LaunchingYourDataCareer 220502 094417

LAUNCHING YOUR
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO LANDING YOUR ANALYTICS DREAM JOB
*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

COURSE OUTLINE
1 Finding your Path Explore common data roles and determine which path is right for you
2 Writing a Strong Resume Write a clear and compelling resume that hiring managers will love
3 Marketing on LinkedIn Use LinkedIn as a powerful marketing asset to showcase your skills
4 Building a Project Portfolio Showcase your work to prove to employers that you have the skills to succeed
5 Networking & Applying Build your network, find relevant opportunities, and secure the interview
6 Acing the Analyst Interview Learn proven frameworks to crack even the toughest interview questions
7 Career Launch Checklist Follow a step-by-step roadmap to build your brand and land your dream job
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Chris is an analytics expert and best-selling instructor with

15+ years specializing in business intelligence.
Since founding Maven Analytics in 2018, his courses have

been featured by Microsoft, Entrepreneur.com and the New
York Times, reaching more than 500,000 students worldwide.
Certified Excel & Power BI Expert

Founder & Lead Instructor

John brings over a decade of business intelligence experience

to the Maven team, having worked with companies ranging
from Fortune 500 to early stage startups.
As a MySQL expert, he has played leadership roles across

analytics, marketing, SaaS and product teams.
15+ Years in Applied Analytics

Lead MySQL Instructor

Aaron is a former analytics consultant and Microsoft Power BI

expert, with over a decade in BI and marketing analytics.
He’s an instructor, coach and mentor for aspiring analysts, and

has deep experience helping companies develop and
implement full-stack business intelligence solutions.
Microsoft Certified Data Analyst

Lead Power BI Instructor

Enrique is a certified Microsoft Excel Expert and top-rated

instructor with a background in data analysis, visualization
and dashboard design.
He has produced advanced Excel and test prep courses,

along with adaptations for Spanish-speaking learners.
Certified Excel Expert

Excel & Data Viz Instructor

SETTING EXPECTATIONS
This course is designed to help launch or accelerate your data career

• We’ll share helpful tips and proven frameworks to help you land a job in data, from finding your path to
optimizing your resume, growing your network, building your portfolio, and acing the interview
This is a non-technical, tool-agnostic course

• We recommend taking this course after you’ve built a solid foundational skill set (if not, make sure to
check out our “Thinking Like an Analyst” course and tool-specific learning paths!)
These frameworks can be applied to any data-focused role

• No matter which “flavor” of analytics you are interested in (business intelligence, data engineering, data
science, etc.), the topics covered in this course will help you land the job, guaranteed
Remember that we’re here to help

• We’ve guided thousands of students along their career journeys, and know exactly what it takes to launch a
successful career in data; stick with us, and we’ll help you get there!

FINDING YOUR PATH
IT WON’T BE EASY, BUT

Launching a successful data career takes thoughtful planning and consistent effort, but if
you follow this framework you WILL succeed, and the effort WILL pay off
We’ll help guide you every step of the way:

Tools to help you find your perfect career path
Templates for building a bulletproof resume & profile
Tips for designing eye-catching project portfolios
Mock interviews to help you prep for the real deal
Checklists to help you create your career launch plan

FLAVORS OF ANALYTICS
THIS IS
USING DATA TO MAKE SMART DECISIONS
COMMON DATA ROLES
A Business Intelligence or Data Analyst A Data Engineer or Database Admin (DBA)

role may be a good fit if you: role may be a good fit if you:
• Love analyzing data for insights and • Enjoy building data infrastructure and
convincing stakeholders to act engineering database systems
• Enjoy solving a wide variety of business • Prefer concrete technical tasks over open-
cases and open-ended tasks ended business cases
• Want to build a deep skillset, from data • Would rather build and design databases
engineering to analysis and visualization than perform visual or exploratory analysis
A Data Visualization Specialist role may A Data Science or Machine Learning role
be a good fit if you: may be a good fit if you:
• Love designing visuals to tell stories and • Love to program and write code
bring data to life
• Enjoy math and statistics
• Want to flex both your creative and
critical thinking skills • Can distill complex topics and
communicate them clearly
• Prefer working with prepared data and
under specific project guidelines • Prefer one-off projects over dashboard
design or performance reporting

ASSIGNMENT: FIND YOUR PATH
If you aren’t sure which path is the right fit for you, take our 20-question Pathfinder Survey*
to match you with the perfect data role based on your interests and skills
*www.mavenanalytics.io/find-your-path *Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

SETTING EXPECTATIONS
This is a step-by-step guide to help you build or improve your resume

• We’ll teach you what employers are looking for, share best practices for creating a standout resume,
provide downloadable templates, and walk you through hands-on exercises and assignments
Our goal is to share proven tools & frameworks you can use on your own
• This course includes powerful frameworks, best practices, and resources designed by a team of seasoned
analysts and hiring managers; we’ll teach you how to make a marketable resume you can be proud of
Unfortunately we cannot provide 1-on-1 reviews

• We support a very large community of students, and while we would love to offer individual resume
reviews the time commitment required to do so at scale makes it impossible

WHY ARE PEOPLE ARE BAD AT RESUME WRITING?
They NEVER LEARNED THIS in school

• Resume building isn’t typically covered in academic programs (certainly not well)
They tried using GENERIC TEMPLATES

• Most people grab a default resume template and try to force it to fit their experience
They don’t know how EMPLOYERS THINK

• Until you hire someone yourself, you likely don’t understand what employers are looking for

KEY RESUME STATS
Recruiters typically receive more resumes than they can handle, so yours needs to be
thoughtfully crafted so that it lands in their hands and captures their attention
of qualified applicants have

been rejected by ATS Make your resume ATS compliant
*Based on data from a Forbes study
Prioritize your best selling points at the top
Customize your resume for the role
to make yourself stand

out to a resume reader Get rejected by ATS for easily avoidable mistakes
*According to CareerBuilder
Bury your best selling points at the bottom
Use the same generic template for every role

THE 6-SECOND RULE
EXERCISE: Spend 6 seconds reviewing the

resume shown, then answer the questions below
Reflection Questions:
• What is your initial overall impression of the candidate?
• Did anything stand out to you as particularly good or bad?
• Could you identify this candidate’s top strengths?
• How did it feel only spending 6 seconds on this task?

COMMON RESUME DEALBREAKERS
Certain resume mistakes are worse than others; here’s what a group of 1,138 Hiring
Managers and HR professionals said were instant resume dealbreakers:
*Based on a 2018 survey conducted within the U.S. by The Harris Poll, on behalf of CareerBuilder *Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC
CASE STUDY: JUNIOR DATA ANALYST
THE Leslie has been working as a Junior Data Analyst for about 2 years, and is
preparing to apply for a new role. She used a friend’s resume as a template, and
SITUATION needs our help making it stronger.
THE Our goal is to help Leslie market herself for a Sr. Analyst role on a marketing
ASSIGNMENT team, by improving her resume through a proven, step-by-step framework.
1. Review 7 critical resume tips, and apply them to Leslie’s resume

THE
2. Understand how employers think about each resume component
OBJECTIVES
3. Learn how to write a great cover letter, and draft one for Leslie

TIP #1: LOOK PROFESSIONAL
1 Look professional IT’S ABOUT MAKING A

2 Make it ATS compliant
If your resume looks sloppy or unprofessional at
first glance, it’s game over.
3 Don’t waste space
4 Be descriptive & deliberate

Proofread for typos, spelling errors, or grammatical mistakes
Apply clear and consistent formatting to make it easy to read
5 Lead with your strengths Use specific and concise language (no slang or colloquialisms)
6 Know your red flags Use a strange or unprofessional email address

Include photos or information about your age or gender
7 Tailor for the specific job Use personal pronouns (I, we) or write in a narrative style

