Author Topic: Google Certificate - Worth it?  (Read 5173 times)

nexus

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Google Certificate - Worth it?
« on: April 19, 2021, 03:22:37 PM »
Hi folks, I wanted to get your take on whether or not it makes sense for me to work towards getting the Data Analytics Google Certification that was recently released.

Some quick stats on it:
> Offered self-paced through Coursera, a subscription service costing $39 (let's say $40) per month.
> Course is estimated to take 240 hours to complete. There may be sections I could test out of and save time. I'd likely just go through them anyway
> Some employers, including Google, are willing to accept this in lieu of a 4 year degree.
> Timeline: My guess is I could commit 8-20 hours per week, equating to 3 to 7 months to complete, costing between $120 and $280.


Factors in my decision making
> I am currently a data analyst for a big bank, and have been working as an analyst for 6+ years now with the same company. This certificate only prepares you for junior or entry level positions.
> My job is relatively secure, and getting this certificate would not encourage me to look for another job, nor would it yield any sort of raise or bonus.
> My main objective is to fill gaps in my knowledge because I was never formally trained in data analytics (didn't go to school for it), and am hoping it could reduce some of my stress or frustration at work via filling some knowledge gaps.
> Skills learned throughout the course might give me more effectiveness or confidence in my job, or at least affirm that what I'm doing is harder than I give it credit for.

Worst case scenarios
> I sign up and already know most of it so I don't get much value out of it
> I sign up and then lose motivation or stop prioritizing it and to complete it

*Maybe a raise or better bonus if it improved my skills enough for anyone to notice, but unlikely nonetheless.

anni

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2021, 03:54:15 PM »
PTF, I saw an ad for those recently, we are in pretty similar career stages, and I always wonder whether something in these courses could make my life easier at work (or make my resume prettier).

mozar

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2021, 04:04:20 PM »
I've heard good things about it. If you have time why not?

IsThisAGoodUsername

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2021, 04:11:23 PM »
PTF, I saw an ad for those recently

What does "PTF" mean?

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2021, 04:12:46 PM »
PTF, I saw an ad for those recently

What does "PTF" mean?

Posting To Follow

IsThisAGoodUsername

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2021, 04:14:15 PM »
PTF, I saw an ad for those recently

What does "PTF" mean?

Posting To Follow

Thanks. For some reason, I was thinking of Mr. T. and his saying about "Pity the Fool!" which makes absolutely no sense at all except for a good chuckle. 

robartsd

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2021, 05:12:07 PM »
At your level, the monetary cost is small enough that I wouldn't give it much of a thought. The real question is if it is worth your time.

TheFrenchCat

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2021, 09:53:58 AM »
I've been considering working to get this certificate, and it looks pretty good.  However, I'd be just starting out in data analysis, for the most part, so I'm positive I'll learn something new.  In your case, it might be useful to take the free 7 day trial and skim through the courses to see if it looks worth your time. 

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2021, 10:33:07 AM »
At your level, the monetary cost is small enough that I wouldn't give it much of a thought. The real question is if it is worth your time.

That's the million dollar question, and I think the only way to find out is to give it a shot.

I'll keep folks posted on here in terms of what I found useful or a turnoff. I should have a pretty solid idea of if I like it before I have to pay for a second month of service. Not sure the 7 day free trial will be enough time, but I'll definitely opt for that too.

i_have_so_much_to_learn

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2021, 03:05:24 PM »
personally, I have heard positive things about it. There are recruiters I know who search for that certificate on linkedin, for example.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2021, 09:56:04 AM »
Quick Update:

I signed up this morning for the 7 day trial. There are 8 modules of the course. I was able to test out of the first segment with a 95% score (anything over 80% is passing).

I'll keep chipping away at it, but my initial impression is that if you already have a job as a data analyst, you'll probably be able to test out of several of the modules as well. The good news is you'll still be able to get the certificate (faster) even if you end up testing out of all or most of the modules.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2021, 11:31:37 AM »
Just completed "Week 2" of the course. Took me probably 75% of the time between this post and my last post (was multitasking).

Takeaways:
> Haven't learned anything new yet.
> They haven't begun teaching any technical skills yet.
> I did not see an option to test-out of it.
> Quizzes were easy, even when only half-listening to the video lectures.
> This is probably wonderful for somebody with little to no background in the subject matter, but it slow and boring to me

Impressions: At this rate, assuming each "week" takes about the same amount of time and brain power, I'll be able to complete all 8 weeks in the span of a few days, tops. Still very curious regarding the technical skills such as Python and/or SQL they're supposed to teach, so I'll keep plugging away. My assumption is I will not learn anything new related to SQL.

i_have_so_much_to_learn

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #12 on: April 26, 2021, 11:37:27 AM »
Just completed "Week 2" of the course. Took me probably 75% of the time between this post and my last post (was multitasking).

