My First Brush with Data Analysis: A Maze of Patterns and Insights

A little over a year ago, I was involved in a project that would make me take a different career path: data analysis. As an environmental engineer, I was tasked with analyzing the sustainable packaging journeys, budget allocations, and other strategic decisions of some top FMCG companies. The data I had to work with? Their annual reports and publicly available information online.

Now, at the time, I didn’t fully understand the term "data analysis" in the way I do now. Sure, I knew what numbers were, and I could gather data, but the idea that there were specialized tools, software, and techniques to interpret what the data was really saying? That was an entirely new world for me.

As I read the companies' reports, trying to track their budgetary trends, the products they were pushing, and how they were venturing into sustainable portfolios, it felt like I was on a treasure hunt. Each bit of information was a clue, and every pattern I identified was like finding a piece of the puzzle. It reminded me of my childhood passion for solving mazes. Even now, in my 30s, I’m the first one to grab a maze from my son’s activity books. I’ve always had a fascination with uncovering hidden paths and seeing how everything connects, and this project stirred the same sense of adventure within me.

The thrill I got when I uncovered something new or found a trend was unlike anything I’d experienced before. It wasn’t just about finding the right data—it was about interpreting it, understanding how companies think and strategize. That rush of adrenaline when I connected the dots? Ecstatic.

That project was a turning point. I knew I wanted to dive deeper into the science behind data analysis. I decided to take a course and learn the basics of Power BI. So far, I’ve mastered many Excel functions (which I never knew had such potential!) and am currently learning about ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes in Power BI. Each day, I uncover something new, and with every discovery, I feel like I’m getting better at understanding the language of data.

I’m excited to uncover the patterns and secrets that lie within the data. There’s something magical about seeing how raw numbers tell stories, and I can’t wait to continue unravelling them.