Esther Mba, M.S.

Indeed, the skills needed for a data scientist have been demanding over the years.

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I’m a Senior Data Analyst in tech who somehow grew a 6-figure content business with an employee in 8 months 🤯 As a new entrepreneur, I’ve had to learn some quick lessons hard and fast: 1. Always have a contract (this was a $750 lesson unfortunately) 2. It’s better to say no than to accept less than you’re worth 3. Plan out your goals for every week and day to maximize productivity The 3rd lesson has been most important to me recently because my schedule has been super chaotic. It’s not easy balancing everything I do, especially with all of the different meetings and changing priorities I have. I recently used a visual work platform called Mural to plan out my week’s goals day by day to make sure I got everything done I needed to. I was even able to share it with my intern so she could add in her daily goals as well! Check it out: https://lnkd.in/ev-AxWfH I’m gonna let you in on a little secret that has helped me be a million times more successful: spending just a few minutes scheduling & planning out your week ahead of time can give you back HOURS of productivity. Plus, it’ll help you not miss important meetings like therapy! Mural makes it SO easy to communicate visual ideas live with others through text, images, drawings, and even gifs! Not only has it increased productivity & communication for my business, but it’s also really fun to use… and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t remind me of art class! Now my weeks and goals are planned out ahead of time and I’ll never miss another meeting or deadline! #MuralPartner

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I recently shared my Tableau visual of the IRCC study permit allocations but, I felt it needed a bit of a revamp! There was more insight I wanted to be able to share from the data gathered. I was a bit curious on the IRCC study permits issued because, myself, once was an international student that has been awarded the privilege to now call Canada my new home, I wondered as to how many others seek the privilege to enter Canada for a better quality of life! Some insight, since 2017, Canada has seen an large increase in study permits issued to applicants from India, increasing from 82K study permits issued in 2017 to 278K study permits issued in 2023, a difference of 195K study permits issued between 2017 and 2023. The People's Republic of China has consistently followed behind ranking in second, since 2017. Nigeria has also experienced a large increase in study permits issued by IRCC, since 2017, previously ranking 9th in 2017 with 5K study permits issued, to ranking 3rd with 37K study permits being issued in 2023. I would like to reshare my revamped version of IRCC Study Permit Issued by Year, Country and Gender! Give it a like and a share if it peeked your interest! Constructive feedback is always welcomed! 🙂 https://lnkd.in/erUw9TCw

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It all started with a simple idea: brush up my SQL skills over a weekend. But that quick refresh turned into a much bigger accomplishment – passing the DataCamp Data Analyst Associate Exam! 🎉🎉🎉 The preparation process wasn't a walk in the park, but let me tell you, the feeling of conquering that exam? Pure gold! Cheers to unexpected wins and the power of self-learning! Who knows what's down the road, but one thing's for sure: this certified data analyst is ready to tackle any challenge that comes her way! 😎 #dataanalyst #datacertification #careerdevelopment #datacamp #datanalystassociate ##skillsupgrade #datacampcertification

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Professional certificates are valuable in your data analytics career journey They help add an extra layer of credibility you need to prove your skills I put together a list of the top 7 Data Analytics Professional Certificates/Certifications P.S.: Do you know the difference between a certificate and a certification?

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The struggle is real, folks. Best way to get more experience? - Go to Forage and complete one of their Data Analytics virtual experience programs - Be open to doing an unpaid internship - Look out for volunteer Data Analyst jobs - Complete a project using a real dataset (and refresh it regularly) - Connect to a real open-source API (e.g. a weather API) and build a dashboard - Make a list of small/medium-sized companies in your field. Call them and offer your services for FREE - List yourself on Fiverr and Upwork. Undercut other freelancers, provide value and start building your portfolio and client base. #firstdatajob #techjob #jobguidance #careerguidance #career #firstjob #dataanalyst #data #analytics #sql #tableau #powerbi #python #datascience #R #dashboard #datascience #machinelearning #ai #dataviz #businessintelligence #australia #immigrant #tech #graduate #openforwork #hiring #internationalstudents #migration #dataanalyst

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Nearly all of what I do lately is encouraging conversation. Data is only a small part of being a data analyst really, which isn't what I expected. Putting things into queries, sifting through weird things and writing code doesn't actually feel like the biggest part of what I do. I wouldn't even call it data story telling - it feels like the largest benefit I've seen from my reports is having people reach back out to let me know they enjoy using them. I enjoy encouraging people to be curious, and letting me know if they see something else. I can point out all kinds of things from a data perspective! I can tell you all about the weird little things that pop up, from how many entries that are nearly identical to how many people spell their own name wrong sometimes. Nothing is more valuable than talking with a department lead, figuring out what they do, and creating something that not only helps them - but broadens my knowledge of what they do. That way, the next time I see that weird data point - I can make a better assessment of what it is. Data Analysis is a lot more "people-ly" than I thought, and I'm really happy to feel that way. - 🏷 : #data #dataanalysis #DataFam #python #sql #tableau #datastorytelling

