Year Three
Three years ago, I started this journey. From those first tentative steps in April 2020 to where I am now, it is hard to believe how much has changed. I went from watching online courses in my living room to being an official data analyst at DataCamp. I have been in the role since January, and every day I learn something new.
A couple of weeks ago, I participated in my first hackathon with the data team. Two full days of building together, all remote. I joined from Texas. Had to join at 3 am my time since the team was in Belgium, but it was worth it. I have to be honest -I struggled to keep up. Justin and Ahshish move so fast, and the gap between what I know and what they know was very visible. But I loved every minute of it. There is something special about working alongside people who are better than you. It pushes you forward.
Recently, I have also been busy with the Snowplow migration to Heap -replacing the old tracking system with something more robust and scalable. I have also been building our bi-weekly Learn metrics decks and keeping the NPS updates on track. The work is getting more technical, and I am very slowly finding my footing.
The road has a shape I did not see before -junior, data analyst, senior, lead- and even knowing the names of the steps makes the climb feel less daunting. I am also less intimidated in sprint planning, starting to recognize the tickets that feel doable.
Looking back at three years, the transformation is wild. From running an energy company in Mexico to sitting in an office in Belgium, surrounded by data engineers, trying to figure out why a tracking event is not firing. I would not trade it for anything.
I am grateful for every person who has been patient with me along the way. My teammates, my manager, and the people who answer my questions on Slack without making me feel like I should already know the answer. Thank you.
The road is still long. But three years in, I know I am on the right one.