Takeaways:
> Haven't learned anything new yet.
> They haven't begun teaching any technical skills yet.
> I did not see an option to test-out of it.
> Quizzes were easy, even when only half-listening to the video lectures.
> This is probably wonderful for somebody with little to no background in the subject matter, but it slow and boring to me

Impressions: At this rate, assuming each "week" takes about the same amount of time and brain power, I'll be able to complete all 8 weeks in the span of a few days, tops. Still very curious regarding the technical skills such as Python and/or SQL they're supposed to teach, so I'll keep plugging away. My assumption is I will not learn anything new related to SQL.

Fascinating- thanks for the update!

solon

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #13 on: April 26, 2021, 11:41:47 AM »
Please keep posting your progress - this is something I'm interested in too.

robartsd

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #14 on: April 26, 2021, 12:25:17 PM »
Impressions: At this rate, assuming each "week" takes about the same amount of time and brain power, I'll be able to complete all 8 weeks in the span of a few days, tops. Still very curious regarding the technical skills such as Python and/or SQL they're supposed to teach, so I'll keep plugging away. My assumption is I will not learn anything new related to SQL.
I imagine that there is at least one project that will take significantly more time and effort. Will be interested in hearing more as well.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #15 on: April 26, 2021, 02:31:35 PM »
*Four hours later*

"Week 3" of the course was not any harder than the previous two weeks. It probably took me 1.5-2 hours to complete, but I've been just kind of poking at this throughout my workday in my down time.

In this section you learn about the Data Lifecycle and the Data Analysis Process. I've been skipping the videos part-way through, getting to the quizzes, and still passing them with 90-100%. The quizzes are anywhere from 4-10+ questions and you need 80% to pass.

There have been portions in each "week" where they ask you to write 3-5 sentences or some paragraphs. I think that's a nice learning tool that forces people to regurgitate whatever they just learned into their own words.

Basically at this point they're just trying to lay the foundation of your thought* process/methodology.

One gripe I have is there has been no comment on documentation. Perhaps it's too early in the course, but if I was going to teach someone it would be one of the first things I drill into their brains -- document everything!

My expectation is that, at some point, it'll let me write SQL or start teaching my Python (which I know nothing about). My expectations are still low. I'd be shocked if they go over joins or give an example of a cartesian error.

Starting week 4 now, but only have about an hour before I'm off to exercise.
*updated for typo
« Last Edit: April 26, 2021, 03:22:20 PM by nexus »

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #16 on: April 26, 2021, 03:20:59 PM »
Week 4
*Two hours later*
Finally, spreadsheets and SQL!

Spreadsheets:
> Very basic overview of how Excel works (what are columns and rows), some tips on formatting, and some entry level calculations
> "hands on" activity where they ask you to open a spreadsheet and perform some simple tasks (make up some data and make a chart out of it). No verification that you even have to do it. I just answered the questions.

Here's a couple of the quiz questions that are multiple choice answers:
"The columns in a spreadsheet are ordered by letter, and the rows are ordered by number." (true or false)

"In a spreadsheet, what is text wrapping used for?"

It touched on SQL, getting as far as the basic structure of Select, From, and Where in a query.

Another quiz gave a couple examples of visualizations (charts/graphs) and asked you to name them. Also gave an example of a spreadsheet and asked what was present in certain rows or columns (not specific cells).

Also gave SQL examples and asked what the query was doing, or how to write part of the query based on the blurb it provided.

You get to use some Google Software (Qwiklabs) to access the applications -- spreadsheets and to query databases. It was nothing more than a tutorial on how to kinda use it. Tbh I didn't get it, just watched the videos and tried to follow along. Hoping it will make more sense for Week 5 when I actually get to get my hands dirty... I hope.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2021, 03:23:55 PM by nexus »

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #17 on: April 27, 2021, 11:45:01 AM »
Week 5

Took me about 2 hours to complete this one today. The estimated time was 3.5 hours in the course overview. There were a lot of anecdotal videos, which has been pretty common feature of this course so far. There was even one for interview advice.

Still not very heavy on the SQL or Excel skills building. By that I mean there were maybe 3 questions in the final quiz that even asked about specific things in Excel or SQL. I did not use/access the Qwiklabs feature at all for this course.

The general theme I got from Week 5 was about information bias and how to look out for look out for them in order to be as fair and inclusive as possible.

They also mentioned that it'll take about 2 years to get up to speed in a junior analyst role, even with the help of this course.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #18 on: April 27, 2021, 12:13:16 PM »
Important Update

By completing Week 5, I wrapped up 1 of 8 larger segments.

