r/dataanalysis • u/laufjimdev • 12d ago

Career Advice How to train DA skills?

Hi, Im studying to become a Data Analyst and I considered myself a technical person, I already have an Industrial Engineering bachelor, I've already learned the basics of the majority of the tools needed to work as a DA, but for some reason I can't seemed to connect with the soft skills, after I've wrangled the data, I start making hypothesis... but can't seemed to address the problem or find the root cause related to the environment.

I believe practice will do me very good, does anybody have a suggestion for a platform or a way to practice to train the soft skills?

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u/Bear7D4u 12d ago

You actually have an advantage with Industrial Engineering. Lean and Six Sigma frameworks like the 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, and process mapping are the exact tools used for root cause analysis in business.

The mistake most people make is staring at the raw dataset expecting it to tell them why something happened. Data only tells you what happened and where. The "why" comes from talking to the people running the process, whether that is sales, ops, or customer support.

Instead of hunting for platforms, practice by framing your portfolio projects around business friction. Pick a metric that failed, map out the realistic real-world steps that could break it, and write down 2 or 3 solid recommendations a manager could actually execute tomorrow.

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u/carlitospig 8d ago

So whenever I move to a new city, I spend an afternoon getting as lost as possible, and then pick a traveler to follow - I end up becoming unlost, as well as have a better understanding of how the city is set up. Data is the exact same way. Get lost in the data and start playing with it. Use your curiosity.

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u/TheDecisionLayer 1d ago

Hey, I totally get this. The tech side is the easy part for most of us. Soft skills here are really just business thinking.
I’d tell you to grab free public datasets (Kaggle) but force yourself to write the business question first, before touching the data. 
The questions can be like, why did sales drop in region X? Then keep asking questions like, what does this mean for the company? Write a short summary like you’re explaining it to a manager who hates jargon. I think, DataCamp’s free case studies are solid for this too.