welcome

This book is to help analysts at the start of their careers. As an educator, I was always struck by the lack of learning materials for those who have some technical training but are unsure how to use it or how to continue learning beyond the basics. You do not need to learn more algorithms or more practice examples; you need to be immersed in real-world problems. That’s what this book is about.

In the book I provide a series of problems for you to attempt, similar to what you will encounter in the real world, along with a high-level approach to attempt any analytical problem. Every data analysis project is different, but if you are pragmatic and always focus on the end result, you will have a flexible process that will allow you to tackle any problem.

To get the most out of the book, you should already have completed some basic training in data analytics. This could be a bootcamp, a series of online courses, a university degree, or even some on-the-job training. Like your future employers, I will assume you have the technical skills required to do the job or can acquire the ones you need. What employers often don’t see is how a candidate thinks and approaches a problem. Having a portfolio of true-to-life projects to discuss in an interview is invaluable, and this book provides such projects.