Learn more about Priya's experience, from the time she applied to The Data School, to her career as a Data Visualization Engineer II at Expedia Group. Priya was part of Cohort 21 of The Data School London, which took place from October 2020 to February 2023.
Interviewed by Mel Niere | Edited by Aaron Potts and Priya Padham
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?
I discovered The Data School back in March 2020, right before the pandemic and the first lockdown. It was a time where I had just recently graduated and I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, and I remember it was a scary time full of a lot of uncertainty. But then, completely out of the blue, I received a phone call from a recruiter who told me all about The Data School and a tool called Tableau. I vividly remember running to my laptop after that call and downloading Tableau straight away!
I fell in love with the tool straight away, and I started to learn more about data visualization by creating my first ever viz, which also happened to be my application to The Data School. I remember it being a really exciting time where I was determined to absorb as much as I could, get as much feedback as possible, and improve on my application viz before I submitted it. I wanted to be part of The Data School because it's full of such incredibly talented people and you really are taught by the best of the best. I knew it would be an incredible place to start my career in data. I used that as my motivation to keep practicing and creating as many visualizations as possible all day every day!
During The Data School
Q: What was your training experience like?
Looking back, I feel like I grew so much both personally and professionally during my time at The Data School. When I first joined, I definitely lacked self-confidence and I felt like I didn't have a voice. But training really pushes you, while at the same time being a very safe space. Something I found super interesting and unique is the fact that you are encouraged to fail. Failure shouldn't be something to be afraid of, and that is drilled into us from the very beginning of training. It isn't the be-all and end-all - especially when it comes to things like certifications. The fact is, you can just try again and learn from those failures and become better from it. Coming from someone who was always terrified of failure, this was a very important lesson for me to learn and it’s something I've taken away from my training experience. Another reason why I loved training was the fact that everything is taught from the very beginning. This was extremely useful for filling in those knowledge gaps, and also prepared us so well for the placements after training.
Q: How did your placements at The Data School enhance your skills and knowledge?
I found the placements to be absolutely invaluable and it really allowed us to put what we learned during training into practice in the real world. There are so many things that you learn when you're actually on the job, such as trips and tricks, that you wouldn't know about unless you’re working in those situations. It's amazing that we have two years to gain experience in a variety of industries and to work with different teams and people. It kind of felt like the first day of school every six months when joining a new placement, and I remember being a little nervous before each one began! But there's nothing to be afraid of and, gradually over time and with each placement, it becomes much easier as you continue to grow in confidence. Experiencing being a consultant during each placement helped me to figure out what kind of role I would be interested in after The Data School, and allowed me to gain valuable insight into different industries that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
Q: What support did you receive from The Data School?
Something I loved about The Data School is the fact that, despite being a consultant, you never feel like you’re alone when you’re on placement. You have that independence, but you still have the safety net of The Information Lab which is full of Tableau and Alteryx experts that will always help you if you need it. One great way of getting support is to take advantage of the internal communication system called Convo. That's where you can ask any questions when you're on placement and you can even tag people who you think would be able to help you. It's a group effort and everyone across the company can chip in and offer their advice to you, so I highly recommend using it if you’re part of The Data School! On top of that everyone is assigned a mentor when they first join and you can always reach out to them to brainstorm ideas, pick their brain, and ask them any questions you may have. It is the perfect environment to learn and push yourself out of your comfort zone with each placement!
After The Data School
Q: How did The Data School and The Information Lab serve as a launchpad for your data analytics career?
I am currently a Data Visualization Engineer II at Expedia Group and I have been here for around 11 months now - time flies! I work mostly with Tableau and Figma on a variety of projects with different stakeholders. We have regular training sessions where we can teach the rest of the team various Tableau topics, and we even run Makeover Monday and Workout Wednesday challenges, which I love!
The Data School played such a huge role in shaping my career and it gave me a great starting point as someone who didn't have a background in data analytics. It also allowed me to create a checklist of what I wanted my next role to look like based on my experiences during placement. I learned a lot about myself at The Data School, and there’s such a strong support network that encourages us all to grow and reach our full potential. The fact that The Information Lab cares so much about pushing us to succeed and supporting us along the way means so much to me. I'm extremely grateful for all of the opportunities that The Data School provided me and I can't explain how much I grew from this experience.
Advice About The Data School
Q: What advice would you give to individuals considering applying to The Data School?
My first piece of advice is to never stop learning! If you haven't already, build a Tableau Public portfolio and take part in community initiatives. Build vizzes - and a lot of them - because that's the best way to learn and improve quickly. Also, get feedback on those vizzes through initiatives like #VizOfficeHours or reaching out to people directly. It helped me so much, especially when I first started and still to this day, and allowed me to pinpoint areas of improvement so that I could focus on them. It also enables you to see what you are doing well so you can continue to do those things. By building your portfolio it will set you up well when you look for job opportunities because potential employers can just scroll down your profile and see how much you've grown over time and what you're able to create. I highly encourage you to keep learning, practicing and having fun in the process!
Another piece of advice I would like to give, and something I learned the hard way, is don't be afraid to ask questions. When I first started at The Data School, I didn't ask enough questions because I was afraid of “looking stupid”. When I look back now, I wish I did ask those questions. I know sometimes when you're with a group of people you may feel hesitant to ask a question in case everyone already knows the answer, but chances are someone is probably thinking the same thing as you. In turn, by asking the question it could actually strike up a conversation that benefits everyone. If anyone reading this has ever felt the same way that I did - don't be afraid and just ask.
Q: Anything else you want to be included in this Alumni Spotlight Blog?
I would love to give a shoutout to Andy Kriebel (former Global Head Coach of The Data School) and Carl Allchin (Head Coach of The Data School UK) - thank you for taking a chance on me and for this opportunity because, without The Data School, I wouldn’t have had so many incredible experiences and it was a pleasure to learn from both of you. Also, a huge shoutout to Dan Farmer for being so supportive throughout my time there and always willing to lend a helping hand or give words of encouragement - you helped so many of us at The Data School and we all greatly appreciate it!