Build Job-Ready Data Analytics Skills with Maven Analytics

Table of Contents

• Meet the Expert: Chris Dutton
• How to Get Into Maven Analytics Bootcamp
• What You’ll Learn in the Data Analytics Bootcamp
• Data Analytics Career Services
• The Online Classroom Experience
• Getting Started in Data Analytics

Data analytics skills are powerful, versatile, and in high demand across virtually every industry. Maven Analytics has been training future data analysts since 2018, and their Founder & Head of Product, Chris Dutton, is taking us inside their Data Analytics Bootcamp. Find out exactly what you’ll learn in the Maven Analytics curriculum, how the project-based teaching style incorporates real-world datasets and portfolio tools, and what to expect from admissions and career services.

Meet the Expert: Chris Dutton

• Chris leads Maven’s Product and Engineering teams to help create a world-class online learning experience for students. 
• He teaches Microsoft Excel and Power BI, and co-instructs Maven’s popular Thinking Like an Analyst and Launching Your Data Career courses. 
• Chris works with a team of authors and instructional designers, who work together to design and develop every Maven Analytics course from scratch.
• In addition to curriculum development, Chris also leads career coaching sessions for bootcamp cohorts, including resume workshops, portfolio reviews, and mock interviews.

Maven Analytics Career Launchpad from Maven Analytics on Vimeo.

Chris, why is data analytics a smart career path in 2023?

Simply put, the world runs on data.

Data is everywhere, and it’s more accessible than ever. With the rise of self-service Business Intelligence platforms and no-code/low-code tools, data skills are in high demand and no longer reserved for coders or computer scientists.

Most importantly, they are powerful, versatile, and highly transferable. Whether you work in finance, HR, sales, product, or marketing, data literacy and analytics skills help you transform information into insight.

At Maven Analytics, we teach students the skills they need to understand and interpret raw data, communicate and visualize complex information, work more accurately and efficiently, and ultimately make smart, data-driven decisions.

There are quite a few data analytics courses out there — what makes the Data Analytics Bootcamp at Maven Analytics unique?

Our bootcamp is built on top of our award-winning “Career Launchpad” platform, where data professionals can learn new skills, showcase their work, and connect with peers and potential employers – all in one place. 

The Data Analytics Bootcamp is our most immersive student experience, with a combination of live instruction, career coaching, and asynchronous self-paced learning over the course of a 24-week part-time program.

Unlike most bootcamps, tuition includes lifetime access to the Maven Analytics platform. This includes all of our Excel, SQL, Power BI, Tableau, Python and Machine Learning courses, along with any future releases (including some exciting 2023 launches like Python for Data Science, Financial Modeling, Marketing Analytics, Alteryx, Google Sheets, and more!).

How to Get Into Maven Analytics Bootcamp

Is there an ideal student for the Data Analytics Bootcamp? 

The Maven Analytics Bootcamp is beginner-friendly, and suitable for anyone looking to build the foundation for a successful data career. Previous cohorts have included former teachers, speech-language pathologists, firemen, real estate agents, pharmacists, and more. 

While we’ve helped transform people of all ages, demographics, and professional backgrounds into successful Data Analysts, those who are most likely to thrive in our bootcamps tend to be:

• Driven and self-motivated
• Intellectually curious
• Eager to take their career to the next level

What can applicants expect from the admissions process? 

The Maven Analytics bootcamp includes a 3-step admissions process:

1. All bootcamp applicants are required to complete an online application, which includes several behavioral questions along with a brief assessment to measure critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
2. Qualified applicants are then invited to a live virtual interview with Maven Analytics instructors and admissions representatives, to discuss qualifications and learn more about the bootcamp experience.
3. Within 24-48 hours, admitted applicants receive an acceptance letter and orientation details for their cohort.

What You’ll Learn in the Data Analytics Bootcamp

What can students expect to learn over 24 weeks in the Maven Analytics Data Analyst Bootcamp?

The Maven Analytics Bootcamp consists of 4 phases:

1. Thinking Like an Analyst: The Maven Analytics Bootcamp begins with a crash course in analytical thinking, designed to help students develop critical soft skills and build the foundation for a successful career, including communication, measurement planning, data visualization, storytelling, dashboard design, and more.
2. Tools of the Trade: In this phase, students work through a series of technical modules covering the most in-demand analytics and business intelligence tools, including Excel, MySQL, Tableau and Power BI. At the end of each module, students build portfolio projects based on real-world project prompts, and present their work to the cohort.
3. Career Launchpad: Throughout the bootcamp, students build the exact skills they need to launch their careers. Weekly career sessions include guest speakers, resume workshops, portfolio reviews, expert panels, mock interviews, 1-on-1 coaching call, and more.
4. Capstone Project: In the final phase, students apply their skills to a larger, independent capstone project. The Capstone is open-ended, and students can choose any dataset from the Data Playground. Projects are hosted on the Maven Analytics platform and can be featured on our public Showcase page, along with work from other analysts around the world.

What’s the difference between data analytics and data science? 

While both data analytics and data science are about helping businesses make smart, data-driven decisions, they are unique and independent career paths.

Data Analysts aren’t less sophisticated, and they don’t evolve into Data Scientists – they play a complementary (and equally important) role in the broader analytics ecosystem. The differences lie in the types of questions being answered and the types of tools being used to answer them.

For example, an Analyst might use business intelligence tools to identify patterns and insights, and deliver findings in the form of reports or dashboards. A Data Scientist might use programming languages to test hypotheses, and deliver findings in the form of algorithms or statistical models.  

At Maven Analytics, we empower aspiring data professionals with practical, job-ready skills like data prep, database administration, data analysis, and visualization. This gives students a solid foundation to launch a career in analytics or business intelligence, or begin to branch into related fields like data science or machine learning.