The segments/Courses are as follows:

1) Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere (done!)
2) Ask Questions to Make Data-Driven Decisions
3) Prepare Data for Exploration
4) Process Data from Dirty to Clean
5) Analyze Data to Answer Questions
6) Share Data Through the Art of Visualization
7) Data Analysis with R Programming (yay!)
8) Data Analysis Capstone Project: Complete a Case Study

Now seeing this at a high level I have a way more optimistic view of what's to come... and a realization that I most likely won't be able to knock this out during my 7 day trial. I still think 1 month is a realistic time frame given I was able to knock out 1/8 of it relatively quick.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2021, 12:24:11 PM by nexus »

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #19 on: April 27, 2021, 04:28:30 PM »
I just completed Week 1 and Week 2 of *2) Ask Questions to Make Data-Driven Decisions*

Between now and my last post I learned how to navigate the course better (yes, I am dumb and kind of slow, and could have saved myself A LOT of time already). I was able to just scroll down on the left-hand bar and take the assessments at the end of the week. I passed them with above 80%, so I'm going to keep going.

Pro tip: you can totally open-book the quiz/test so you might as well split your screen (windows + left key & windows + right key) to have the course glossary open while taking the test. A simple Find function (ctrl+F) will point you right to the definitions in the word document -- personally (key word), these types of definition-based questions are something idgaf about given they aren't applicable to anything I've done in the last 6+ years making six figures as a data analyst. I'm also super jaded when it comes to education so please take my commentary with a grain of salt. Though, seriously, the questions are softball-enough to where you don't need to use the Glossary if either a) you have experience as an analyst already or b) paid attention & followed along in the courses and didn't opt for the fast track.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #20 on: April 27, 2021, 04:48:53 PM »
I Just completed Week 3 of *2) Ask Questions to Make Data-Driven Decisions*

Admittedly this time I did not review any of the content and just opted to take the test. I scored a 75% the first time (failed). I reviewed the answers (it tells you which ones you get right or wrong)... took photos of my screen of all 8 questions, opened the glossary for Week 3 and took the test again, using my previously correct-answered questions as a crutch. Why the hell do they make you answer the same questions correct twice? You get it right once, don't ask it again.

There were 2 questions that were different than the first 8 questions. I ended up getting 100% the second time around. Admittedly at this point I have had some cocktails.

If you'd like to join the booze cruise, I am suggesting the following ingredients:
Tequila reposado (don't get blanco). I like Casadores.
a lime
agave syrup or nectar (honey also works, but is slower to dissolve into the drink)
Grand marnier, or triple sec
Jalapeno (optional)
Tajin (optional)
salt (optional)

Instructions:
Add 1.5oz tequila, .5oz gran manier, .3-.5oz agave, and 1/2 a fresh squeezed lime into a container with ice. Take 3-5 fresh jalapeno slices and muddle them. If you don't have a muddler, just smash them with a knife handle or something, we ain't fancy here. Add smooshed jalapenos to the container. Shake vigorously. Personally I like to muddle the jalapeno and squeeze my lime into the muddle bowl, then pour it into the container.

Pour the tajin lightly over a plate/flat surface. Then pour salt. Rub the depleted lime along the rim of your glass, then turn upside down to get the tahin & salt mix to cling to the glass. Fill with ice. Pour your concoction into the glass. Enjoy, and comment on how effectively I am undermining this course, which isn't my intention but it's definitely how I feel at this point.

*edited to correct spelling of Tajin, not Tahin*
« Last Edit: April 27, 2021, 05:19:59 PM by nexus »

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #21 on: April 27, 2021, 05:12:57 PM »
I Just completed Week 4 of *2) Ask Questions to Make Data-Driven Decisions*
This should be called "How to navigate office politics" or "How to Work with People without Getting Fired"

here are some of the quiz questions..

At an online marketplace, the _____ includes anyone in an organization who interacts with current or potential shoppers.
(Really? You're asking me to define front line staff?)

You receive an angry email from a colleague on the marketing team. The marketing colleague believes you have taken credit for their work. You do not believe this is true. Select the best course of action.
(Wot der fok? Clearly you should shiv that bitch)

A data analyst joins an online meeting on time. After reviewing the agenda, they see that their project comes at the very end. They’re extremely busy and can use this time to stay on top of their current projects. How should they proceed?
(Apply your common sense in a classroom setting. So hard to select the "put that shit on mute and get to work until you know its close to your turn" versus "stay engaged and attend the meeting in case you have anything of value to add to the discussion") 

Your data analytics team has been working on a project for a few weeks. You’re almost done, when your supervisor suddenly changes the business task. Everyone has to start all over again. You announce to the team that you’re going to say something to the supervisor about how unreasonable this is. What’s the best next step?
(Shut your F***ing mouth and do it)

After reading the email, you notice that the acronym WHM appears in multiple places. You look it up online, and the most common result is web host manager. That doesn’t seem right to you, as it doesn’t fit the context of a feminist bookstore. You email your supervisor to ask. When writing your email, what do you do to ensure it sounds professional? Select all that apply.


