had several Data School consultants. It was my first role in the UK outside of The Information Lab, and the other Data School consultants were a fantastic network of support.
You also have the whole Information Lab behind you every time you have any questions or need extra support. Everyone was there to give you a hand. Even during training, older cohorts would give me support and guidance if I was trying to learn something new.
After The Data School
Q: How did The Data School and The Information Lab serve as a launching pad for your data analytics career?
A: My first job right after The Data School was at Invesco, which was also my fourth placement. My manager at Invesco said, “I know you are finishing, do you want a job?” I said yes, and The Information Lab made that transition to having a job very easy. I worked at Invesco for two years before going to Lloyds Banking Group.
My role today is to lead the adoption of Tableau at Lloyds Banking Group, one of the biggest retail banks in the UK. I have the task of rolling out Tableau to nearly 60,000 colleagues. It’s a massive role, and I wouldn’t have gotten it if not for everything I’ve done for the Tableau Community and becoming a Tableau Visionary.
How did I start engaging with the Tableau Community? It all started with my application to The Data School, when I used the forums to help with my application. Once I got into The Data School, I wanted to give back, so during the breaks I would answer questions on the forums. I started doing it very regularly because I noticed I was learning a lot from all the random questions. Answering the questions also made me quite fast and good at troubleshooting Tableau issues. Eventually, when I was on my first placement, I was nominated to be a Tableau Forum Ambassador, which is a big boost in getting your work recognized.
While I really enjoyed the forums, I started noticing there wasn’t any Tableau content for Spanish speakers, so I started building my blog in Spanish and answering questions in the forums in Spanish. I eventually participated in launching the Latin American Tableau User Group. Of all the things that I did for the Tableau Community, that’s the one with the biggest impact. A month after the launch of the Latin American Tableau User Group, I became a Tableau Visionary.
My role in the Tableau Community is helping the Spanish-speaking community. Every month, we host a user group meetup for our over 6,000 hub members, hosting 60 or so speakers. It’s a really big community, and we have made a big impact; the last couple of years, we had spaces in the Tableau Conference. I even had the chance of speaking at the Tableau Conference last May. I’ve now become a Tableau User Group Ambassador due to all the work I have put into helping with the user group. I also started the Tableau Financial User Group with Ellie, who you interviewed previously. [Editor’s note: Read Ellie’s interview here.] Now I continue to help in user groups—that’s what I enjoy the most, building community and helping people understand Tableau.
Our coaches at The Data School also really encouraged us to be part of the community. I remember having a one-to-one with Carl, who was my coach at the time, and he was like, “Look, there’s a gap in the Spanish-speaking community, and I think that’s a gap you can fill.” In addition to Carl, a lot of Data School alumni supported me as well. For example, Ravi Mistry from the very first cohort, nominated me to become an Ambassador, giving me support and encouragement.
Having that network of alumni is really great, not just for myself. I started the user group at the time that The Information Lab Spain also started, and The Information Lab Spain would present at the user group.
Advice About The Data School
Q: What advice would you give to individuals considering applying to The Data School?
A: It’s not a scam. That’s the first thing that I remember thinking when deciding whether to apply. My fiancée was like, “That’s a scam. You getting paid to learn? That’s not real.”
But it is. It’s a fantastic program, and it’s hard to believe that you’re getting paid to be taught by people who are very good at what they do, but it’s real. Regardless of your background, you don’t need to have prior experience with data; you will learn and grow so much at The Information Lab, and it will be a massive way to kickstart your career—it’s crazy how everyone gets amazing jobs after finishing the program.
So go apply, interact with the alumni, with the community—even before applying. My application was a success because everything I did, I did with the Tableau community beforehand. Biggest piece of advice: Use the forums, go to Tableau Public, engage with the initiatives, go to the Meet & Greets, go to the Tableau User Groups, even if you are just beginning to think about applying.