At Alteryx, we are passionate about analytics, but more than that we are passionate about helping people. In these unprecedented times, nearly everyone has been impacted in some way by COVID-19, and for many, the financial impact has been especially severe. In the past seven weeks, 33.5 million Americans have filed for unemployment and over 300 million worldwide are without jobs. Though we are physically apart, we can still stand together to support one another.
To support impacted workers, we’ve launched a new program, Advancing Data and Analytic Potential Together (ADAPT).
What is ADAPT?
ADAPT offers workers and new graduates around the world whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19 a free and flexible analytic learning program. Participants will develop the skills to investigate, prep, clean, and analyze data and create predictions, forecasts, and recommendations based on analysis. The program includes several different training pieces including Alteryx Certification, a Predictive Analytic nanodegree program with Udacity, and a myriad of other learning opportunities. Throughout the journey, program members will be supported by a community of peers passionate about data and analytics — and perhaps more importantly, passionate about helping others.
Through the ADAPT program and the Alteryx Platform, people of any background can start learning new analytic skills right away — without having any prior experience with data or coding languages. The Alteryx Platform allows users to focus on the problem, not on the programming.
Why data and analytics?
Whether you or someone you know is looking to upskill, reskill, or change careers, there’s no better time to develop data and analytics skills and help fill the data literacy gap.
While companies are collecting more data than ever before, only 48.3% of decisions are made based on analysis and quantitative information (according to Forrester’s 2019 Data and Analytics Survey). Simply having the data isn’t enough. Companies need employees who can read, analyze, and draw insights from it so they can better meet customer needs, use resources more effectively, or create more reliable forecasts. It’s not just tech companies either. Every industry and sector, from healthcare to retail to the public sector, can use analytics to solve problems and build solutions.
The demand for data and analytic skills is only accelerating as more companies realize the benefits of leveraging data. A report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that by 2026, there will be 11.5 million new jobs created in data science, and according to LinkedIn, data scientist is one of the fastest-growing jobs, with many companies still hiring in the wake of a global pandemic. Also, important to note: the average salary for the jobs requiring analytic skills tends to outpace the salaries of those not specifying data and analytic skills.
DSA = Data Science and Analytics
Source: IBM
Numbers, statistics, data, and analytics can sound intimidating, but with the right training, technology, and support, you can become a data worker — even without any prior experience with data — just like Tessa.
Data science by chance
>Meet Tessa, a data analyst for Garmin. Before her first data analyst role, she worked “in every job imaginable — hotel maid, stage manager, paralegal, and even funeral home director.” By chance, a friend of hers suggested she accept a temporary job in which she was responsible for normalizing data. “This was the game-changer,” she explains. “I had planned on staying in this temp job for about six months. But I found I actually liked what I did.”
She confirms the importance of training: “At points, I felt out of my depth, so I put my hands on whatever I could to learn things. I took a bunch of free statistics courses and for the first time in my life, it made sense to me.
“After several months, I volunteered to take on a new project — a new role they called data validation. I looked through spreadsheets of information from vet clinics and searched for abnormalities. I developed a method to seek out these abnormalities — and found I really enjoyed it. I applied for the role permanently — and got it!
“In my new role, I led a team in collecting data. I got to encourage and help out others — some of whom had a similar story to me. I felt like these were my people and that I had found my place. I saw this as my forever career. I was happy. I wasn’t living paycheck to paycheck anymore. I found a future that balanced my need for order and sense, as well as my desire to creatively problem solve and help others. I continued to learn as much as I could on my own.
“Now, fast forward two years. Currently, I’m a data analyst on the subscription retention team for Garmin where I study customer behavior and help the team make better-informed decisions. It’s in this role that I first started using Alteryx and I’m hooked. It’s so simple yet has the ability to get really advanced.
“Six months turned into a year and now several years. I never planned on working with data, but here I am! I am an analyst.”
Start your analytics journey
No matter what field you’re in or want to be in, data analysis is a skill that you can put to use right away. So start your learning with ADAPT. You’ll gain the skills, experience, and confidence to succeed in a data-driven career, even if you’re brand new to data. Alteryx and our community of thousands of users are here to support you.
STAY PUT.
LEARN
Get more details about the ADAPT Program here.
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