One of the most fulfilling parts of my job is when I get to have a conversation with a student and hear first-hand how we’ve helped them change, transform, or further their career in analytics.

Time and time again I’m blown away by our student’s drive, passion, commitment to hard work, and dedication. I’ve said this may times before, but it bears repeating – Maven students are the best.

Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Catherine Taylor who shared a little bit about how Maven’s courses have impacted her career. After taking some of our courses she applied for an internal position at work as a data analyst. Sadly, she didn’t get the job…

Instead, Catherine’s bosses were so impressed by the dashboards she created with Excel that they promoted and created a new role for her! Holy cow that’s amazing.

Honestly, I could keep telling you Catherine’s story, but I’d rather let her do it. Here are some of the highlights from our Q&A session. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Aaron: Let's jump back in time. I want you to think about yourself on the day you started your first Maven course. How did you first hear about Maven Analytics and why did you decide to subscribe?

Catherine: I first heard about Maven Analytics upon completing a Power BI course on the Udemy website. At the end of the course run by Chris Dutton, there was a link to the Maven Analytics website.

I had been so impressed by how well I learnt with Chris, that I was intrigued to see what the Maven Analytics site had to offer. I went through the assessment and was prescribed a learning path. As I began my first course, I took the option to subscribe as I knew from my last course with Chris that working along with the course and doing the homework made all the difference.

My current title when starting Maven was Commercial Team Coordinator. My skill level was probably around a healthy 3.

Aaron: What was your primary objective or goal as a Maven student and have Maven made a positive impact toward this goal?

Catherine: Learn a lot of new, 'in demand' skills. Get a better job and salary. Love what I do!

Aaron: Which Maven courses have you taken? Do you have any favorites that you think have helped you the most?

Catherine: I am still in the early days. I am focusing a lot on the Excel Specialist path, but have jumped in and out of a few courses, as they helped me prepare for a job interview. I can't wait to get into the other learning path courses for me: Power BI, Tableau and SQL. I think I love Power BI though; it is so intuitive.

Aaron: How would you describe your experience on the Maven platform, instructors, and team so far?

Catherine: Again, early days, but really straight forward, easy to use and super-fast feedback when required. Everyone has been really friendly and helpful.

Aaron: In your opinion, what sets Maven apart from other online learning platforms?

Catherine: I have done quite a few online courses, including my degree. I would say this is by far the best I have come across. The visual side of the platform is really user friendly and current. The teaching is fantastic; so easy to follow and the reinforcement, with the 'alongside work' and homework makes learning so much easier and things really do get remembered. I would recommend Maven Analytics to all levels of users.

Aaron: Describe your work experience to date and your career aspirations. Have you been able to apply what you’ve learned at Maven in the real world? Where would you like to be in the next 5-10 years?

Catherine: I have only been learning Business Analytics and Data Analysis for a couple of months and studying in earnest for about 1 month (although my current job has involved doing this for a couple of years, but I haven't had the tools to do it well). 2 weeks ago, I applied for an internal position in my company to be a Data Specialist - in some respects it was a step back for me salary wise, but it was going to put me into a Data Analytics role, an area that I really wanted to get into. However, I didn't get the job... Instead, the Managing Director and Head of IT are creating a new role for me (more money and a big promotion) as they are blown away by the skills I have acquired (thank you Maven Analytics), as no one in our company has the skills that I have now acquired. My new title is still pending, they are deciding it this week in the company Board meeting!

Aaron: Have you been able to accomplish your primary goal and what do you think have been some of the key factors in your success?

Catherine: I have worked really hard to get to this point. Lots of hours into the night and weekends. I think to achieve your goals in life sometimes calls for sacrifice, and sitting at home during Covid, watching too much Netflix, wasn't getting me anywhere. I had to really force myself off the couch and start studying. So glad I did. I have started a journey which I hope will see me reach my goal of being a top-level Business Analyst in the next couple of years.If you want something badly enough, you will put in the time to get it - this means planning a lot, Maven Analytics has made this so much easier for me. I can see my learning path, see where I am headed, I can change things if I want, but there are measures of achievement all along the way, which I can add to LinkedIn or my resume, etc.

Such an awesome story here from Catherine! We hope it will inspire you on your own data journey.