If you’re trying to launch or accelerate a data career and want to understand how to build an amazing project portfolio that will help you market yourself to employers, get that job interview, and eventually secure the role, then this guide is for you. This article is based on a session from the January Jump Start event with Enrique Ruiz, one of Maven’s instructors, who walks you through what goes into a great project, how you can package it up and host it for free, and how you can market yourself to potential employers. Let’s dive in!
Key Takeaways
- Project portfolios are the best way to prove your analytics skills.
- Find or create your own projects if you don’t have job experience.
- Use the Maven platform to build, host, and share your project portfolio.
- Make sure your communication skills and personality shine through.
Why You Need a Portfolio
A project portfolio is a key differentiator that helps you prove you have the skills for the job. While résumés and LinkedIn profiles can tell employers about your skills, they don’t actually prove them. A project portfolio allows you to show what you are capable of, which is very powerful.
A great project portfolio should highlight:
- Technical Proficiency: Skills in tools like Excel, Power BI, SQL, Tableau, and Python.
- Strategic Thinking: Your ability to think critically and strategically.
- Communication Skills: How well you can convey your findings and insights.
- Business Acumen: Understanding of the industry you are applying to.
- Passion and Personality: Showcasing your enthusiasm for analytics and who you are as a person.
How to Build Your Portfolio
Choosing the Right Platform
When building and managing your portfolio, look for a solution that meets the following criteria:
- Easily shareable
- Clear and consumable
- Publicly accessible
- Easy to manage
- Free or cheap to host
The Maven Analytics Showcase is a purpose-built platform for data professionals to showcase their work, share their projects with peers and employers, and connect with top analytics talent around the world. It meets all the criteria mentioned above and is completely free to create and host.
Keys to a Successful Portfolio
- Keep Your About Section Brief and Original: Your about section is your first hook. It should display your passion for analytics and your communication skills. Be concise and original.
- Take Advantage of the Header Image Real Estate: Use the header image to add more information about yourself. Include key words, credentials, and any badges or awards.
- Use Engaging Project Titles and Excerpts: Make your project titles and excerpts interesting enough to get someone to click into them. Use this space to draw people in and make them want to learn more about your projects.
Building a Winning Project
Elements of a Winning Project
- Business Case: Start with a high-level context, including a description of the business case and the problem you solved. This sets the stage for everything that follows.
- Insights and Impact: Describe the key insights you derived from your analysis and the impact they had on the business. Whenever possible, quantify the impact.
- Data-Driven Storytelling: Use data visualization to bring your analysis to life. Focus on data that directly supports the business case and the outcome. Showcase your written and visual communication skills.
- Technical Depth: Provide some technical depth for those interested. Include downloadable workbooks, project files, code samples, or GitHub links. This should not be a critical part of your project but can be included for those who want more details.
Finding Projects
If you have no prior experience, there are several ways to find projects for your portfolio:
- Course Projects: Use projects from courses you have completed. It’s valuable to own up to the fact that you completed the project by following along with a course and try to put your own spin on things.
- Guided Projects: These are industry-specific projects designed to let you build confidence by solving predefined tasks for an industry problem. Use guidance only when necessary.
- Data Challenges: Participate in monthly data challenges that come with a real-world prompt. These challenges allow you to apply your skills, showcase your work, and win prizes.
- Work Projects: Use projects you have created in your own work. Always be careful to ask if you’re allowed to share the data and anonymize it if necessary.
Conclusion
Building a project portfolio is essential for proving your analytics skills and differentiating yourself from other candidates. Use the Maven platform to build, host, and share your portfolio. Make sure your communication skills and personality shine through. Find or create your own projects if you don’t have job experience, and always focus on telling a clear and logical story with your data. Happy portfolio building!
Key Takeaways
Also there is another website for Free Data Science Portfolio !!
