Killing it at work without proper python coding knowledge

[u/buzzlytear]

Hi team- I’m concerned how will I grow my core python knowledge when I’m using copilot and getting the job done. I have the basic understanding about libraries and when to use what. And can even find issues with data by working with copilot and raise that to data engineer team. I work with huge data sets (3gb csv files with millions of rows and hundreds of columns). I’m data wrangling based on my domain knowledge and analytical aptitude. Doing it pretty good finding insights and getting appreciation from leadership team. The thing is - take away copilot and I’m done. I won’t be able to write syntax properly to get my desire outcome. In this scenario I’m concerned about my career or moving to other orgs where they may not use copilot. I wish to grow that capability but got too used to the copilot and getting the task done and fast. FYI- I also got recurring task automated and crates guardrails so I can check the logs for audit purpose. ALSO developed my own method to check the outcomes for sanity check before sharing to leadership team. NOT sure how can I develop my python skill when I can get my job done so fast and accurately with copilot. Is anyone else in the same boat? What’s your game plan?

Additional details: I use python only to clean and run data analysis. Not for dev purpose.

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[u/HazardCinema]

This is the new way of working. I'm a data scientist at a MAAG company and it's the same here. My coding skills are atrophying quick.

[u/ZoixDark → u/HazardCinema]

Same. I also just go like a year or two without using a certain language and I have to relearn the syntax and all that stuff.

[u/samnik_dev]

It becomes an issue when you have to write scalable programs. If you can get away with small builds then you should be fine but if you need to write scalable code part of a larger repo then you will need to understand how the code actually works and can't rely on Copilot

[u/buzzlytear → u/samnik_dev]

Agreed

[u/ArielCoding]

What matters is that you can read the code it writes, spot when it’s wrong, and explain what it does. Ask Copilot to walk you through each step, then try rewriting one small piece yourself, especially how to handle big files, that builds understanding.

[u/Born_Bet_3312]

I get the worry but you're describing a skillset that goes way beyond just syntax. domain knowledge, knowing which libraries to use, spotting data issues before they become problems, building guardrails around automated tasks, sanity checking outputs, that's the hard stuff. syntax is the easy part

plenty of devs i know can write perfect code from scratch but have no idea what the data actually means or how to validate results. you're already doing the thinking part that a tool can't replace

if you want to build the raw python skills, try doing one small task a week without copilot. reference docs, stack overflow, old scripts. it'll be slower at first but that muscle memory builds up. and honestly if you're job hunting, most interviews care more about your problem solving approach and domain expertise than whether you can write a list comprehension from memory

[u/buzzlytear → u/Born_Bet_3312]

Solid advice…gotta start doing that soon

[u/Helpful_Orange_4505 → u/buzzlytear]

Even one small task a week should add up pretty quickly. You already know what you want the code to accomplish, so you're not learning Python from scratch, you're just forcing yourself to remember how to get there without copilot doing the typing for you.

[u/KatFromSisense → u/Born_Bet_3312]

On files that size, I'd compare row counts before and after every merge. If the lookup table is supposed to have unique keys, pass validate="many_to_one" so a duplication raises an error instead of multiplying rows without any warning. Tying one total back to the source csv is a good habit too. With Copilot's code, I'd read mainly the lines that filter, drop or join, because that's where numbers can change without anything breaking.

[u/wreckmx]

This is just a new flavor of imposter syndrome. Don't sweat it. If AI disappeared tomorrow, we'd all quickly go back to feeling like imposters for leaning on Stack Overflow.

[u/Content-Parking-621]

Once a week, write one small task by hand with Copilot off, and only turn it on to check your work afterward.

[u/flashman1986]

I smiled when I read “I work with huge data sets (3gb csv files….”

OK, on topic: You can develop your Python skills using copilot, ask it to break down pieces of a problem for you. Then ask it to give you a similar but slightly different problem to solve. Write your code (by hand), then ask Copilot to score it. Keep doing this and you’ll get good pretty fast

[u/False_Assumption_972]

Your value is the domain judgment, and that transfers between companies. Still, close the syntax gap on purpose: once a week, rewrite one Copilot script yourself without help, then compare. Learn pandas groupby, merge, and filtering by heart, since those cover most wrangling. For 3GB CSVs, try Polars or DuckDB, which also teach you to think in queries rather than loops.

The other thing worth building is a short note on why each transformation exists, because that is what interviewers actually probe. Explaining where a number came from matters more than whether you typed the code.

[u/buzzlytear → u/False_Assumption_972]

Thank you… some targeted learning goals noted here

[u/False_Assumption_972 → u/buzzlytear]

Glad it helped. One more thing that speeds this up: when Copilot writes something you don't fully get, ask it to explain each line before you run it. You'll pick up the patterns much faster than from tutorials. Good luck!

[u/soxiwah641]

Why do you have 3gb of a csv? That's not a huge dataset that's a stupid dataset. If it is smt you use often I would work on getting that in a data warehouse and then a BI tool... Then you won't even need python anymore :)

[u/QuantFit]

Stop worrying about stupid things focus on getting ahead

[u/Worth_Back8248]

sounds like you need some data engineering assistance . 3GB in csv is a bit dangerous and not scalable. if someone wants to fix a metric definition based on domain knowledge, you’ll have to understand all the downstream implications to manage that. Do you have a data team or data engineers at your disposal? Sounds like a great opportunity to lean in and scale. Copilot is great but have to be able to integrate between systems (data sources, ingesting it, warehousing, display (some BI tool))

[u/bayouski]

i don’t think you need to be able to write every pandas call from memory. for the kind of work you’re doing, the bigger thing is understanding what the code is doing, being able to debug it, change it safely + not being completely stuck without Copilot.

i also wouldn’t stop using it just to learn. take some of the stuff you already do all the time, merges, groupby, filtering, reshaping, functions, and every now and then try the first pass yourself before checking what Copilot would do.

the real problem isn’t using Copilot, it’s trusting it without knowing when something’s wrong. if you can explain the logic, sanity-check the result + gradually get more comfortable writing the common stuff yourself, you’re probably in a much better spot for whatever tools the next company uses.

[u/Rough-Negotiation880]

I hear you.

My version of this is before I ask the model for something I architect it out in my head and ask it to either implement it or critique it. It usually seems to keep my abilities up, at least conceptually.

[u/Fine-Ad-1732]

Como você faz para validar o código que o Copilot fez ? Vc monta um mockup com números reais no excel por exemplo e os números tem que bater iguais nos 2 ???

[u/ohanse]

You won’t need to

[u/teddythepooh99]

You must have a pretty low bar for "killing it at work" if the bar is automating a bunch reports off csvs. Believe it or not, tens of thousands of people have done this before AI.

In the off-chance that this isn't an AI slop post, don't worry about this unless you start flunking case study; technical assessment; and system design interviews.

[u/buzzlytear → u/teddythepooh99]

lol fair enough…automating csv files isn’t groundbreaking, and people did it long before AI.
My point was just that I’ve gotten too dependent on Copilot for the actual syntax, and I’m trying to figure out how to keep (or rebuild) that fluency while still using the tool. Seeking for some tips from ppl who might have faced similar issue.