A little late, don't ya think?
I was talking to my mom this morning after finishing up another successful Cookie & Candy Day (our annual Christmas tradition), and told her that I was going to write about coding…just 13 years after I really got into dataviz.
But it is what it is.
So why did it take 13 years? I wasn’t ready. I tried. I bought books and those laminated quick reference sheets to try to help me. I signed up for 100 days of Python and even tried to have ChatGPT help me (though I went about it all wrong).
I just couldn’t get it. And honestly, I thought I wouldn’t. I thought that maybe I’m ‘just’ a business person and not a coder. Maybe I’m just not a techie.
^^ Stories I’ve told myself when surrounded by brilliant people who code.
What was the tipping point?
I could see first hand the value of knowing SQL and Python. So many more opportunities were available. And, as I learned during the big tech layoffs, companies are looking for those full stack or pipeline peeps. The people who can do data prep in SQL, some statistical analysis in Python, and visualize in whatever tools available. Only having business and dataviz skills with a MBA and not a MSc felt like I was at a significant disadvantage in the marketplace. Plus, I was doing some Product Owner work at Red Hat and I truly wanted to understand what was happening to the data to get it from data to dashboard.
During my forced unpaid vacation, I tried to learn python but couldn’t (maybe it was the stress of trying to do all the things to make money and apply for jobs while trying to learn a new skill).
Regardless. This year, when I started my MSc, I was excited about learning Python and SQL. So here I am. I’m actually catching up my writing to where I’m at in my journey.
Let’s go on the journey together. Ask questions, share experiences. I’d love to hear it all. And I want to do the same…especially from the POV of a mid-career, end of pipeline, second career kind of person.