TIP #1: LOOK PROFESSIONAL

TIP #2: MAKE IT ATS COMPLIANT
1 Look professional LEARN HOW TO

Many companies rely on Applicant Tracking System
(ATS) software to help find the best candidates.
Understand the keywords Hiring Managers search for,
and format your resume for easy ATS parsing.
5 Lead with your strengths Read job descriptions and borrow their top keywords
Use standard headings like ‘Experience’, ‘Work Experience’, ‘Education’
6 Know your red flags

Use clever or non-traditional section headings
7 Tailor for the specific job Include fancy tables, columns, graphics, or page footers/headers

TIP #2: MAKE IT ATS COMPLIANT

TIP #3: DON’T WASTE SPACE
1 Look professional IF IT DOESN’T SELL,

Every sentence should be designed to sell your skills.
3 Don’t waste space Scrutinize each line, and edit or remove anything that
doesn’t do a good job marketing you as a candidate.
Treat every component of your resume as an opportunity to sell yourself

5 Lead with your strengths
Be ruthless about cutting “filler” content that distracts from your best points

Pad your resume or add meaningless or unnecessary context
Include old or irrelevant information
7 Tailor for the specific job

TIP #3: DON’T WASTE SPACE

TIP #4: BE DESCRIPTIVE & DELIBERATE
1 Look professional PAINT A PICTURE WITH

Be clear and concrete, use active verbs (analyzed, built,
delivered, etc.) and avoid meaningless buzzwords.
Aim to describe what you did, why you did it, and the
impact you drove (bonus points if you can quantify it!)
BAD:
Performed data analysis
BETTER:
Analyzed paid marketing campaign data to improve the business
BEST:
Used SQL, Power BI, and search engine reporting tools to analyze
and optimize paid marketing campaigns, increasing sales by 20%
7 Tailor for the specific job within a fixed marketing budget

TIP #4: BE DESCRIPTIVE & DELIBERATE

TIP #5: LEAD WITH YOUR STRENGTHS
1 Look professional PRIORITIZE YOUR

Remember that Hiring Managers will begin to judge
your resume within 6 seconds, so it’s critical to
capture their attention early.
Make sure that your top strengths and most
4 Be descriptive & deliberate compelling selling points are in the top quarter of the
page; if you bury them at the bottom or surround
them with filler, they may never be seen!

PRO TIP: Don’t worry about following a specific sequence
for your resume sections – lead where you’re strongest!

TIP #5: LEAD WITH YOUR STRENGTHS

TIP #6: KNOW YOUR RED FLAGS
1 Look professional TO SELL YOURSELF, YOU

NEED TO
Make sure you have an objective understanding of
3 Don’t waste space what you look like to a potential employer.
Understanding your perceived weaknesses and red
flags can help you market those areas more
effectively and prepare for difficult conversations.

Common red flags:
Frequent job hopper Major employment gaps
No experience Irrelevant background
Lacking required skills Perfect fit for another role


TIP #6: KNOW YOUR RED FLAGS
No sign of repeated job hopping
No major gaps in employment
Some relevant analytics experience
Irrelevant field of study and previous roles
Required skills (SQL, Excel, Power BI)
Feels like a reasonable fit for the role

TIP #7: TAILOR FOR THE SPECIFIC JOB
1 Look professional DON’T JUST

Don’t fall into the common trap of thinking you need
3 Don’t waste space a single “one size fits all” resume.
If you’re interested in applying for slightly different
roles, it’s important to create multiple versions of
4 Be descriptive & deliberate your resume tailored to each job.
60%
60% of Hiring Managers said they were
6 Know your red flags more likely to pay attention to a resume
that had been customized to their role

TIP #7: TAILOR FOR THE SPECIFIC JOB

PRO TIP: ASK FOR PEER REVIEWS
SEEK OUT
Ask someone you trust – and who isn’t afraid to be blunt– to review your resume and
provide direct feedback (bonus if they are familiar with the role you’re applying for!)
KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK: PRO TIP: Are you brave enough to

share your resume for public feedback?
• Which points do you think do the best job selling me for this role?
Post a copy of your resume on LinkedIn
• Were you able to identify the best selling points quickly? and tag @Maven Analytics to get input
• Is there anything that comes across as “filler” or irrelevant? from the broader data community!
• Does anything look unprofessional or sloppy? Any typos?

• Is the format clean and readable?
• Does anything stands out as a potential “red flag”, or something
that might make you concerned about my fit for this role?

PRO TIP: ALWAYS INCLUDE A COVER LETTER
Recruiters often receive more resumes than they can handle, but including a cover letter
can help ensure that your application is seen and set you apart from the competition
of Hiring Managers say including

a cover letter makes it more likely
Always include a cover letter with your resume
your application gets noticed
Customize the cover letter for the job
Keep it short and sweet (2-3 paragraphs max)
of Hiring Managers say they want a

½ page cover letter or recommend
Skip the cover letter entirely
the “shorter the better” approach
Send a generic, boilerplate letter
*According to Saddleback College resume survey
Write a novel (if it’s too long, it won’t get read!)

ELEMENTS OF A COVER LETTER
Address the hiring manager Discuss your most notable Thank the hiring manager for
by name (or ‘Hiring Manager’) professional achievements their time
Tailor the intro to the specific Explain exactly how you will Reiterate your enthusiasm
role you are applying for be valuable to their business for the role
Aim to grab the reader’s Discuss specific qualities and Include a specific call to
attention and quickly show skills that make you a great fit action you would like the
your enthusiasm and fit for the role reader to take

EXAMPLE COVER LETTER
GREETING
ü Used the hiring manager’s name in the greeting
INTRO
ü Clearly tailored to the role
ü Quickly communicates enthusiasm and fit
BODY
ü Describes specific, relevant skills and domain expertise
ü Outlines several key professional achievements
ü Clearly explains how her experience will help her add
value to the employer’s business
CLOSING
ü Thanks the hiring manager for her time
ü Reiterates her excitement and fit
ü Provides a clear next step and call to action

CASE STUDY: SENIOR MARKETING ANALYST
THE The year is 2008, and you’re the Hiring Manager for a Senior Marketing
SITUATION Analyst role at a large Ecommerce company based in the United States.
An applicant has just handed you his resume, and asked for your feedback.
THE Your task is to review the applicant’s resume line by line, critique what you
ASSIGNMENT see, and take note of any specific strengths and weaknesses.
1. Gauge your overall impression of the candidate

THE
OBJECTIVES 2. Note anything that stands out as particularly good or bad about his resume
3. Provide specific feedback to help the candidate improve his resume

Relevant role Current relevant role
Excel and Omniture
Strong work ethic

Education section
Relevant fields of study Peer tutor role, teaching quant method
Long tenure
Relevant to role
Some relevant skills

(Omniture, Access, Excel)
Current relevant role

Generic descriptions
Excel and Omniture
Education section
Academic scores signal Peer tutor role, teaching quant method
lack of experience
Better fit for finance?
Filler, can be cut
Leaving first job after ~1 year
Potentially relevant, but Study abroad (irrelevant)

needs more description
Long, generic descriptions
Looks like a finance guy
Some honors are unclear

Unclear what some of these
are (feels like filler) Top skills aren’t prioritized
Skills section could

be tighter
Marketing Analytics skills focus

Clear focus on Marketing
Analytics; relevant skills Bold, relevant skills with details
bold with descriptions
Clear and concrete job descriptions
Relevant role Better layout and organization, with
best selling points featured at the top
Clear and descriptive
job details
Analysis-focused
description, despite the
finance title Leaving first job after ~1 year
Older roles may need better

Clear focus on quantitative
descriptions to prove relevancy
methods and Excel skills
Long tenure
Could be more descriptive
Relevant majors, concise

list of honors, clear
displays of work ethic

ASSIGNMENT: CREATE A WINNING RESUME
THE You’re a professional Resume Writing Consultant, and you’ve been hired to
SITUATION help your client, John Smith, land a new role.
John has been a Data Analyst at Stark Industries for 5 years, and is preparing to
THE apply for a Senior Analyst role at ACME Corp.
ASSIGNMENT Your task is to review and critique John’s resume, note specific strengths and
weaknesses, and edit the resume to make it as strong as possible (feel free to be
creative and add details as needed!)
1. Download John Smith’s resume from the course resources

THE
OBJECTIVES 2. Analyze the resume and note any strengths and weaknesses
3. Update the resume to help John land the Senior Analyst role!

