Hello,
I wish to write a little bit of myself and this community. I do this just for a reflection exercise, feel free to comment on everything you like, including other ideas, feedback, criticism or even grammar mistakes made (English is my second language).
I am currently in step 5 of the data analyst path, 5 months since I start. The road has being very tough, I started with zero knowledge of Python and zero knowledge of IT really. My major was on finance and even more, my career was focused on construction projects and family company administration. Some missions where particularly difficult to understand, sometimes I needed days to make the “click” in my brain (and ending exhausted in the process). But, when I look back a couple of months ago, I can see the path walked as huge. And the gains are awesome. And it is quite enjoyable.
I started my journey of self learning one year ago, not specifically in data science. In fact it really started after a catastrophic financial failure, with my enthusiasm on the ground and with the feeling on not knowing to do with my life, and even fighting with a near depretion. I started taking courses online of various topics that I think could raise my career appealing; project management, real estate development, more finance, construction management and even photography. Self learning process is very tough, but similar to starting going to the gym, it gets easer with time. But when I start reading about data science (I don’t remember the exact moment), as we say in my country, the little bug bit me! I don’t know why, I guess i took it as a really tough challenge and a way to prove myself that I can do it, and that I can really do everything as a matter of fact.
Those were the moments I started to think about “career change” as a reality. Well, I don’t know if I can really do it yet, not in my country at least (Chile), maybe emigration can be a possibility. But it doesn’t matter. The point is that I feel great! I have accomplish a lot and I feel that I can acomplish more. And besides, even if I don’t apply this knowledge in the near future, I have the feeling that in 10 years (maybe sooner) python will be the new excell, or at least a must in business.
After some weeks ago, I havent really readed much on this forum or on other data science communities. But now I started, and the only thing I could do is to congratulate you and the community, you are awesome! Not like other communities, like finance (no one really like to teach much) or even worse, the contruction community (or the lack of it, in the internet at least). I also like Dataquest. I have tried various self learning websites and I think this method is the best (for me at least) and I wish there exist other "dataquest"s for other topics of knowledge.
In the mean time, I will continue learning. My goal is to finish data analyst path in 6 months! (tough) and then I will evaluate to continue in the data science path (I need to focus in making money right now). But I already started my journey of self learning and I don’t think i will ever stop.
Greetings,
Sb