Wondering which career would be best for you? Try our Find Your Path survey, which is designed to match you with the best career path based on the type of work you’d find most rewarding.

How are projects and real-world data sets incorporated into this curriculum? 

At Maven Analytics, our goal is to simulate the real-world analyst experience as closely as possible.

In our self-paced courses, students play the role of data analysts for fictional companies and practice applying the skills they learn to solve unique, hands-on assignments and projects.

We also end each module with independent projects based on real-world briefs. For example, an Excel brief might ask students to analyze data from a hotel chain to help improve occupancy rates. For Tableau, students might explore data on national power outages to find patterns and help reduce downtime. For Power BI, students might build dashboards to help a local coffee shop increase revenue and profit margin.

We believe that project-based instruction not only helps students absorb and retain knowledge, but creates a more engaging and enjoyable learning experience.

Data Analytics Career Services

What types of tech roles does Maven Analytics Bootcamp prepare students for?

Our Data Analytics Bootcamp is designed to prepare students for a wide range of data analytics roles, including (but not limited to):

• Data Analyst
• Business Analyst
• Business Intelligence Analyst
• Data Visualization Specialist
• Digital Analyst
• Web Analyst
• Marketing Analyst
• Product Analyst
• Operations Analyst

It’s important to note that our bootcamp is not designed for students pursuing careers in Data Science, Data Engineering, AI, or Machine Learning (although we may launch additional bootcamp paths for those roles in the future!)

What kinds of career support can Maven Analytics students expect?

Throughout the bootcamp, students have the option to participate in a range of live career sessions, including resume workshops, project portfolio reviews, mock interviews, guest speakers, group discussions, and more. Individuals can also request 1:1 coaching for more personalized support, including private feedback, salary negotiation, etc. 

Students also have lifetime access to our “Launching Your Data Career” online course, which includes downloadable resources to supplement the live bootcamp sessions.

What kinds of companies have hired Maven Analytics students? 

Maven Analytics students have gone on to work at companies like LinkedIn, NASA, Formula 1, and the London Stock Exchange. Many of our graduates and current students end up at tech and software companies, but we see a very diverse range of industries and verticals represented given the versatility of the skills we teach.

Do you find that students get new jobs, earn promotions, or start working in the data analytics team at their current company after learning from Maven Analytics?

Many of our students are looking to advance or accelerate their career, either in their current role or somewhere else within their organization. We've seen former students earn promotions, transition to different teams within their company, and even create brand new roles thanks to the skills they’ve built on our platform. Our courses have also helped thousands of people around the world launch careers and land dream jobs in the data analytics space.

At Maven Analytics, our mission is to empower everyday people with life-changing data skills. We take that mission seriously, and measure our own success in terms of the real-world impact we deliver for our students. We’re passionate about helping people launch or accelerate their careers, and we offer a level of support and coaching that you won’t find anywhere else.

What kinds of salaries can bootcamp students expect after graduating from Maven Analytics?

Depending on the source, the average salary for a Data Analysts in the US can range from $66,859 (Glassdoor) to $82,360 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics), and even up to $106,500 (Robert Half). The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists Data Analysts and Data Scientists at the top of the list among jobs with increasing demand across industries, and predicts a 25% growth in hires from 2020 to 2030 (significantly higher than the average across all occupations).

The Online Classroom Experience

What does the online learning experience feel like for students?

The Maven Analytics Bootcamp consists of a mix of self-paced, asynchronous learning and weekly live sessions, which include expert Q&A, guest speakers, career workshops, project presentations, and group discussions. Students have specific milestones and learning goals each week, and come together for a two-hour live session once a week.

Are students able to balance a full-time job with this part-time program?

Yes, most of our students balance the bootcamp while working full-time.

Are there instructors for the bootcamp? Are they data professionals? 

Bootcamp students get direct access to course authors, all of whom are certified experts, seasoned instructors, and experienced industry professionals.

Since this is a self-paced bootcamp, will students be able to interact with one another and the larger Maven Analytics community?

One of the benefits of the Maven Analytics Bootcamp is the opportunity to join a private community open only to instructors and fellow cohort members. This provides a space where bootcamp members can interact, ask questions, share feedback, and connect directly with each other or with members of the Maven team. Students also have access to live chat support and course discussion boards, which are available to the broader student community. 

After graduation, students get lifetime access to a private alumni community, where they can continue to interact with fellow bootcamp alums.

Getting Started in Data Analytics

Does Maven Analytics offer an intro course for those interested in the data analytics bootcamp?

Before diving into technical, tool-specific training, all students start their learning journey with our popular Thinking Like an Analyst course. This course is designed to focus on the soft skills and mental frameworks that help form the foundation for a successful data career. 

Is Maven Analytics accredited?

For those with finance or accounting backgrounds, we are accredited by NASBA to provide Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits. As of early 2023 we offer 200+ credits through QAS self-study courses, covering topics like Excel, SQL, Power BI, Tableau and Python.

We also offer unique badges and digital credentials for completing courses or reaching learning milestones.

What is your advice for students embarking on a program like this?

Here are some of our favorite tips, shared by actual Maven Analytics students and bootcamp grads:

• “Aim to get 1% better each day – your efforts will pay off in the long run!”
• “Always remember your WHY, and remind yourself what you are working towards when times get tough.”
• “Embrace the community, and lean on your cohort for support and guidance.”
• “Don’t be afraid to show up, ask questions, and step outside of your comfort zone.”
• “Consistency, patience and practice are the keys to success.”

Find out more and read Maven Analytics reviews on Course Report. This article was produced by the Course Report team in partnership with Maven Analytics.