I was in my final year of Computer Science when I first entered the field of data science. At the time, I had no idea what I was going to face. I began to search for opportunities that will guide and lead me to gain the experience that I needed to achieve and strengthen my career portfolio. My wake-up call happened when I realized I had absolutely zero skills required to enter the job market. I received a lot of rejections because I didn’t have any skill at all. As someone who was offering computer science, not having a skill was really a problem for me and so I decided to sit up. In my search for opportunities, Azubi Africa came my way. I took the time to read the details of the program and realized that was all I needed to kick start my Data Science journey.
Azubi was ready and willing to serve its participants with good training (Soft skills and Technical skills), crowned with job placement offers. I signed up, aced my interview, and was selected out of the thousands of students who applied. There were 2 tracks: Software development and Data Science. I chose the Data Science track since that was where my interest was.
Things took off quick with tutorial sessions and weekly quizzes. As the days went by, I realized I had to put in more effort and connect with colleagues to help me achieve my goals and objectives set for the program. In the Data Science track, I learned the fundamentals of Data Science, Python language, Databases and many more. The program was flexible with dedicated trainers always ready to help. We had free access to learning platforms like LinkedIn coupled with articles and Microsoft documentations. I was exposed to technologies like the Cloud and its usefulness in the tech industry as well as in businesses. I also acquired teamwork skills as we worked in groups and worked on real-world data to assess my skill and learning level.
After the first month, we took a Microsoft Certification exam on Azure fundamentals and I had a perfect score. Thank you thank you! Before taking this examination, I had to learn the Microsoft documentation on Azure and solve some past questions.
My favorite activity was the Azubi Africa Hackathon. We were put in teams of 3 to come up with a problem and a solution. I lead my team to analyze rainfall data from 1982-2016 and made some recommendations for farmers based on the insights we derived. We made it to the top 12 teams. It gave me the opportunity to learn presentation skills and how to work in a team.
People always say, “Get your hands dirty with projects”. That is exactly what the Azubi Africa Power Platform training program offered me. After finishing the training program, I had already worked on multiple small projects.
For example, I built a WhatsApp message sender using python. I also had the programming background required to start my own projects. So, I did just that.
Everything started with an idea. Every story I have written, and every project I’ve worked on. I would write like nobody was reading and create like nobody was watching. Every time newcomers in the industry approach me, it is usually about getting started on projects. The question I get most often: “How do I start?”
My answer: “Just start.”
Bring those ideas that you have to life. Maybe it’s a terrible idea. Maybe the outcome will be terrible, and you have to start from scratch all over again. Every single time you create something that doesn’t work out the way you wanted it to, you learn. And repeat. And learn again.
The rewards of your hard work will come, but you will need to wait. Do things simply because you love to, and not because you want to reap the benefits.
As of now, I am simultaneously studying and working in the field of data science. I wake up every day excited about learning new things, coming up with ideas, and creating new projects.
I currently work with GetINNOtized as a Junior Data Scientist. In my role, I made use of SQL to analyze data to derive insights from client data and utilized Power Bi to build dashboards for clients. Working in teams gave me the opportunity to learn new and better ways of doing things.
It has been an incredible journey so far — one which started because I decided to overcome fears and create like nobody was looking.