Anyway, this wraps up the entirety of the 2nd of 8 sections.


ResolLaTot

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #22 on: April 27, 2021, 09:26:51 PM »
Please keep this going. I am considering taking the course, but  don't see how it could be more valuable than your narration.....Or drink recipes.
-RL

Tris Prior

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #23 on: April 28, 2021, 07:39:17 AM »
PTF - I've been curious about these certificates, though I'd probably take the UX or PM one and not the data one.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #24 on: April 28, 2021, 10:21:30 AM »
I kept at it for another 3 hours last night, and perhaps an hour today so far.

3) Prepare Data for Exploration

I'm currently on Week 4 of 5 weeks.

My strategy thus far has been to try and test-out of each week. If I fail the test the first time, I go back and read the content and listen to the videos. You get 3 attempts at the final end of week test every 8 hours. Most of the questions are still definition-based and you can leverage the glossary to get some of the answers. Most of the questions are the same if you have to take the test a second or third time, with only the order of the potential answers changing.

I got to use the Qwiklabs feature for this segment -- but don't get too excited. They just had you upload some data files into Excel, er, Google Sheets, and answer some questions regarding which ice cream flavor had the most sales.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #25 on: April 28, 2021, 10:37:38 AM »
*10 minutes later*

Tested out of Week 5

The content was on how to name files, organize folders, and data security.

Sored a 75% the first time because I did not select one of the "Which of these are appropriate naming conventions for a file about 'blah blah'?" (select all that apply) -- because I thought it was too messy.. but they ended up wanting it as an answer. Scored a 100% on the retake.

At this point I'm wondering if any of these end of chapter tests are going to actually test any technical skills.

Addendum:
Week 5 also covered building an online presence.
> Your professional online presence
> How to enhance your presence
> Building a data analytics network
« Last Edit: April 28, 2021, 10:41:16 AM by nexus »

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #26 on: April 28, 2021, 03:24:05 PM »
Holy cow, 1,000 views for this thread! I is popular. *Dobby voice*

I'm now on *4) Process Data from Dirty to Clean* which has a total of 6 weeks of content.

On the last test of the previous section there was 1 multiple choice question asking to select the correct SQL for a simple scenario. Hopefully there will be more to come, and that eventually I'll be able tested on my own code rather than multiple choice.

So here were are, Segment 4 Week 1 (henceforth to be named 4.1 -- I'll go back through all the posts after I finish the course and make the naming convention more consistent.)

Anyway, no surprise -- tested out of 4.1. I just took all the quizzes for each sub category to ensure I wasn't missing out on anything. I did see there was a tutorial for how and why to use a vlookup, which I thought was a great resource for folks who have no idea what they are.

I liked the questions on the 4.1 final quiz. They were more scenario-based and a little less definition-heavy.

Personally I don't really ever have to "clean" data in my job, per se. Worst case, a business partner provides a spreadsheet I need to upload. I use SAS, which de-dupes (removes duplicate rows) it for me. It's on me to confirm/validate if the number of rows in the table match or do not match the number of rows in a spreadsheet. The log in SAS will also tell you if there are duplicate rows. I'm not very SAS savvy -- I know just enough to upload excel files and move data between systems.

Beyond that, it's not in my scope to get data from a third party and work with it. Everything I do for <bank> is pretty clean already. So, I can see some value in learning about "cleaning data" if I was to look for a different job. I can think of a few scenarios where I have had to clean data on pretty rare occasions, but it is definitely not the norm.*

Week 4.2
More functions, including Trim, Concatenate, and CountIF! Also mentioned text strings and substrings, which is something I am pretty adept at. Definitely useful tools for newbies to master.

Final quiz asked (in multiple choice) what a concatenate formula looks like, as well as when do use a vlookup, what a conditional countif looks like, how to use left() or right() function, and the usual dictionary-type definition questions. My guess is that they actually give you some practice at this in the Qwiklab tool, which is good.

*For example, perhaps a teller has escalated something for an account and it ends up all the way up the chain into my lap, but they fat finger the account and transpose a number.
"Can you tell us when/why John Doe's account 123 lost its benefit code?"
"Eh, I don't see an account 123, however I do see an account 213 that appears to be owned by John Doe. It lost its benefit code on X, because of Y. Can you confirm this is the correct account?"

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #27 on: April 28, 2021, 04:10:28 PM »
Week 4.3

SQL!

Create Table/Drop Table
Distinct
Count
Cast
Substr (substring)
Concat -- in SQL I type out Concatenate() , but it's the same thing
side note, in Excel instead of typing out =concatenate(), you can just do =A2&B2&C2   for example. You can get even fancier with ' tick marks ' to hard code values or spaces between the &'s. That's not in the course, just a FYI.

Coalesce -- nifty, but basic in the sense that it's just pulling a different column if the first column has a null value. Next level would be doing it in a join where if its null in one table, pull it from another table in the join.

