It’s been two weeks since I started my Data Analyst Journey, and today I hit a small but meaningful milestone: I just completed my 4th SQL course on DataCamp—Data Manipulation in SQL.
So far, I’ve earned 4 certificates in 14 days. I need to finish 12 courses to qualify for the Associate Data Analyst Certification, which means I’m officially one-third of the way there.
This journey isn’t just about getting a certification. It’s part of my bigger plan—to upskill, stay relevant, and prepare for whatever comes next.
What the 4th Course Taught Me
This course covered a lot, including:
- CASE Statements
- Short and Simple Subqueries
- Correlated and Nested Subqueries
- Common Table Expressions (CTEs)
- Window Functions
And to be honest? This was the hardest one so far.
The Struggle Was Real
I really struggled with the third chapter—Correlated Subqueries, Nested Subqueries, and CTEs. They were more confusing than anything I’ve encountered in this journey, especially compared to the JOINs course, which felt more intuitive to me.
It took me a while to really grasp how inner queries work inside outer ones, and how CTEs help simplify complex SQL. I had to rewatch lessons, take notes, and run through the practice sets multiple times just to get a better feel for how things flow.
But that’s part of the process. It’s not all smooth. Some days you fly through a lesson, some days you hit a wall. The key is not to stop.
Why I’m Doing This
If you’ve followed me on LinkedIn or know me from the Tech Tribe Podcast, you probably already know where this is coming from.
I’m currently serving as the ICT Division Head of our LGU. But with the upcoming elections, nothing is guaranteed. If I’m reappointed, great. If not, I need to be ready. That’s why I started this Data Analyst Journey—to future-proof myself and stay in control of what’s next.
I’m not just learning for the sake of it. I want to be equipped—whether I shift into consulting as a Local Government Digital Transformation Consultant, continue teaching part-time, or start something of my own.
Looking Ahead
I’ve got 8 more courses to finish before I can take the certification exam. The goal now is to keep showing up, stay consistent, and share this journey as honestly as I can.
So if you’re reading this and also learning SQL, or maybe considering a career shift into data analytics—just know it’s okay to find things confusing. The important thing is to keep going.
This Data Analyst Journey is just getting started. And I’m all in.
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