ASSIGNMENT: CREATE A WINNING RESUME

SOLUTION: CREATE A WINNING RESUME
Too much detail

for irrelevant roles
Prime real estate, but
nothing here sells
Some very
relevant tools Short tenure
2-yr degree may

be devalued
Dean’s list is good
Relevant role Solid tenure
Generic descriptions
Descriptive, mentions
SQL specifically
Pre-professional,
kill entirely
Too much detail for

irrelevant roles
Don’t need this

SOLUTION: CREATE A WINNING RESUME

RESUME SELF-ASSESSMENT
Have you prioritized your best selling points at the top of your resume?
Have you removed “filler” that doesn’t help market your relevant skills?
Are you following ATS standards for section headers?
Have you included keywords employers are likely to search? (Hint: borrow from the job description)
Are you being as descriptive as possible when writing about your relevant experience?
Are you quantifying your impact whenever possible?
Have you tailored the resume for the specific role you are applying for?
Are you aware of your red flags, and able to address them on paper and in person?
Have you done a thorough search for typos, grammar, and formatting issues?
Did you write a personalized cover letter to send with your resume?
WHY LINKEDIN?
CONSIDER LINKEDIN YOUR

As you network and apply for jobs, it’s virtually guaranteed that recruiters will look you up
on LinkedIn; make sure your profile makes a great first impression!
Recruiters will ask themselves:

Does this look like the profile of a Data Analyst?
Does this seem like someone we’d enjoy working with?
Do they come across as polished and professional?
Is it clear that this person’s experience and skills are relevant to the role?
Do we share any mutual connections who might serve as a reference?
What type of content does this person share? How do they interact with others?

LINKEDIN PROFILE ELEMENTS
1 Profile Photo
• Your profile photo should be clear and well-framed, and
signal that you are professional and approachable
2 Background Image
• Use this space to sell yourself, grab the viewer’s attention,
and show your passion and creativity
John Smith 3 Headline & Intro

Recent Graduate • Your headline should make it clear that you are all about
analytics, and can be a great place to list top skills or tools
About 4 About Section

Example… • Use this space to share your personal story and describe
some of your top skills or major accomplishments
5 Experience Section
Experience
Example…
• Showcase your relevant experience, and remember to use
clear, descriptive, and outcome-focused language
6 Education, Licenses & Certifications

Education • Feature any relevant academic records, licenses or
Example… professional certifications you’ve earned

PROFILE PHOTO
1 Profile Photo
• Your profile photo should be clear and well-framed, and
signal that you are professional and approachable
WHAT WORKS:
John Smith
Recent Graduate
WHAT DOESN’T:
About
Example…
Experience
Example…
PRO TIP: Don’t have a professional headshot?

Education
Find a clean background and use a smartphone!
Example…

BACKGROUND IMAGE
2 Background Image
• Use this space to sell yourself, grab the viewer’s attention,
and show your passion and creativity
Tips for background images:

Make sure it’s relevant to the audience
John Smith
Recent Graduate Use a high res image, with proper dimensions
Showcase relevant awards or accomplishments
About Be creative! You can include meaningful quotes,

Example… project screenshots, custom branding, etc.
Experience
Example… PRO TIP: The background image is valuable real
estate and often the first thing people will see;
don’t waste space with a generic stock photo!
Education
Example…

HEADLINE & INTRO
3 Headline & Intro

• Your headline should make it clear that you are all about
analytics, and can be a great place to list top skills or tools
Tips for Headlines & Intros:

Maven Analytics Use a data or analytics-focused headline, even if it
John Smith isn’t your formal title or professional role
Data Analyst & Visualization Expert (SQL | Power BI | Python) Barnett College
Greater Boston - Contact Info Include top skills or tools, or describe what you do
(“I help businesses make smart, data-driven decisions”)
About Include your current position and education, if they
Example…
are relevant to the audience
Add your geographic location and basic contact info
Experience
Example…
Want to customize your intro section?

Click the pencil icon to edit your headline, pronouns, edit
Education current position, industry, education, location, and more
Example…

THE ABOUT SECTION
4 About Section
• Use this space to share your personal story and describe
some of your top skills or major accomplishments
Tips for the About Section:

Maven Analytics Tell a compelling story that clearly describes who
John Smith you are and what you do
Greater Boston - Contact Info Be descriptive, but concise (3-4 short paragraphs)
Use relevant and appropriate keywords (i.e. data,

About analytics, business intelligence, SQL, Excel, etc.)
Experienced analyst, data visualization specialist, and strategic problem solver. I’m passionate
about transforming raw data into clear and actionable insights that deliver real-world business Let your personality show, but keep it polished and
value. My background as a Supply Chain Specialist in the US Army has given me a deep professional (avoid slang or poor grammar)
foundation in data collection, analysis, visualization, and business intelligence.
Include a call to action or personal email (optional)
I am a resourceful, inquisitive, and driven problem-solver, specializing in using tools like Excel,
MySQL, Power BI and Python to help businesses unlock the power of their data. I value integrity
and honesty, and believe in the importance of leading by example.
If you haven’t already, please send me a connection request – I’d love to connect with like-minded PRO TIP: Don’t bluff. What you write should be
people who share my passion for bringing data to life. an accurate reflection of who you are in reality
If you’d prefer to connect directly, I can be reached at jsmith@email.com

THE EXPERIENCE SECTION
5 Experience Section
• Showcase your relevant experience, and remember to use
clear, descriptive, and outcome-focused language
Tips for the Experience Section:

Maven Analytics Write job descriptions that clearly showcase your
John Smith relevant skills and quantify the impact you’ve made
Greater Boston - Contact Info Focus on your most recent and relevant roles
Use clear and descriptive job titles

Experience
Student, Business Intelligence Path Link jobs to company pages on LinkedIn
Maven Analytics
• Analyzed data using Excel, SQL. Power BI and Tableau to identify QA issues, expose meaningful
patterns and trends, and deliver actionable insights to optimize performance
• Developed dynamic, interactive reports and dashboards using Power BI and Tableau to explore
customer-level transactions and purchase patterns
PRO TIP: You can add media to this section (links,
Supply Chain Specialist videos, etc.), but we recommend featuring posts as a
United States Army better way to showcase content (more on that soon!)
• Managed all aspects of unit-level supply chain, including inventory analysis, shipping and receiving
operations, staffing, and warehouse logistics
• Used SQL and Excel to manage database records, create data-driven alerts, and develop reports
to track supply chain KPIs, which helped reduce inventory turnover by 20%

EDUCATION, LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

• Feature any relevant academic records, licenses or
professional certifications you’ve earned
Tips for Education, Licenses & Certs:

Maven Analytics Include the school name, degree, field of study,
John Smith enrollment dates, and honors/GPA (optional)
Greater Boston - Contact Info List any relevant activities & societies
Use the Description field to showcase your major