The example they give is something like:

Select
   Coalesce(Product_name, SKU)
From
   Inventory_Table
;

Just saying give me the SKU if the product name is null from the inventory table

Next up is Week 4.4, Verifying and reporting results ... probably won't start it until tomorrow.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #28 on: April 28, 2021, 04:22:08 PM »
Week 4.4, Verifying and reporting results

Finally some info on documentation.

> Creating and using a changelog (documenting your changes to a process or project)

> Why Documentation is important.

This one was super short.

Next up, Week 4.5 About the data-analyst hiring process

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #29 on: April 29, 2021, 01:27:36 PM »
Week 5 & 6 of Segment 4 About the data-analyst hiring process, 4.5 & 4.6

Dangling the carrot to keep you motivated -- The assumption being that you're taking this course because you want to get a job... not because you're me who's just a glutton for punishment at this point.

These sections give you lots of good tips on how your job search and interview process might go. There's also a lot of useful information and insights on resume writing, networking, etc.

There were some sections where you could work on your resume. Not sure if workshop is the right word for it given I just skipped it.

The final quiz gave you two reading prompts -- which was just a lot of useless background information that I didn't read. I just went right to the questions which did not require any knowledge of the prompts. The first five were on a scenario of working for a company and best practices given the situation. For example,

"As the survey has too few responses and numerous duplicates that are skewing results, you decide to repeat the survey in order to create a new, improved dataset. What is your first step?"
A>Find a survey tool that only allows someone to complete the survey once
B>Delete all of the data from the current, skewed survey
C>Talk with stakeholders, explain the new timeline, and ask for approval
D>Write new, improved survey questions


If you guessed C, you are right. Back to the ol' "ask your manager/supervisor for permission before you go blazing your own trail" mentality.

The other half is 5 questions where you pretend someone is interviewing you/quizzing your knowledge as part of an interview.
"She then asks: 'If you were to use the CONCAT function to complete this task, what would it enable you do do?' "
So, basically just another definition-type question and absolutely no reason to read through the prompt in my opinion.

This may be my only post today because work is busy. So far the course has not increased in difficulty to the point where it's taking me longer to get through sections.

Up next, 5) Analyze Data to Answer Questions I'm officially halfway done, woot woot! Give the weekend is approaching, there's a slight chance I could knock this thing out before my free trial is over if I don't have anything better to do.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #30 on: April 29, 2021, 01:31:25 PM »
Side note:

All 8 segments have separate enrollments, so when you complete a segment it'll take you back to a main screen and have you "enroll" in the next one. It has been interesting to see that there were over 100k enrollees in the first segment, and now starting #6 there are only 9,158 people enrolled.

5) Analyze Data to Answer Questions spans 4 Weeks.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #31 on: April 30, 2021, 01:35:06 PM »
Week 5.1

Sorting and filtering in spreadsheets. SMH. Testing out of this one. I know enough about sorting and filtering to where I don't need to learn the Google Way.

Sorting and filtering in SQL, using Qwiklab to practice.

The final Week 1 test was 8 questions. These tested you a little more on SQL (maybe 3-4/8 questions) -- asking you to correctly identify the right code, or explain what the code was doing/what your results would be based on a given query.

Week 5.2
Formatting data (in Google Sheets and SQL)

Learned the formula to change fahrenheit to celsius, =CONVERT(CELL, "F", "C")  ... Does not work in Excel, which is what I use in my job... unless we just use an older/outdated version which is possible as well.

Week 5.3
Data Aggregation (summarizing data)

> Vlookups -- videos are specific to Google Sheets but they do provide resources for how to perform them in Excel.
> SQL Joins (woot!)
> Count, and Count Distinct
> Aliases
> Working with subqueries
> SQL functions

End of week test asked to identify the correct syntax of a vlookup based on a table provided. It also gave 4 queries and asked you to select all of them that contained a subquery.

Week 5.4
Data Calculations

> SUMIF(s)
> COUNTIF(s)
> Pivot tables
> Calculations in SQL
> Hands on Analysis using BigQuery
> Creating temporary tables
> Data Validation process

The final test for this section gave examples of code or formulas and you had to pick the right format. It quizzed you on certain functions. It's getting more visual, at least. "Which one of these is the right way to perform a vlookup?", for example. Here's a table. Here's a vlookup. What is it going to yield for this specific cell?

6) Share Data Through the Art of Visualization

yachi

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #32 on: April 30, 2021, 01:48:49 PM »
Learned the formula to change fahrenheit to celsius, =CONVERT(CELL, "F", "C")  ... Does not work in Excel, which is what I use in my job... unless we just use an older/outdated version which is possible as well.

