Sunday, July 17, 2022

Getting Started: General Curriculum

I would like this post to represent a broad overview—in sequence—of the material that I will be posting on my website. When in doubt, please refer to this page so that you are on task at all times.

 

Stage 1: Touch-Typing

 

I know, I know. How boring! But wait a minute Sir, you said that you were going to teach us how to be data analytics consultants, “Those were your very words!”

 

Now, hold on! Touch-typing is a very useful skill that you will use for the rest of your life. And if you intend on joining the corporate, or academic world, or find yourself composing reports, then YOU WILL NEED to learn how to type fast. Like, really fast.

 

Not to boast, but I can type a 1,000 word document in the span of an hour. This is roughly 4 double-spaced pages, and if your thoughts are organized, there is no reason why you can’t do this… given that you have learned to touch type.

 

The reason why this item is first on the curriculum checklist is because you will be spending most of your time typing documents. Even producing an R Mark Down script can be tedious if you don’t have the ability type quickly (more on R Mark Down later). So, it is vital that you learn to be an adept typist.

 

Stage 2: Word Processing and Spread Sheet Skills (Linux, Maybe)

 

Now, we get to take the skill we have learned in Stage 1 and apply that skill into something that is more specific to your broader set of skills. There are many platforms that we can use for this. We can pay to use the Microsoft Office Suite which will have the needed software: Word; Excel; and PowerPoint. 


OR, we can learn software that has equal the functionality and is free for our learning pleasure, LibreOffice. Same functionality and use-cases, different name! (We can also access LibreOffice on Windows machines as well, so Linux is NOT mandatory)

 

One of the main goals is to reduce the cost of paying for technology solutions, and in order to do this we need to acquaint ourselves with an operating system that we are most likely not familiar with. And this would be Linux. This system is free, and I highly recommend learning it in conjunction with learning “virtual machine” platform solutions, such as ones from Oracle. 


Another reason to learn Linux (via Virtual Machines) is to keep your Host operating system—which might have a Windows operating system—separate from other areas on your computer. If one part of your computer has a virus, for instance, that area can be quarantined from the rest of your computer. Having one or even multiple virtual machines on your computer can be a security benefit!

 

If this is starting to freak you, don’t be! This is a learning process. The skills that you will be learning in this curriculum are worthy at any modern organization, but it will take time to learn these skills, as they will make you a competitive professional. Word Processing is the tool that you will use to communicate your reports in plain text and Spread Sheet Skills will be how you communicate your reports graphically or via numerical representation.

 

Stage 3: Introduction to Project-based Learning (Precursor to R Studio and Data Analytics)

 

This stage is the shortest one. Regardless of its brevity, it is still an important step to doing data analytics. I will be introducing a framework for how you will pursue and manage your projects. You will use this framework constantly, and depending on where you are on your analytics journey, you may even feel the need to improve or modify the framework. 


This framework—called MAP 2.0—will be your “North Star” for how you engage in analytics, as well as how you will communicate and present your findings to anyone and everyone. Simply, the framework will consist of the following components:

 

1. Plan- “Define Goals”

            Insights


2. Collect- “Lock, Load and Clean”

            Insights


3. Explore- “Learn Your Data”

            Insights


4. Exploit- “Use Statistical Approaches for Problem Solving”

            Insights


5. Report- “Persuade Management”


6. Managerial Implications- “What Actions are Acceptable Given the Data”


7. Gratitude- “Thank Your Audience and Sponsors”

 

Also, if you are freaked out at this point, don’t be. This website is meant to help guide you through all of this.

 

Now that these three stages are under our feet, we can learn the fun stuff—machine learning techniques in R Studio.

 

Stage 4: Data Analytics Using Statistical Methods in R Studio

 

This stage is the most exciting because you will be collecting data, cleaning it, and using it to make predictions on THE FUTURE! Also, you will be glad that you had the MAP 2.0 in your box of tools as you will find that there is NO one way to solve a business or data problem. You might need to test certain hypotheses that you will form throughout the process, consistently changing and iterating on the MAP 2.0 framework.

 

Again, don’t be stressed out by this new challenge. Be excited to conquer it! This step is difficult to explain, and much of it sounds so abstract. I will be more specific as I continue to publish content to this website.

 

One last thing to note. You don’t need to be a mathematical wizard or genius to be good at analytics. We won’t be discussing hardcore math concepts on this page. I will only show you how to INTERPRET the output of the calculations that the R Studio software will perform for you. You can get by with mathematics learned in Middle School. That is my argument, and I am sticking to it!

 

 

Stage 5: Website Building (Portfolio Management and Resume Building)

 

This part of the curriculum is useful and at many times underestimated, even in the current youngest generational cohort. Having your own website, whether it is free or paid for, is an immense opportunity for your personal brand to gain visibility. 


Also, job recruiters will spend more time attending to your job application if you have a well-established blog or website. If you are providing useful and relevant information, you can catapult yourself to the top of a recruiting list.

 

If you are more of an entrepreneur, you can frame yourself and your business as the go-to solution for those in your community. Website Building, in itself, can be a sustainable business for you, and there is a large community of content creators who push out content related to this subject. 


You could get lost in the sea of information that is, website building. You can even use this skill, in building website, to build websites for members of your community for a fee.

 

My aim in this part of the curriculum is to help you create a website like mine, so that you can show it to prospective employers, use it as a reference for your business offerings, and/or building sites for others as part of your own business.

 

Conclusion: As I mentioned on other sections of this website, this is not a complete curriculum, but IT WILL get you up and running. It offers great flexibility on paths that you can choose to take later on during your life. If you only completed the first three stages, you will be suited to do most tasks that you set your mind to, whether in corporate or in college.

 

Completing the first four stages alone, will make you a competitive applicant in the job market—assuming you have a relevant college degree.

 

And completing all five stages will offer you an additional pathway as an entrepreneur and business owner.

 

A hard goal of mine would be to refine this curriculum over time, so that it can be improved upon and used by anyone who deems it worthy. I would love for your suggestions on what needs to be added or subtracted. Have fun with it!

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Location: Chicago, IL, USA