Education honors or accomplishments
Awesome University
B.A, Economics – Summa Cum Laude Add licenses & certifications you’ve earned through
2004 – 2008
courses, bootcamps or exams to validate your skills
Activities and societies: Phi Beta Kappa, Sports Analysis Club (Co-Founder), Economics & Calculus
Teaching Assistant (TA)
• Co-Founded the university’s first sports analytics club, focused on using statistical methods to
explore innovative research projects in the sports industry PRO TIP: Less is more; resist the urge to stuff your
• Used SQL, Excel, Python and R to extract and analyze raw public data, and presented work to the profile with “filler”, and focus on what matters most
annual Sports Analytics conference in Boston, MA
• Awarded the Charles Bludhorn Prize in Economics for outstanding academic achievement

EDUCATION, LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

• Feature any relevant academic records, licenses or
professional certifications you’ve earned
Tips for Education, Licenses & Certs:

Maven Analytics Include the school name, degree, field of study,
John Smith enrollment dates, and honors/GPA (optional)
Greater Boston - Contact Info List any relevant activities & societies
Use the Description field to showcase your major

Licenses & certifications honors or accomplishments
Business Intelligence Analyst
Maven Analytics
Add licenses & certifications you’ve earned through
Issued Feb 2022 – No Expiration Date courses, bootcamps or exams to validate your skills
See credential
Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst PRO TIP: Less is more; resist the urge to stuff your
Microsoft
Issued Apr 2021 – Expires Apr 2023 profile with “filler”, and focus on what matters most
See credential

PRO TIP: ADDING MAVEN BADGES
SHARE BADGES TO
Course and path credentials from Maven Analytics are a great way to showcase your
accomplishments, validate your skills, and catch the attention of recruiters
Maven Analytics Accredible LinkedIn
I just passed the Microsoft PL-300 exam and completed the

Power BI Specialist Path from Maven Analytics!
#data #analytics #businessintelligence #powerbi
SHARE YOUR ACHIEVEMENT!

PRO TIP: RECORDING A COVER STORY
BRING YOUR PROFILE

Instead of a static profile photo, you can record a mobile cover story to introduce yourself

PRO TIP: FEATURING CONTENT
PUT YOUR
LinkedIn’s Featured section allows you to showcase specific posts at the top of your
profile; this is a great way to share projects and promote your best content
Don’t have any projects to share?

Join one of our monthly challenges, or head to the
Data Playground and check out our free datasets!

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Think of your LinkedIn profile as a public, digital resume

• Your profile is often be the first impression recruiters will see, so make sure it’s a positive one!
Keep it professional, but let your personal brand shine through

• LinkedIn is a great place to share your passion, showcase your creativity, and tell your unique story
Share course badges and credentials to validate your skills

• Add relevant badges you’ve earned to the “licenses & certifications” section of your profile
Use featured posts to showcase your best projects

• This is one of the easiest ways to build a project portfolio and show recruiters what you can do

WHY DO YOU NEED A PORTFOLIO?
PROVE THAT YOU HAVE THE

Resumes and LinkedIn profiles can help TELL employers about your skills, but project
portfolios allow to actually SHOW them what you are capable of
A great project portfolio should highlight:
Technical proficiency
Strategic thinking Analytics Trifecta!
Communication skills
Business acumen
Passion for analytics

HOW TO FIND PROJECTS
Don’t have any professional analytics experience or projects to showcase? There are a
number of ways to find projects for your portfolio
Most courses at Maven Explore free datasets and One of the best ways to get
Analytics (and other platforms) recommended analyses in our tangible, real-world experience
are hands-on & project-based. Data Playground. without a job is volunteering.
Use existing course projects or Other sources to check out: Offer to help a small business or
create your own using the • Kaggle non-profit with an analytics
provided data to start building a • Data.World
project to build your portfolio
portfolio while you learn. and get practical experience at
• Data.Gov
the same time – win-win!
• EarthData.Nasa.Gov
• World Health Organization

ELEMENTS OF A WINNING PROJECT
A great portfolio project should be clear and easily consumable, and guide the viewer through your
thought process and approach:
1. What’s the business case or context behind the project?

2. What key insights were you able to derive, and what impact did they have on the business?
3. How are you using data and visualization to tell the story or support your findings?
4. What technical tools or techniques did you use to conduct the analysis?

STEP 1: THE BUSINESS CASE
You may lose your audience if you dive straight into the technical stuff, so lead with high-level
context, including a description of the business case and the problem you solved
Examples:
• Hotel cancellations cost the business nearly $1 million in revenue last year
PRO TIP: Lead with business context to
• Marketing campaign conversion rates have dropped steadily this year speak the language of potential employers
and keep non-technical audiences engaged
• Growth in website visits has not translated into increased conversions

STEP 2: INSIGHTS & IMPACT
Now that the audience is aware of the context, describe the key insights you derived in your analysis
and the impact they drove for the business
Examples:
• I proposed a strategy to reduce cancellation risk while increasing revenue
PRO TIP: Include tangible, measurable
• I optimized paid search ad campaigns and grew customer acquisition by 50% results whenever possible to quantify
the impact of your analysis
• I analyzed website performance to identify drop-off in the conversion funnel

STEP 3: DATA STORYTELLING
The next step is to take it a level deeper and use data-driven storytelling to bring your analysis to life
DO THIS DON’T DO THIS

Use data visualization whenever possible (vs. raw code or tables) Go deep in the technical weeds...yet
Focus on data that directly supports the business case and outcome Try to include EVERYTHING (this will distract from your best points)
Showcase your written and visual communication skills, and focus Write poorly or make careless spelling or grammatical errors
on telling a clear and logical story

STEP 4: TECHNICAL DEPTH
Portfolio projects should be designed to appeal to a broad audience, but often include links or deep
dives specifically tailored to those looking for more technical depth
Examples:
• Downloadable workbooks or project files
PRO TIP: The key is to make details available to those
• Code samples or GitHub links who want it (like a fellow analyst), without overwhelming
• Public Power BI or Tableau dashboards those who don’t (like a recruiter or hiring manager)
• Blog posts, technical tutorials, or video walkthroughs

PACKAGING A PROJECT PORTFOLIO
There are a number of options for building and managing project portfolios, but ideally
you should look for a solution that meets the following criteria:
Easily Clear & Publicly Easy to Free/cheap

sharable consumable accessible manage to host
COMMON PORTFOLIO SOLUTIONS
Portfolio Option: Pros: Cons:
First place recruiters often look Limited customization options

Easy to create and manage (posts + articles)
Offers the most customization More work to set up and manage

Best presentation if done well Can carry some hosting costs
Makes it obvious you are invested May not lead to passive discovery
Easy to share Tableau dashboards Only applicable for Tableau-specific projects

High visibility within the Tableau community May not lead to passive discovery
Common option for technical roles (DS/ML) Learning curve to get up and running
Good customization options May not lead to passive discovery
Free and easy to customize Limited sharing options

Good format for explanatory analysis Inaccessible to the public

PORTFOLIO EXAMPLE: LINKEDIN
Why it works
Easy to share
Publicly accessible
Includes link to full dashboard
Proves technical proficiency
Shows a passion for data
Free to host and manage
PRO TIP: Feature a link to your

blog or website in your LinkedIn
profile, if you have one!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoedouglas-data/ *Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

PORTFOLIO EXAMPLE: WEBSITE
Why it works
Easy to share
Projects are easy to follow
Demonstrates creativity &
communication skills
Shows passion & personality
Unlimited customization
PRO TIP: Check out sites like

Wix and Squarespace to build
and host websites for free
https://markmccunningham.wixsite.com/website *Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

PORTFOLIO EXAMPLE: TABLEAU PUBLIC
Why it works
Easy to share
Publicly accessible
Views & Likes show social proof
Proves technical proficiency
Free to manage & host
PRO TIP: If you are a heavy

Tableau user, creating a Tableau
Public profile is a must!
https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/dustiboy21 *Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