In your work version of Excel, type in =CONVERT(  then then click on CONVERT for the formula help.  It looks like it's available at least since Excel 2003.  It is case sensitive, so make sure you didn't have lowercase numbers in there.  It works in my 2016 version.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #33 on: April 30, 2021, 02:13:56 PM »
Learned the formula to change fahrenheit to celsius, =CONVERT(CELL, "F", "C")  ... Does not work in Excel, which is what I use in my job... unless we just use an older/outdated version which is possible as well.

In your work version of Excel, type in =CONVERT(  then then click on CONVERT for the formula help.  It looks like it's available at least since Excel 2003.  It is case sensitive, so make sure you didn't have lowercase numbers in there.  It works in my 2016 version.

Yep, I was using lower case. It works when everything is capitalized. Thanks for the info! :)

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #34 on: May 01, 2021, 06:22:20 PM »
6) Share Data Through the Art of Visualization
Only 7.5k enrolled in the course. Probably some pretty natural attrition given #1 had over 100k people and #5 was around 10k

One gripe about this section is that the instructor doesn't speak as loud as the other instructors. I have my volume on max and it's still hard to hear him/follow along.

This one is 4 weeks long as well.

Week 6.1
Lots of info on how to use visualizations.

Week 6.2 - Data visualizations with Tableau
Finally something I don't already have exposure to!

I got to play along with an example or two in Tableau Public. They make you make a free account. The data was on happiness ratings of countries in the world. It's a bit of a stretch for my wee mind to try and take the content/context and think of ways I could apply it to things I do for the bank. I'm 100% certain there are good ways to do it (and I know there are reports delivered in Tableau, just not on my team), but if I ask myself "Can I use this to make any of my current reporting responsibilities better?" The answer is no.

At the end of the day, if I was assigned a new report/process requiring Tableau I would have to be taught from scratch. This is definitely a nice icebreaker to at least familiarize myself with some of the functions/features.

Week 6.3 - Storytelling with Data
Best practices. Here's some articles they told me to read
https://www.nugit.co/what-is-data-storytelling/
https://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2020/05/art-storytelling-analytics-data-science/

Week 6.4 - Preparing Presentations and Slideshows
Framework for presentation & how to weave data in
Tips on presentations (effective visualizations and organizing your slides)
How you deliver those things matter // tips & tricks to be more effective

Final Test for Week 6
You're given a scenario for the first 9 questions, and another scenario for the remaining 6 questions. The prompt is more just background info. The questions are more about how certain visuals should look (photos/graphs they provide with a missing piece. You have to identify the piece). There are questions about how best to respond to objections during your presentation, and best practices for the Q&A at the end.

At this point I have considered just posting all of the questions here without providing the options for the answers, but don't want this to become someone's cheatsheet. I am happy to answer any questions in a Private Message, though. Keep in mind there are different versions of the test if you have to retake it. Not all of the questions will be the same, but I have noticed that it's usually a similar question about the same topic.

Up next: 7) Data Analysis with R Programming

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #35 on: May 04, 2021, 09:47:43 AM »
7) Data Analysis with R Programming
6,666 people enrolled currently. That's a fun number. I get to make it 6,667!  (started typing this on Friday, and never finished)

Disclaimer: I know nothing about R, less than I did about Tableau.
I also Google'd SQL vs R and skimmed through this article. The R examples they give do indeed look like a foreign language to me, so I plan on taking my time and trying to learn about it. R is not something that I have access to at my current job as far as I know (yep, just checked and I don't have software options for R or Python).
https://dataform.co/blog/sql-vs-r

This should be fun. This segment spans 5 weeks.

Week 7.1 - Understanding the basics of R
Intro to programming languages
Explore main features and functions
Basic programming concepts in R
Big picture overview of R and RStudio

I just watched the videos, but did not follow along on my own. I passed the Week 1 final quiz on my first try, so that either means I learned something or the questions were just really easy. Based on my previous insights, I'll let you be the judge.

Week 7.2 - Programming using RStudio
I'm still working on this one. I tried to test-out of the section just to see what kinds of questions they answered. I got like a 44% because they asked R-specific questions. I'm going back through and actually watching the videos and reading the material -- with a more specific focus now that I have a better idea of what questions will be asked.

It was a busy weekend, and work hit the ground running this week. My estimation is if I just spend an hour devoted to this section I'll pass the test and advance to the next week.

*update* Week 2 is complete.

My free trial ran out. They charged me $42.80 after tax. I'll wrap this course up and get my certificate well before I have to pay for a second month.
« Last Edit: May 04, 2021, 10:58:58 AM by nexus »

bacchi

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #36 on: May 04, 2021, 09:52:13 AM »
From this thread, the course looks like a high level view of what a data analyst needs to know. As in, it's enough to talk about the subjects but not to be a SME. Is this a correct assessment?


yachi

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #37 on: May 04, 2021, 10:55:08 AM »
7) Data Analysis with R Programming
6,666 people enrolled currently. That's a fun number. I get to make it 6,667!  (started typing this on Friday, and never finished)

Disclaimer: I know nothing about R, less than I did about Tableau.
I also Google'd SQL vs R and skimmed through this article. The R examples they give do indeed look like a foreign language to me, so I plan on taking my time and trying to learn about it. R is not something that I have access to at my current job as far as I know (yep, just checked and I don't have software options for R or Python).
https://dataform.co/blog/sql-vs-r

This should be fun. This segment spans 5 weeks.

