At Maven, we help people change, transform, and advance their careers in analytics and we absolutely love hearing stories from students who have done just that.

But do you know what’s even better? When a student reaches out and says:

Maven helped me land my dream job

In this student spotlight, I had the pleasure of chatting with Daniel Rubinstein about his career path, trajectory, and ultimately what he wants to be doing. Daniel shared how Maven’s courses, along with a lot of hard work on his side, allowed him to earn his dream job as a performance metrics analyst supporting the Army.

Now, Daniels’s path to landing his dream job certainly wasn’t linear and it didn’t happen overnight. After graduating college with a BS in geography, Daniel started working in a research role using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and was immediately hooked on the data analytics side of this job. After spending a few years in this research role, Daniel started looking for an opportunity with a greater focus on data analytics - government contracting was his solution.

Since leaving his GIS research role, Daniel has tried to find a role that encapsulates the essence of everything he’s wanted in an analytics role. But this proved to be difficult, and he felt like he was in a rut. He kept landing in roles where he felt like he wasn’t advancing, growing, or really “getting anywhere”. Simply put, he was having trouble finding a role that was a mashup of everything he’d learned so far and also provided growth opportunities.

Daniel was having a tough time finding a job that was the perfect fit. But this was all about to change.

After 10 years of working, learning, and searching, Daniel landed his new role as a performance metrics analyst, and it checked all the boxes. The role is a great mashup of everything he’s learned so far and provides opportunities for growth. More specifically, his new role allows him to:

• Recommend data collection strategies

• Build out dataset features and metrics

• Create reports and dashboards

• Write and deliver meaningful analyses, insights, and recommendations

• Use cutting edge BI tools (like Power BI & Tableau)

• Connect with other people and like-minded analysts

• Be the point person on projects and showcase his skillset

Honestly, this sounds like an amazing role and a terrific opportunity. I could keep talking about Daniel’s story, but I’d rather let him do it. Here are some of the highlights from our Q&A session. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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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?

Daniel: I first heard about Maven Analytics by taking courses taught by Chris Dutton. I enjoyed his teaching style, the way he laid out information, and wanted to see what else you were offering.

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

Daniel: I have been learning more about the advanced functions of MS Excel and getting more familiar with Power BI. I am now going to be using these higher-level skills at my career discussed during our call.

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

Daniel: I have taken MS Excel Formulas and Functions, Power Query, Power Pivot, and Dax (that was my favorite so far), and the Thinking Like an Analyst course. I am currently working on the Microsoft Power BI Desktop course and doing the Power BI Service one. I will conclude with the one on Pivot Tables and Charts.

One interesting thing to note is that I used to be “afraid” of using formulas and functions in my day-to-day work but after taking Chris’s courses that changed and I started using them. I actually keep a Word doc on my desktop so I can reference functions quickly.

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

Daniel: I have learned that every learning platform is different. I do like the way Maven is laid out. It makes it easy to follow. Also, every concept is explained thoroughly, and you see its functionality demonstrated.

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?

Daniel: I have been in the data analytics, data reporting, and data management sector for 10 plus years all supporting government clients. I hope to continue building on that experience but also learning more about data visualization, putting together successful dashboards, and learning about Tableau. I do have GIS skills which hopefully down the line may come in handy.

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?

Daniel: Yes, I feel I have accomplished a lot but with my field area there is always more to learn. Never stop learning!!! Always ask how this can be done more efficiently and what you can bring to the table. Take initiative and be a valuable asset.

Aaron: Is there anything else you think would be valuable for our audience to hear about your career journey?

Daniel: Your journey never ends – you can always improve upon yourself and what you want to achieve

Aaron: Lastly, if our readers are interested in getting in touch with you, what’s the best way to connect?

Daniel: Email – daniel.b.rubinstein@gmail.com - that is the best way for me

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Thank you, Daniel, for sharing your story and journey with the larger Maven family and data community. I can’t think of a more impactful sentence than “I landed my dream job” and everyone at Maven is stoked to be a part of your journey - learn on!

Maven's Latest Offering

If you're interested in Maven's current offering, we've created a more modular Intensive learning program, that we call cohort learning.

The idea is you focus on one tool at time, for short sprints, which include live sessions, hands-on projects, and flexible self-paced study.

You can see all the details of our latest offering here:

https://mavenanalytics.io/cohort-learning