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Do you sometime feel you are a Data Janitor instead of a Data Analyst/Engineer? Me too. Between missing info, bizarre inconsistencies, and outright errors, our job is one big data cleanup party. The real skill isn’t just in the tech—it’s in surviving the chaos with your sanity intact. Here’s to chasing perfect data and finding humor in the madness! 🚀 #DataQuality #DataAnalytics #DataEngineering #TechChallenges #DataDrama

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If you're considering to enroll between bootcamp and masters degree to transition into the field of data science, the question you should ask yourself is: Am I doing this for the credentials or the skills? Do employers value this? If it's the latter, how does this help me demonstrate those skills via projects? Can I achieve the same skills without a degree or a bootcamp? There lies your answer. No, I did not paste this into ChatGPT to improve the articulation of the message.

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When I started applying for my first data job, 100% of my projects on my resume were simple, copy-paste, and BORING. Do you feel like you need to fill up your resume? I did, and it held me back. You only need one project in your portfolio to stand out. The best way to do that is to find interesting, messy, and impactful data to start your project with. So, I created a short list of resources to help you find just that (all links in comments 💬 ): For Aspiring Data Engineers: Big List of Free and Open Public APIs. This is a great source because you will have to work with APIs which is a significant part of many data engineering jobs. For Aspiring Business/Data Analysts: Texas Covid Data. This is great because you will have to work with messy PDF or excel data which is a huge part of a data analysts job. For Aspiring Analytics Engineers: Rfam MySQL database. This is an open database perfect for building out a dbt pipeline to service analytics on RNA families. For Non-profit focused Analysts: Census Data. There are many APIs here that update regularly and have data on impactful subjects like poverty and issues effecting families/households. #portfolio #dataanalytics #dataengineering

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Here's my first entry for the Maven Monthly Challenge! Designing this dashboard was an great opportunity to give life into the Sales data and gather interesting insights. Thank you Maven Analytics, Chris Dutton for providing this opportunity! You can check out my submission in the link below, and I'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions. Let's explore the data together! #MavenMonthlyChallenge #DataEnthusiast" https://lnkd.in/eZxHQJ7R

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Confession: I went about 7 years as a Data Analyst without knowing how to make a pivot table. I know millions of people use Excel every day and create pivot tables with ease, but for some reason I never got the hang of it. Maybe it was the weird UX, or maybe I just liked typing my SUMIF formulas by hand instead 🤷‍♂️ All I know is that I still made a big impact wherever I worked. - I uncovered insights. - I created many awesome spreadsheets. - I helped my stakeholders make important decisions. My lack of knowledge in a specific tool may have slowed me down at times, but it didn't stop me. I think that's probably true for many of us. We don't know every tool, but we can still do our Analytics jobs effectively. What's a tool you'd like to learn? P.S. yes - I did eventually learn how to make pivot tables 😎

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Getting your foot in the door to a career in data is hard. Don’t give up. It took me 15 months and 50 steps to get my first data job: 1 Study your butt off in school 2 Realize your degree didn’t really teach you much about data  3 Study your butt of more in school but now for data  4 Call your mom crying in the middle of the night bc you can’t sleep  5 Befriend people around you who are also studying their butts off in data 6 Feel like you know everything about data  7 Apply to 100 entry level jobs  8 Get rejected 100 times 9 Become a nihilist 10 Realize nihilism is worse than getting rejected 11 Get feedback on your resume  12 Apply to another 100 jobs  13 Get an interview!  14 Totally panic when a recruiter asks you a question you haven’t practiced 15 Get rejected 16 Think about the question you messed up the answer to every night for a week  17 Practice mock interviewing with friends  18 Feel like you are finally getting the hang of interviewing  19 Get past the 1st round interview a couple of times! 20 Feel hopeful  21 Get hit by a pandemic  22 Feel depressed 23 Move in with your mom  24 Feel super depressed  25 Avoid your mom and your feelings by playing tons of video games  26 Feel like a huge rock is on your chest constantly  27 Get guidance and support from your amazing girlfriend, friends, and family 28 Tell yourself you can do anything!  29 Start a blog  30 Start doing one MURPH every day bc the only way you know how to deal with your pain and stress is through doing insane work outs  31 Get ripped  32 Get a final round interview at your dream job at AMD  33 Have 4 interviews back to back 34 Get a phone call from the hiring manager… you don’t get it  35 Cry  36 Start writing blogs about a covid data visualization project you are working on  37 Have so much fun building a portfolio made up of one big project  38 Meet up with friends who got data jobs and feel resentful but try not to show it  39 Get a text from a school colleague who is hiring a data analyst on their team, you don’t know them well but they were chatting with one of your good friends and he recommended you! 40 Become super excited and stressed  41 Obsessively practice SQL and mock interview with your good friend who recommended you  42 Be thankful for having such great friends  43 Don’t sleep for three days because you think: if you don’t get this job you will be a failure  44 Cry some more  45 Have a couple interviews with the hiring manager which go really well 46 Get an offer!  47 Feel like you are on top of the world  48 Accept offer  49 Happy cry  50 Start as a contract/vendor data analyst for google!!!! Nothing in life worth accomplishing is easy (and doesn't come with a lot of crying). Thank you Matthew Peng for recommending me, helping me with mock interviews, and being an amazing friend. Thank you Jenny Tseng for giving me a chance to work for google. Photo of Matthew and I ❤️ #google #dataanalytics #recruitment 