PORTFOLIO EXAMPLE: GITHUB
Why it works
Easy to share
Projects are easy to follow
Includes technical depth
Proves coding proficiency
Free to host
PRO TIP: GitHub is a popular

platform for developers, software
engineers, and data scientists
https://github.com/quantumudit *Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

PORTFOLIO EXAMPLE: PDF SLIDES
Why it works
Project is easy to follow
Focus on visualization & data
storytelling
Includes some technical depth
Good for explanatory analysis
or specific business cases
Easy to customize
Free to create

Why it works
storytelling
Easy to customize
Free to create

Why it works
storytelling
Easy to customize
Free to create

Why it works
storytelling
Easy to customize
Free to create

Why it works
storytelling
Easy to customize
Free to create

ASSIGNMENT: BUILD A PORTFOLIO PROJECT
1 Choose a project or analysis you’ve worked on

• This can be from real-world experience, a course you worked on, or an online dataset or challenge
2 Briefly introduce the business case and primary objectives

• What problem are you trying to solve? What are you hoping to accomplish, and why?
3 Describe the key insights and outcomes derived from your analysis
• What were the key takeaways and outcomes of the project? How did your analysis impact the business?
4 Use data visualization and storytelling to show your analytical process

• Focus on data that directly supports the business case, and aim to create a clear, compelling narrative
5 Reiterate the outcome and provide links to additional detail (if possible)
• Tie it back to the business impact and outcome, and share resources for those looking for technical depth

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Project portfolios are the best way to prove your analytics skills
• Employers want to see that you have what it takes to get the job done
Find or create your own projects if you don’t have job experience
• Use free online data sources to create your own projects, or seek out real-world volunteer opportunities
Use a portfolio solution where you can easily manage & share your work
• LinkedIn is a great option; it’s free, sharable, publicly accessible, and often the first place recruiters look
Make sure your communication skills & personality shine through

• Use your portfolio to showcase strategic thinking & communication skills, not just technical proficiency

WHY BUILD YOUR NETWORK?
NETWORKING IS ABOUT
Once you’ve built a strong profile and personal brand, it’s time to expand your network,
engage with the community, and leverage connections to access great opportunities
Follow LinkedIn Beef up your Identify key Follow your Join the Start looking Network &
influencers connections connectors target companies conversation for jobs apply

STEP 1: FOLLOW INFLUENCERS
Follow LinkedIn influencers The first step of the networking process is to listen and
learn what influential data people are talking about.
Find out who the influencers are and the tags they use,
Beef up your connections and follow them to start passively consuming the
information they share; this will help you learn the space
and understand how you can contribute to the
Identify key connectors community as well.
The most successful people on LinkedIn are those who

Follow your target companies spark engaging conversations and share genuinely
valuable content, so follow people who do this well.
Join the conversation

Don’t know who to follow?
Use this list to get started:
Start looking for jobs https://www.mavenanalytics.io/blog/data-influencers
Network & apply

STEP 2: BEEF UP YOUR CONNECTIONS
Next, it’s time to beef up your connections.

Follow LinkedIn influencers
This will be valuable for multiple reasons; growing your
audience, finding mutual connections, and eventually
Beef up your connections accessing people who work at your target companies.
If you haven’t already, send a LinkedIn connection

Identify key connectors request to everyone you know who has an account. The
more the better here – you never know who might be
connected to the hiring manager for your dream job!
Follow your target companies

PRO TIP: Including a personal, sincere note with your
connection requests will help you form genuine
connections and more meaningful relationships
Start looking for jobs
Network & apply

STEP 3: IDENTIFY KEY CONNECTORS
Follow LinkedIn influencers Once you’ve built your list of connections, the next step
is to identify high-value connectors.
These are people who are both willing and able to help
Beef up your connections make meaningful professional connections for you.
For each person in your network, use a 1-10 scale to

Identify key connectors evaluate willingness and ability, and multiply them to
calculate an overall rating; those with the highest ratings
are your high-value connectors:

High-value
connectors
Network & apply

STEP 4: FOLLOW TARGET COMPANIES
Follow LinkedIn influencers Now you’re ready to make an initial list of target
employers. Don’t worry about job openings, just think
about companies you’d love to work for.
Beef up your connections These could be companies who align with your values,
build products you use, offer amazing benefits, embrace
flexibility and balance, or who need the types of skills you
Identify key connectors bring to the table – ultimately it’s up to you!
Network & apply

STEP 5: JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Next, it’s time to start getting active on LinkedIn.

Follow LinkedIn influencers
Your feed will likely skew heavily towards data and
analytics topics based on who you’ve followed, so you
Beef up your connections should have a pretty pulse on the types of conversations
happening, and where you can add value.
Identify key connectors

YOUR PLAYBOOK AT THIS STAGE:
1. Read the comments. Note which types of comments add value and
spark meaningful dialog, and those which come across as negative,
irrelevant or salesy.
Join the conversation 2. Interact with relevant posts. React to posts you find valuable, and
find opportunities to join the conversation. Answer questions, offer
thoughtful perspectives, and share resources you’ve found valuable
(bonus if you can start engaging with your target companies!)
3. Start posting. Once you’re comfortable, start publishing your own
posts. Don’t stress about making them perfect, just aim to add value
and start interesting conversations with your connections.
Network & apply

STEP 6: START LOOKING FOR JOBS
Follow LinkedIn influencers If you’ve been following along up to this point, it’s time
to start seeking out job opportunities.
Beef up your connections Places to get started:

• Recruiters: When you get a recruiter in your corner, it’s like nailing
multiple applications at once; they will advocate for you and open
doors, especially if they are with an analytics-focused shop.
Identify key connectors
• Careers pages: Regularly check the “Careers” page for new roles
posted by your target companies (in addition to LinkedIn)
• Publications & newsletters: Find popular tech publications or
Follow your target companies newsletters and follow them to stay in the loop
• Groups & communities: Seek out online communities, LinkedIn
groups, and local meetups to connect with potential employers
Join the conversation • Job boards: Subscribe to popular job boards and create profiles to
make yourself visible to potential recruiters

Want more detail?
Read this guide to get started:
https://www.mavenanalytics.io/blog/find-data-jobs
Network & apply

STEP 7: NETWORK & APPLY
Follow LinkedIn influencers Great news – the perfect role just opened up at one of
your target companies!
Before you apply, follow these steps to maximize your

Beef up your connections chances of securing an interview:
1. Check the company’s LinkedIn page to find employees who

Identify key connectors work in the department you are applying to
2. Review employee profiles and look for mutual connections

Follow your target companies 3. If you find a mutual connection, aim for a direct intro; this
will make sure your application is seen and give you a huge
advantage over the general applicant pool
4. If you don’t have mutual connections, send a connection
request, include a thoughtful note, and let them know that
you’d love to learn more about the role
5. As a last resort, apply through the company’s website
Network & apply

THE ANALYST INTERVIEW
THIS IS
The interview is your chance to prove to employers that you have the experience,
personality, technical ability and problem-solving skills to succeed on the job
The interviewing mindset:

Be confident! If you’ve made it this far, it means that employers
already think you could be a great fit
Relax, be yourself, and remember that you want to come across

as someone who people would love to work with
Don’t think of the interview as a test, but a two-way conversation

to gauge mutual fit
Don’t wing it! Rehearse common questions, brush up on skills,

and practice solving technical case studies to prepare

WHAT INTERVIEWERS ARE LOOKING FOR
Cultural Fit Would we enjoy working with this person?
Technical Skills Will this person be able to use the tools required to succeed in this role?
Quantitative Problem Solving Can this person think strategically and solve relevant business problems?
Curiosity & Learning Ability Does this person show a passion for growth and aptitude for learning?
Business Acumen Does this person understand our business and industry at a high level?
Communication Skills Can this person communicate clearly and effectively?
Enthusiasm Is this person genuinely excited about the opportunity?