Week 7.1 - Understanding the basics of R
Intro to programming languages
Explore main features and functions
Basic programming concepts in R
Big picture overview of R and RStudio

I just watched the videos, but did not follow along on my own. I passed the Week 1 final quiz on my first try, so that either means I learned something or the questions were just really easy. Based on my previous insights, I'll let you be the judge.

Week 7.2 - Programming using RStudio
I'm still working on this one. I tried to test-out of the section just to see what kinds of questions they answered. I got like a 44% because they asked R-specific questions. I'm going back through and actually watching the videos and reading the material -- with a more specific focus now that I have a better idea of what questions will be asked.

It was a busy weekend, and work hit the ground running this week. My estimation is if I just spend an hour devoted to this section I'll pass the test and advance to the next week.

My free trial ran out. They charged me $42.80 after tax. I'll wrap this course up and get my certificate well before I have to pay for a second month.

R is open software that's free for commercial use (may need to get a lawyer involved to look at the actual license).  They also have professional products that offer features useful for commercial applications.  My wife used it for a statistics masters program.  The other competing software that's fully closed source is SAS, and it's expensive.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #38 on: May 04, 2021, 10:58:23 AM »
From this thread, the course looks like a high level view of what a data analyst needs to know. As in, it's enough to talk about the subjects but not to be a SME. Is this a correct assessment?

True. I think if you're a really motivated student you can gain a solid ownership of Excel, but by no means will you become a SME in SQL or R by the end of it. You'll have a solid foundation at best, but there's no substitute for really getting your hands dirty with the data/reporting/processes at a job rather than practice examples.


nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #39 on: May 04, 2021, 03:51:45 PM »
Week 7.3 - Data in R
Explore data and R
Cleaning data
Take a closer look at the data


I got impatient after watching about half the videos... skipped to the final test and passed. Do I know how to use R now? Absolutely not. At best I can recognize some of the functions and syntax. Could I have learned more if I didn't skip ahead? Yep, totally... but what's the fun in that?

Week 7.4 - Visualizations in R
Create data visualizations in R
Explore aesthetics in analysis
Annotate and save visualizations

My take away -- so far all they've shown me how to do is use ggplot to make scatter plots and bar charts. They call them "geoms." I am starting to really get a feel for the code and the syntax moreso than from the previous.

Week 7.5 - I forgot the title
Just showed how to save stuff in different formats. Nothing too crazy. Honestly my mind is kind of mush by this time of the day. No idea how I got through all of these today, and passed the final section 7 exam on my first try. Is this what learning feels like?


Up next:
Google Data Analytics Capstone: Complete a Case Study
Part of a 8-course series, Google Data Analytics

katsiki

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #40 on: May 04, 2021, 04:01:40 PM »
Thanks for detailing this, OP!

Question: is there a 'real' exam at the end or just the tests you have been taking?  Just curious and wonder about the validity/usefulness of it.  By real test, I mean similar to what Microsoft and others do for their certifications.

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #41 on: May 04, 2021, 04:11:15 PM »
Section 8, Google Data Analytics Capstone: Complete a Case Study

Week 1 - Learn about capstone basics
There are some videos to watch. No quiz, no test. It just asks you to journal some responses to a few questions like "What skills are you excited to demonstrate?  What challenges do you think you'll face?" Literally scroll to the bottom, click yes and move on. Tecnically I've been using this as my journal, so mission accomplished.

Week 2 - Optional: Building your portfolio
There was a 5 question quiz in this section (optional). The questions were on general portfolio/case study knowledge and best practices.

Week 3 - Optional: Using your portfolio

Week 4 - Putting your certificate to work

In the syllabus it recommended updating your LinkedIn profile with your spiffy new certificate too.

My initial impression of course 8? Seems like I can just said "I did it" and get my certificate.

Yep, if you just skip to the very end you just have to click "Yes" that you did it, and viola! I haven't confirmed my completion yet. I'm going to poke around with it this evening. After that, I'll post an overall recap of my overall experience.


nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #42 on: May 04, 2021, 04:13:42 PM »
Thanks for detailing this, OP!

Question: is there a 'real' exam at the end or just the tests you have been taking?  Just curious and wonder about the validity/usefulness of it.  By real test, I mean similar to what Microsoft and others do for their certifications.

