Summer Internship at Modern Retail 

I landed a data analyst position at Modern Retail as a virtual summer intern. Essentially, I worked with raw data regarding Modern Retail’s clients and crafted different ways the data can be visualized on an easily accessible dashboard. I managed this project breaking down the steps and tasks me and my team would need to take.

I learned technical and soft skills that will be very important to begin my career. Yes, I learned a lot about data analysis, but I also learned a lot about how to work in the business world. 

The Beginning Process 

This internship position seemed a little daunting at the very beginning. I struggled with the understanding of what my “role” was and why I was needed. 

I had a flooding amount of questions at the beginning but all I could think of was to put my ideas on paper and send them to my co-workers.

I then proceeded to create an outline of what I thought the project structure would look like and this ended up becoming a back-and-forth between me and my co-workers. I would send the outline, my co-workers would advise me, and then I would clean it up. This continuously enhanced my understanding of the project day by day. 

Even though I did not have a clear direction as to where I was going in this project, I had to give my best effort, and then learn from my mistakes. I found this is the best way to learn, instead of just being handed all of the answers.

Not only did I just make mistakes at the beginning, but I made multiple mistakes throughout this project that helped me continue to learn and grow. 

Project Tasks and Steps 

The structure of this project consisted of several tasks that all relied on each other. For example, we needed to understand and clean the data before we could use it to create a dashboard. The main tasks consisted of: 

• Creating a project plan that would fit into the project timeline. I created a Gantt chart that included tasks and deadlines for myself, my co-workers, and my boss. 

• Understanding the data (what variables were important/not important), cleaning/standardizing the data, and joining the data together (finding how each dataset relates to the other).

• Figuring out the best ways to segment the data. This took the bulk of the time. I had to formulate ideas of what would be analyzed and what information needed to be displayed to the user. 

• Presenting it on a dashboard using graphs and visuals. We would break down the dashboard into many different views to focus on different variables. 

Co-Workers and Responsibilities 

I worked with a seasoned software developer, Miquel, throughout this project. Miquel would be the one to do all the computer software engineering in PowerBI and Excel regarding the ideas that I came up with. Miquel would also direct me and give me feedback as we worked together to find the best ways to present the data on the dashboard.

My position was to manage the project and be the one to figure out ways to segment and visualize the data. I would then present my ideas and our work to my boss in meetings, and eventually present the entire project to workers in the company. 

Skills I learned and my development throughout this project 

I did not know what it is like to manage a project; run meetings, direct co-workers, listen, or give advice. I had little experience in this field and was unaware of many routine acts taken in the business world. 

As the weeks went on, I went from being told what to do, to eventually being the lead in the project. I became more comfortable and confident, the more lessons and skills I learned. I had to fail many times in order to understand the project and to create the best ideas. 

On the side, my boss, Todd, would give me important advice that would enhance my soft skills. I was able to incorporate the advice I had been given more and more throughout the project. These soft skills were very helpful in becoming a better worker at Modern Retail but also apply to any job that I will have in the future. 

Technical Skill 1: Understanding data 

I was not aware of what Modern Retail was before I applied for this job. I didn't know what all the terminology meant or what the columns and rows meant the first time I looked at the dataset. I didn't know what was important and what was not. I found that these techniques helped me through this step: 

• Looking at Modern Retail's website to get a better understanding of what Modern Retail does and learn terminology. 

• Asking good questions about some of the terms that were unfamiliar to me. For example, I learned that KPI means (“Key Performance Indicator”). 

• Researching items that confused me. For example, I looked up what integration systems and what platforms were and how they can serve as useful information. 

Technical Skill 2: Cleaning/Joining data

I learned how to make the data sets clean and standardized. This meant that all of the rows and columns needed to be filled out, all the states needed to be organized in the abbreviated form (not the full name), and any irrelevant information needed to be removed.

I also figured out how the datasets are all related. I had to identify the key fields in the datasets which are matching columns in different datasets. I showed this visually by using a relational model. 

Technical Skill 3: Data Visualization 

Once I was familiar with the data and it was ready to be analyzed, I would form drafts of ways to display the data including graphs and visuals.

I would figure out what type of graph needs to be used like a pie chart, line chart, bar chart, etc., and figure out what information those graphs are showing. I learned through researching and brainstorming, more about what each graph is useful for, and the pros and cons of each one. 

• A shaded area map that changed based on different filters, was the best possible visual for showing how data is distributed geographically. 

• Line Graphs are useful for showing how different groups of data change over time. 

• Stacked bar charts and pie charts help to compare different groups of data and the composition of each group.

• Tables can help summarize the data and show more specific information regarding each data point. 