COMMON INTERVIEW PHASES
• You’ll likely interview with one person, usually over the • You’ll likely meet 2-5 people who are key stakeholders
phone or in a virtual meeting in the hiring process, often over several rounds
• Screeners are typically members of the HR team, and • Team interviews typically include the person you will
likely won’t grill you on technical topics report to, along with potential peers and senior leaders
• Conversations tend to focus on your background, • Conversations tend to focus on technical skills,
skills, and why you’re interested in the role problem-solving ability, and cultural fit
• Expect the conversation to last 30-45 minutes, and be • Expect to spend 30-60 minutes per person, with longer
prepared to ask thoughtful questions about the role sessions for technical assessments or cases
PRO TIP: Always send a thank you note! This will give you an easy leg up over those who don’t, and provide an
opportunity to reiterate why you’re a great fit and address anything you didn’t get a chance to cover in the interview

TYPES OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Also known as a “behavioral” interview, Technical assessments can take many Case studies are designed to test your
these questions help the interviewer forms (Q&A, written, verbal, take-home, strategic thinking and problem-solving
understand your work experience and etc.), but the general objective is to abilities, along with communication skills,
personality, to determine if you are a validate that you have the core skills business acumen, creativity, and poise
good fit for the role and company culture required for the job under pressure
COMMON EXAMPLES: COMMON EXAMPLES: COMMON EXAMPLES:

• Tell me about yourself • Define RDBMS and provide an example • Estimation & market sizing
• Walk me through a project • Sketch a data model for a hypothetical • Root cause analysis
• What’s your biggest strength? ecommerce business • Business strategy (pricing, profitability, etc.)
• How would your coworkers describe you? • Explain the following code and its purpose
• Take-home project or analysis
PRO TIP: Remember that no two interviews are exactly the same; be prepared to answer any of these question types,
but research the company to learn about their hiring and interview strategy (Glassdoor.com is a great resource for this!)

EXPERIENCE & FIT
No matter what job you apply for, virtually every interview will include questions to gauge how well
your work experience and personality fit with the company culture and requirements of the role
You’re someone they would want to work closely with Review common questions, and have responses prepared and rehearsed
You come across as positive, authentic, and genuinely Read the job description closely and take time to research the company
excited about the opportunity (What’s their mission? Do their values and culture align with yours?)
You have experience handling pressure or navigating Be honest and authentic, and approach the interview as a two-way dialogue
challenging situations
Your work experience maps well to the job requirements
You’ve done your homework, and have a clear

understanding of the company and the role
Arrive unprepared and “wing” your responses (preparation is key!)
You are confident, but self-aware and humble
Answer questions based on what you think the interviewer wants to hear,
You communicate clearly and effectively instead of being open and honest
Have nothing to say when the interviewer asks if you have any questions
You have a growth mindset and aptitude for learning

EXPERIENCE & FIT
No matter what job you apply for, virtually every interview will include questions to gauge how well
your work experience and personality fit with the company culture and requirements of the role
Experience-Based: Situational: Introspective:

• Walk me through a project that you’re proud of • Tell me about a time you failed or made a mistake • Tell me about yourself
• What does a typical day look like in your current role? • Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult person • What is your greatest strength / weakness?
• What tools/techniques do you typically use on the job? • Tell me about a time you created a goal and achieved it • What would your co-workers say about you?
• What do you like most/least about your current role? • Tell me about a time you surpassed expectations • What is your leadership style?
• What would you consider your biggest achievement? • Tell me about a time you had to handle pressure • How would you describe your ideal role?
• Do you prefer working solo or as part of a team? • Tell me about a time you had to learn something quickly • Why do you want to work here?
• What do you like to do outside of work? • Tell me about a time you were a team player • Why should we hire you?
• Can you explain your employment gap? • Tell me about a time you had to manage conflicting priorities • Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• Why do you want to leave your current job? • Tell me about a time you disagreed, and how you handled it • What questions do you have for me?
PRO TIP: Prepare a few well-rehearsed stories, and use the STAR system to organize your thoughts (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

PRO TIP: PRACTICING COMMON QUESTIONS
LinkedIn offers a free tool where you can practice answering common interview questions and receive AI-powered
feedback on your delivery, including your pace, pitch, and use of filler words or sensitive phrases
Jobs > Interview Prep
PRO TIP: Nothing beats human feedback;

share responses with LinkedIn connections
and seek feedback from your network

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT
Anyone can list tools on a resume, but the technical assessment is your opportunity to actually prove
that you have the skills to back it up
You have a strong, practical understanding of the specific Be honest about your level of expertise, and be prepared to back up any
tools and techniques required for the job skills listed on your resume
You can communicate complex or highly technical topics Take your time, and give yourself a moment to think before responding
clearly and concisely
Stay calm and composed, and ask for help if you get stuck
You are honest about your level of expertise, and able to
address any gaps in your skill set
Your level of experience is appropriate for the role
You handle pressure well, and can think on your feet Misrepresent your skill set or expertise to make your resume look stronger
Bluff or feign confidence when you don’t know the answer
Get frustrated or give up if you get stuck; sometimes technical interviews

are deliberately designed to see how you handle roadblocks or failures

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT
Anyone can list tools on a resume, but the technical assessment is your opportunity to actually prove
that you have the skills to back it up
Knowledge-Based: Hands-On:
Knowledge-based skills assessments are commonly delivered in Hands-on assessments often test specific skills or techniques, and can
question & answer or conversational formats, and often cover take several forms; including white board exercises, code reviews,
foundational topics or concepts specific to the role take-home projects or practical exercises using the tools themselves
COMMON EXAMPLES: COMMON EXAMPLES:
• What’s the difference between an INNER and OUTER join? • White Board: Suppose you have data containing information about
• Can you describe what a typical ETL process might look like? transactions, products, customers, and inventory, sketch out an example
data model, including primary and foreign keys and table relationships
• What does normalization mean, in the context of data modeling?
• Why is statistical significance important in hypothesis testing? • Code Review: Review the SQL query provided, and describe in your own
words what each line of code is doing and what the output will look like
• Which type of visual might you use to show revenue trends by product?
• What’s the difference between a dimension and a measure? • Practical Exercise: Using the laptop and data set provided, please answer
the following questions: Which region saw the largest Y-o-Y growth in
• What is a star schema, and why is it commonly used in analytics? 2021? Which product subcategories are most profitable? Etc...

CASE STUDY
Case studies are commonly used to gauge your strategic thinking and problem-solving ability, and
often focus on market sizing, root cause analysis, or business strategy
You have strong strategic thinking, deductive reasoning, and Overcommunicate, and share your thought process each step of the way
problem-solving abilities
Treat the case as a two-way dialogue, and ask clarifying questions
You can communicate clearly and effectively, and ask Stay calm, go slow, and apply a logical problem-solving framework
thoughtful questions to gather the information you need
PREPARE and PRACTICE – study common cases, brush up on basic math,
and research the company’s hiring/interview strategy
You are able to approach cases from multiple perspectives
and identify creative solutions
You show poise and confidence under pressure
You are comfortable working with numbers, and have good Internalize your thought process
intuition for how to use data effectively
Rush into the case without first establishing a clear framework
You genuinely enjoy the problem-solving process Get frustrated or give up (these are supposed to be tough!)