Yes, at the end of each course/section there is a multiple choice test. You have to get at least 80% to pass, and can only take it three times every 8 hours. The most I ever had to take a test was twice, and I made sure to take photos on my phone of all the questions so I wouldn't miss a question I had previously answered correct. Some of the questions do change, so that only gets you so far. Typically the subject of that question will stay the same, but they'll ask it a different way, or a different question about the same idea.

Hope this helps!

Oh, and there's no such exam for the 8th section. At least not that I see thus far.

katsiki

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #43 on: May 05, 2021, 10:08:26 AM »
Thanks again for the great details @nexus !

nexus

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #44 on: May 05, 2021, 02:57:29 PM »
Case Study
For the case study they give you the option of coming up with your own data, or using one of the datasets they provide. I used some sales data. I uploaded it, and wrote some SQL queries that gave me different distributions. I gave my imaginary client all kinds of flavors regarding their sales data such as most popular and least popular items, as well as peak times (sales volume) of the the year, income per month, income per month by item/product, and some other stuff. They can use this information to adjust their inventory levels, or phase out products that aren't selling. They can also use the sales volume data to determine staffing levels for certain times of the year. I made some pivot tables, a couple of graphs, and left it at that. No Tableau, no R.


My Final Recap
I went into this with zero intention of using this certificate as a way to jump ship, or present it to my employer in hopes of advancing my career or income. I'm probably an anomaly, assuming that most people with a similar level of experience wouldn't bother taking the course. But, for what it's worth I wanted to finish something I started regardless of how sarcastic I was about it. In fact, it may even look dumb on my LinkedIn profile to have worked at a job for 6+ years and only recently achieved any education/certificate in the field. I majored in business, not computer science.

The text they instructed to add to my profile under Education is:
"Google Data Analytics Certificate, Coursera 2021
Associate of Arts, KC Community College, Central, IL 2018" <-- I thought this was part of the school, but it was just a 2nd line for an education example. Seriously I thought KC Community College was some sort of sponsor for the program until I realized the image they showed me was just an example. The least they could have done was skipped a line between the entries so I'd understand they were separate.

Within a week I should receive an email with a badge from "Credly's Acclaim platform". I can add the badge to my LinkedIn profile... Did I mention I never use LinkedIn?

Anyway, back on topic. I walked into the course with one basic question:
Will I learn anything I can apply to my current job to make it easier? (Spoiler: Nope)

What was nice about the course is how they really normalize that you're going to make a lot of mistakes, and that learning and improving is a never-ending cycle. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and rest assured there's community of folks that are really helpful and supportive.

In a really silly or irrational way this experience did help me start to get over that feeling of "I suck at my job" and the occasional episode of doubt/imposter syndrome that creeps up on me. Obviously this says more about me personally than it does about the content of the course. It's only been a little over a week since I started, but for some reason just jumping through the hoops or testing out of sections, and ultimately getting the carrot at the end of the stick was pretty rewarding by itself. I guess I just needed a gold star.

Lastly, there was a lot of content I didn't mention in my posts. I tried to keep things at a relatively high level. I think they did a good job on the content pertaining to preparing for interviews, the hiring process, and all of the resources and platforms they make available to you to build a portfolio and showcase your work. So if you're approaching this as a total newbie they really do set you up for success.

Thanks so much for tagging along on this week-long experiment. Happy Cinco de Drinko!
« Last Edit: May 05, 2021, 03:05:09 PM by nexus »

robartsd

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #45 on: May 05, 2021, 06:20:53 PM »
Section 8, Google Data Analytics Capstone: Complete a Case Study
I was expecting more from this section, possibly even a project that got at least a cursory evaluation from someone with some expertise. Sounds like this certificate on your resume only really conveys that you ought to have a portfolio worth looking at. Google and other big employers accepting this certificate probably are really making decisions based on portfolios rather than credentials; the credentials just help to quickly weed out low quality applications without too much risk of discarding any good ones.

SomedayStache

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Re: Google Certificate - Worth it?
« Reply #46 on: May 11, 2021, 12:36:28 PM »

In a really silly or irrational way this experience did help me start to get over that feeling of "I suck at my job" and the occasional episode of doubt/imposter syndrome that creeps up on me. Obviously this says more about me personally than it does about the content of the course. It's only been a little over a week since I started, but for some reason just jumping through the hoops or testing out of sections, and ultimately getting the carrot at the end of the stick was pretty rewarding by itself. I guess I just needed a gold star.


This was quite an enjoyable read! Thanks for taking the time to write up your experience.
I can emphasize with the slight relief of imposter syndrome you gained. I'm a degreed electrical engineer who has now been doing software development for a few years but always felt like a poser and inadequate. This year I've started taking coding classes at a local community college and the greatest benefit I've gained from them is the realization that even sometimes even professors have to google syntax and the classes been very easy so I guess I have gained a few skills over the years. Even community college classes are more $ than you paid for a month subscription though!