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I'm struggling to find organizations that offer volunteer opportunities. How can I apply for volunteer positions? This question came up in a conversation yesterday. So If you're looking to start your Data Analytics career through volunteering, here are some steps to guide you: ➞ Research Opportunities: Look for organizations, non profits, or community groups that could benefit from your data skills. They often have projects that require data analysis but lack the resources to do so. ➞ Reach Out: Contact these organizations to express your interest in volunteering your data analytics skills. Highlight your passion for the field and your willingness to contribute. Also, identify the specific problems you can solve. ➞ Network: Use volunteering as an opportunity to network with professionals in the field. Attend events, join online forums, and connect with others who share your interests. ➞ Stay Committed: Consistency and commitment are key when volunteering in data analytics. Treat your volunteer work with the same seriousness as a paid position. Set a schedule that allows you to contribute meaning fully while balancing other commitments. ➞ Learn and Grow: Continuously learn from your experiences, seek feedback, and adapt your skills accordingly. This will not only benefit the organization you're volunteering for but also enhance your own skillset. 📍If you're seeking volunteer opportunities, don't wait for a job posting. Many organizations may not even realize they could benefit from a data analyst. Reach out to them, explain your skills, and show them how you can contribute. By volunteering, you'll gain valuable real world experience, expand your network, and make a meaningful impact while building a strong foundation for your Data Analytics career. What other steps have you used that worked for you?

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📞 I’ve had the honor of speaking with many aspiring data analyst lately and have seen some common struggles: 🔴 Self doubt 🔴 Perfectionism 🔴 Loneliness I’m here to tell you that you are not alone. The biggest obstacle is within oneself. It’s normal to feel down or stuck but when you do, REACH OUT! 💬 I promise you won’t regret it. As my mentor Avery Smith says, “What’s the worst that can happen? You’re in the same place you were if you didn’t do it?” 🗣️ Just talking with someone can alter your perspective, give you inspiration, and change your life. There’s no reason to do this difficult task alone when there is an amazing community at your fingertips. ⬇️ What struggles are you currently facing? #dataanalyst #dataanalystjourney

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How is our week going?! I have been supporting a client that has been consistently hiring data scientists since the beginning of this year. We now have multiple roles open. 6 Month Contract to hire- Raleigh, North Carolina, or Dayton, Ohio. Will look at candidates committed to relocate. Reach out, ONLY if you think you are a Rockstar to the following skills: ~ NLP tasks like Relation extraction, Entity recognition and resolution, Topic modeling, Coreference resolution, Summarization, Semantic Similarity. ~Built RAG framework for retrieving data from the database for other downstream tasks. ~Skills: Apache Spark • NLP • Large Language Models (LLM) • Information Retrieval • Prompt Engineering • Semantic Search • Transformers • Databrick Products • Python (STRONG) • SQL • Amazon Web Services (AWS) ~Be a natural problem solver, able to take a lead in collaborating to resolve issues ~Proficiency in IDE debugging : VSCODE and PYCHARM

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Mock Interviewing is scary. It’s also critical to landing your first data job. But what if you don’t have anyone to practice with? That’s where Google Interview Warmup (link in comment) comes in. It’s a great resource for practicing your storytelling skills because it transcribes your answer and gives you feedback on how to improve your answers. It also has some good questions specific to many positions including data analytics. Try it out before your next interview, I promise it will help you feel more confident going into it! #interviews #recruiting #storytelling

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30,000 followers. That’s wild. That’s 60,000 eyeballs that haven’t gotten tired of reading my dry humor. Thank you so much. For anyone new, let me tell you about myself. My name is Elijah Butler and I’m a senior data analyst. My goal is to make data education accessible to all people, regardless of financial status. I do this by sharing free resources and teaching anything I’m qualified to teach — with an occasional splash of satire. You’ll occasionally see me promote a paid product or course (more on that soon, not mine) for those who want to buy something, but I’ll never recommend something I haven’t or wouldn’t use myself. These posts are what enable me to never charge you anything for advice and tutorials and any other projects coming in the future. With all of that being said, my primary purpose is to serve you. I don’t deserve this platform if I fail at that purpose. So, who wants to talk about data? (I also talk about health, books, and self-improvement.)

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