CASE STUDY
Case studies are commonly used to gauge your strategic thinking and problem-solving ability, and
often focus on market sizing or business strategy cases
Estimation / Market Sizing: Root Cause Analysis: Business Strategy:

Market sizing cases require you to estimate Root cause cases often take the form of an open- Business strategy cases are commonly used in
values based on very limited information, using ended conversation, where you must ask consulting interviews, and require you to
a combination of mental math, logical reasoning, questions and gather information to identify the provide strategic recommendations for specific
and creative problem-solving skills underlying cause of a specific incident or event business scenarios
MARKET SIZING EXAMPLES: COMMON EXAMPLES: COMMON EXAMPLES:

• How much coffee is sold every morning in New York? • What drove yesterday’s spike in website traffic? • Pricing recommendations
• How many ping pong balls fit inside a jumbo jet? • Why did our customer satisfaction rating drop? • Profitability optimization
• What’s the global market size for disposable diapers? • Why was conversion rate so high last month? • Growth strategy
• How many red shoes are sold in Germany every year? • Why is our bounce rate suddenly so high? • Product launch / market entry
• How many light bulbs are in an average skyscraper? • Why are sales down, and what can we do to fix it? • Competitive dynamics
• How many airplanes take off from LAX daily? • Why did our latest product launch fail? • Valuation / M&A strategy

MARKET SIZING FRAMEWORK
Clarify the Plan your Break it Gut check

question approach down your answer
Ask thoughtful questions to make sure Before you dive in, take a moment to Map out the component calculations, While you aren’t expected to get the
you understand the problem, and clarify clearly outline and communicate your and focus on solving them one at a time “right” number, take a moment to
anything that could impact your answer thought process or framework using logical and defensible assumptions validate that your answer feels realistic
ü TIP: Ask about any definitions, units of ü TIP: Sketch your approach on paper to ü TIP: Use round numbers, and have some ü TIP: Gut check your answer against a
measurement, timeframes or locations organize your thoughts and visualize common data points memorized (i.e. benchmark like population or GDP to
related to the case the problem (tree diagrams are great!) population, income, life expectancy) make sure you’re in the right ballpark
PRO TIP: How well you perform on a market sizing case has very little to do with the specific answer you come up with;
it’s all about demonstrating an ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and attack the problem logically

CASE STUDY: GLOBAL IPHONE MARKET
How big is the global market for iPhones?
Clarify the Q: I’m assuming that we can define market size in terms of total sales (USD) in a given year, correct?
question
Yes, that’s correct
Q: I also assume that we’re estimating the market for devices alone, not including accessories?
Plan your
approach Yes, you can ignore the market for iPhone accessories
Q: To clarify, we’re estimating the current market size today, without assuming any future growth?
Break it Yes, please estimate the current market size
down
Q: Great, and the goal is to estimate a single value for the total global market size, correct?
Yes, no need to break down market sizes by country or region
Gut check
your answer
PRO TIP: Ask favorable, closed-ended questions to help control the dialog and work to your strengths!

Clarify the I’d like to take a top-down approach to estimate the market size:
question
1. I’ll use the global population and % of people who use smartphones to estimate the number of smartphone users
2. Next I’ll estimate Apple’s share of the smartphone market to determine the number of global iPhone users
Plan your 3. Finally I’ll use the average iPhone replacement rate and retail cost to determine the total market size in dollars
approach
iPhone replacement
Global population
rate (per year)
Break it
down # of smartphone # iPhones purchased
users per year
% of people who use

# of iPhone users
iPhone global
smartphones market size
Gut check
your answer Apple’s share of
iPhone retail price
smartphone market

Clarify the I’d like to take a top-down approach to estimate the market size:
question
1. I’ll use the global population and % of people who use smartphones to estimate the number of smartphone users
2. Next I’ll estimate Apple’s share of the smartphone market to determine the number of global iPhone users
Plan your 3. Finally I’ll use the average iPhone replacement rate and retail cost to determine the total market size in dollars
approach
iPhone replacement
Global population
rate (per year)
Break it
down 8,000,000,000 # of smartphone 0.2 # iPhones purchased
x x
users per year
% of people who use 6,000,000,000 240,000,000 iPhone global

x # of iPhone users x
smartphones market size
Gut check
75% Apple’s share of 1,200,000,000
your answer iPhone retail price ~$192 billion
smartphone market
20% $800
SOLVE LEFT TO RIGHT

Clarify the ü A market size of $192 billion feels large, but realistic for the flagship product from one of the
question most valuable companies in the world
ü These assumptions mean that on average, 1 of every ~7 people worldwide uses an iPhone
Plan your
approach
ü If we assume the global GDP is $80 trillion (USD), iPhones account for ~0.25%, with smartphone
devices as a whole likely contributing ~1-2% (depending on replacement rates and retail costs)
Break it
down ü Even if you have no clue what the actual market size is, none of these figures seem wildly
inaccurate or off by orders of magnitude, and each assumption is defensible
Gut check
your answer
PRO TIP: Just taking a moment to validate and benchmark your answer is a great way to showcase your
critical thinking skills; this is 10x more important than how close you are to the “right” answer!

CASE STUDY: U.S. BARBERSHOPS
How many barbershops are there in the United States?
Clarify the Q: I assume we’re talking about shops where barbers cut hair and shave beards, and primarily cater
question to a male audience. Is it fair to exclude other establishments like hair salons from this analysis?
Yes, we’re focusing specifically on barbershops
Plan your
approach Q: To clarify, our goal is to determine the number of individual brick-and-mortar barbershops,
regardless of whether they are independently owned or part of a franchise?
Yes, that’s correct
Break it
down
Q: We’re estimating the number of barbershops operating in the United States today, not at some
point in the future, correct?
Yes, please estimate the number of barbershops operating at this current point in time
Gut check
your answer

I’d like to solve this case by estimating the supply and demand for haircuts:
Clarify the
question 1. I’ll start by estimating the demand for haircuts based on the size of the US male population, the % of men who
get haircuts, and how frequently they get them
2. Next, I’ll estimate supply based on the number of haircuts a barbershop gives per year, on average
3. Finally I’ll estimate the total number of barbershops based on how many would be required to meet demand
Plan your
approach
Haircuts per year US population
Haircuts
# of males in US
Break it demanded
down # of barbershop % of males
customers
Haircuts per
barber, per day # US Barbershops
% of males who
Haircuts per get haircuts
Gut check
shop, per day
your answer
Avg # barbers Haircuts supplied
per barbershop (per shop)
# days open
per year

I’d like to solve this case by estimating the supply and demand for haircuts:
Clarify the
question 1. I’ll start by estimating the demand for haircuts based on the size of the US male population, the % of men who
get haircuts, and how frequently they get them
2. Next, I’ll estimate supply based on the number of haircuts a barbershop gives per year, on average
3. Finally I’ll estimate the total number of barbershops based on how many would be required to meet demand
Plan your
approach
1,320,000,000 Haircuts per year US population
Haircuts 10 330,000,000
x # of males in US x
Break it demanded
down 165,000,000
# of barbershop x % of males
customers
Haircuts per 50%
barber, per day # US Barbershops 132,000,000
% of males who
15
Gut check x
Haircuts per ~117,000 get haircuts
shop, per day
your answer 80%
45 Haircuts supplied
Avg # barbers x
per barbershop (per shop)
3 11,250
# days open
per year
250
Clarify the ü A total of 117,000 barbershops feels realistic, and doesn’t seem unrealistically high or low
question
ü These assumptions mean that on average there is 1 barbershop per 2,820 people in the US
Plan your
approach • As another point of reference, my hometown has a population of ~10,000 people and a total of 3 local
barbershops, which lands roughly in the same ballpark (1 shop per ~3,300 people)
Break it
down ü Some assumptions may be high and others may be low, but the overall approach is logical and
clearly communicated
Gut check
your answer
PRO TIP: If you have no clue how close your estimate is, talk about which assumptions you are most and
least confident in, and how you could potentially improve the accuracy with more information