Technical Skill 4: Visualization techniques

I also had to make the dashboards useful and look appealing to the user. Sure the dashboard could have excellent information, but it may look too messy or too complicated. I used: 

• Distinct colors to represent a specific variable. For example, I used the color bronze to show bronze plan, silver to show silver plan, etc. 

• Sizing and spacing to make the dashboard look visually appealing, while also including the most information possible.

• Different filters to display multiple variables at once. For example, one filter shows segmentation by platform, and another shows segmentation by plan. 

Soft Skill 1: Running Meetings 

One of the skills that I had no experience with previously was running meetings. I learned quickly many ways to run efficient and organized meetings. 

The main techniques I picked up on included: 

• Creating an agenda. Sending the agenda a day before each meeting and presenting it first would get everyone on the same page. Numbering each topic, and creating bullets, headers, etc. were small but important techniques that would make all the information very simple and easy to understand. 

• Allowing the option for co-workers to add input to the agenda. I am not perfect and I tend to miss information that needs to be covered. I am not the only one that will contribute to the meeting and sometimes other people's ideas are the most important topics of a meeting. 

• Talking slowly with frequent pauses. This is a major part of having good presentation skills. In doing this, I would sound more confident and it would allow time for the listeners to add in their thoughts/suggestions. 

• Providing multiple examples and talking in very simple terms. This would help the listeners who are unfamiliar with the topic, better understand the information. 

Soft Skill 2: Managing Co-workers above and below

I learned that not only am I a manager of the people below me, but I also have to manage the people above me. 

My boss has minimal time for me because he/she has many other responsibilities and has to manage a bunch of people. 

Skills I learned in managing the people above me include: 

• Asking when tasks will be completed. Asking someone to do a task without giving a deadline can halt progress in a project timeline. Asking for time estimations will help organize when all of the tasks will be completed. 

• Bring solutions, not problems. Instead of bringing an issue on to your boss, research, think about it, and bring your best guess of a possible solution. This creates less work for your boss and shows you have done the dirty work to complete a task.

• Post weekly updates. This is an efficient way to provide a quick summary of how the project is coming along. Your boss may not be involved with all of the work that has been completed and needs to be updated. 

Soft Skill 3: Teamwork and communication 

Working on this project all online, forced me to constantly communicate with my co-workers. It was very easy to get behind in the project timeline due to a lack of communication.

I learned quickly that if I wait for the weekly meeting to share my idea/issue/suggestion, tasks will take an unnecessary amount of time 

• We used a communication tool called Basecamp, which replaces email so that we can present and organize our ideas. 

• We used WhatsApp to quickly ask a question or have a quick conversation regarding a certain topic. 

Effectively Communicating is an area where I think I made the most growth. The skills I learned that will stick with me include: 

• Organizing writing in emails. Many people don’t have time to read long messages. Using headers, bullets, lists, short sentences, and bolding key points, will make it much easier for your co-workers and your boss to get a sense of your information. 

• Email Etiquette. Something people don't give importance to is email etiquette. Naming who you are talking to in an email, putting co-workers in the to vs. cc field, and signing your name are all little techniques that will reduce confusion. 

• Valuing coworker's ideas. Sometimes you may feel that you are right and have the best idea. However, listening to coworkers' ideas can change your position on a certain topic or maybe even enhance your initial idea. 

Soft Skill 4: Project Management 

Managing a project is a much-needed skill for certain job positions. Instead of simply following the lead of someone else, taking the leadership role in a project is not something everyone wants to do. 

For this project, I needed to be able to create a schedule for when tasks will be completed. I created a Gantt Chart to arrange all of the tasks in a certain order. This helped to:

• Break tasks into multiple parts 

• Assign who does what task 

• Constantly update changes to the project timeline 

An important skill I learned was to find the critical path item in the project timeline. This is a certain task or item that will take up the most time and energy. Identifying the critical path item in a project is necessary so the team can focus on that task. 

For this project, I found that communication was the critical path item. Since this project was all online, sometimes it would take over 24 hours for either myself or a co-worker to respond with their ideas. Using tools such as WhatsApp more often would serve as an aid for this issue. 

Summary

Modern Retail essentially helped me explore the field of data analytics to see if it co-aligns with my career interests. I was a little unsure if data analytics was the field I wanted to go into, however, this internship made me realize that data analysis is right up my alley.

I learned a handful of skills regarding data analysis, but also skills that will help me become a better worker in any field I go into. Going into any job with these skills in my back pocket will immediately give me a head start over some of my peers in the same field. 

The skills that I improved on the most throughout this internship are: 

• Data Visualization 

• Communication skills

• Project Management skills

I felt that whenever I was working on this project, I was constantly engaged and challenged. At times I was a little out of my comfort zone and had difficulty understanding certain topics but that allowed me to learn and grow to my full potential.