MARKET SIZING CHEAT SHEET
While you aren’t expected to memorize obscure stats, knowing a few key figures and
relative values related to population, income and life expectancy can be a huge advantage
Population Data (select regions) Local data (United States) Study Tips & Resources
ü Don’t try to memorize everything; learn some global stats,
Population (2022) United States (2022)
then go deeper with local data points
World 8 billion Total Population 330 million
ü Think about how key figures like populations break down
Population (18-24) 30 million (~10%)
Asia 4.5 billion by demographics, geographic regions, etc.
Population (25-64) 170 million (~50%)
Africa 1.4 billion
ü Remember that it’s more important to know ballpark
Population (65+) 50 million (~15%)
Europe 750 million values and relative comparisons than exact numbers
Household size 2.5 people
North America 600 million
ü PRACTICE, and take advantage of resources and guides:
Median HH Income $50,000
South America 450 million • mconsultingprep.com
Avg. Life Expectancy 80 years
Australia 25 million • preplounge.com
GDP $20 trillion • careers.bcg.com/case-prep
China 1.4 billion
India 1.4 billion
United States 330 million
Japan 125 million PRO TIP: Know your audience! Interviewers are likely to focus on local data points and
Germany 85 million
relevant business cases, and many companies publicly share insights into their hiring process
France 65 million

ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
Root-cause cases often take the form of an open-ended conversation, where you must ask questions
and gather information to identify the underlying cause of a specific incident or event
Take your time, think out loud, and communicate clearly Q: Site traffic increased 50% this month but sales are flat. Why?
Ask thoughtful questions to confirm your assumptions Example Response:

and request additional data or information • I’d start by reaching out to the team for additional context. Did we open a new traffic source
or marketing channel? Launch a big PR push? Discover a bug that might impact conversions?
Use this as an opportunity to demonstrate your • Next I’d analyze the traffic data to understand if this was a sudden, sharp change or a gradual
business intuition and domain expertise increase throughout the month. Can you share traffic volume by day, or even by hour?
• From there I’d segment the trended data a few different ways to figure out what’s driving the
Aim to take a holistic approach – both quantitative traffic increase, perhaps by channel, source, or device (mobile/desktop). Maybe the spike is
and qualitative – to investigating the issue specifically coming from a traffic source that converts poorly?
• To investigate why the incremental traffic didn’t drive sales, I’d love to see daily or weekly
Try to demonstrate a logical and linear thought process comparisons for each step in the purchase funnel. I’m curious if the issue might be isolated to
a specific stage of the checkout process (billing, shipping, etc.).
Like any other case, try to relax and have some fun :)
• Depending on the root cause, I might recommend either conversion funnel optimization or a
deeper analysis to improve overall traffic quality and conversion rate

CASE STUDY: ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
THE You are an eCommerce Analyst for an online sunglass shop, which gets
SITUATION traffic from direct type-ins, organic search, Facebook ads, and Google/Bing
search ads on both mobile devices and desktop machines.
Direct Type-In
Organic Search
Homepage
Product Shipping Billing Order
Detail Details Details Confirmation
Facebook Ads
Google/Bing Ads
Paid Media Page

CASE STUDY: ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
THE You are an eCommerce Analyst for an online sunglass shop, which gets
SITUATION traffic from direct type-ins, organic search, Facebook ads, and Google/Bing
search ads on both mobile devices and desktop machines.
The CEO just reached out because she noticed that weekly revenue dropped
THE 30% compared to the previous week, and needs your help figuring out the
ASSIGNMENT root cause of this decline.
1. Talk through how you would go about investigating the revenue drop
THE
2. Ask questions to gather the information you need to identify the root cause
OBJECTIVES
3. Explain your logic and thought process each step of the way

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Remember the qualities that employers are looking for

• Be confident, stay calm, and aim to come across as someone who would be great to work with
Treat the interview as a two-way dialog, not a test

• Remember that you are evaluating the employer as much as they are evaluating you
Write down and rehearse answers to common questions

• Having clear and thoughtful answers prepared in advance will make you look confident and polished
Learn common frameworks for solving market sizing & root cause cases
• Don’t wing it! Learn the frameworks and practice applying them to a wide variety of cases

CAREER LAUNCH CHECKLIST
Finding Your Path Building a Project Portfolio
Write down a description of your ideal role, and the work you’d love to do Make sure your portfolio is sharable, consumable and publicly accessible
Describe the types of companies you’d love to work for, and why Include business context, insights & outcomes, visuals and technical depth
Compare the 4 common data roles and identify which feels like the best fit Showcase your top projects via LinkedIn featured posts and articles
Complete the Maven Pathfinder survey to see which role you match with Make sure to showcase both your communication & technical skills
Writing a Strong Resume Networking & Applying

Complete a 7-Step resume self-assessment Build your LinkedIn network and identify key connectors
Tailor your resume to the roles you want to apply for Identify and follow data influencers and target companies
Request peer reviews to gather honest feedback Join conversations and post relevant, value-add content
Draft a cover letter that you can personalize for each application Track opportunities via career pages, newsletters, groups & job boards
Marketing on LinkedIn Acing the Analyst Interview

Complete each profile section (Photo, About, Experience, etc.) Review the qualities that employers and hiring managers are looking for
Write a Title, Headline and Intro that capture your passion for analytics Write down and rehearse answers to common questions
Use featured posts to showcase your best work Brush up on any technical skills required for the role
Add course badges & credentials to your profile to validate your skills Learn frameworks for solving market sizing & root cause case studies

LaunchingYourDataCareer 220502 094417

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

LaunchingYourDataCareer 220502 094417

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

LAUNCHING YOUR

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO LANDING YOUR ANALYTICS DREAM JOB

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

Chris is an analytics expert and best-selling instructor with

Since founding Maven Analytics in 2018, his courses have

Certified Excel & Power BI Expert

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

John brings over a decade of business intelligence experience

As a MySQL expert, he has played leadership roles across

15+ Years in Applied Analytics

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

Aaron is a former analytics consultant and Microsoft Power BI

He’s an instructor, coach and mentor for aspiring analysts, and

Microsoft Certified Data Analyst

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

Enrique is a certified Microsoft Excel Expert and top-rated

He has produced advanced Excel and test prep courses,

Certified Excel Expert

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

This course is designed to help launch or accelerate your data career

This is a non-technical, tool-agnostic course

These frameworks can be applied to any data-focused role

Remember that we’re here to help

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

IT WON’T BE EASY, BUT

We’ll help guide you every step of the way:

Templates for building a bulletproof resume & profile

Tips for designing eye-catching project portfolios

Mock interviews to help you prep for the real deal

Checklists to help you create your career launch plan

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

A Business Intelligence or Data Analyst A Data Engineer or Database Admin (DBA)

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

*www.mavenanalytics.io/find-your-path *Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

This is a step-by-step guide to help you build or improve your resume

Unfortunately we cannot provide 1-on-1 reviews

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

They NEVER LEARNED THIS in school

They tried using GENERIC TEMPLATES

They don’t know how EMPLOYERS THINK

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

of qualified applicants have

Customize your resume for the role

to make yourself stand

Use the same generic template for every role

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

EXERCISE: Spend 6 seconds reviewing the

• Did anything stand out to you as particularly good or bad?

• Could you identify this candidate’s top strengths?

• How did it feel only spending 6 seconds on this task?

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

1. Review 7 critical resume tips, and apply them to Leslie’s resume

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

1 Look professional IT’S ABOUT MAKING A

4 Be descriptive & deliberate

6 Know your red flags Use a strange or unprofessional email address

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

1 Look professional LEARN HOW TO

Use standard headings like ‘Experience’, ‘Work Experience’, ‘Education’

6 Know your red flags

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

*Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC

www.mavenanalytics.io/find-your-path Copyright Maven Analytics, LLC