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McKinsey & Company Any advice to help prepare for data science analyst role at top consulting firms (McKinsey & Company EY Boston Consulting Group etc)? Any materials, open source platform recommended to take on freelance data science project? When should I start actively looking and applying? I am a new grad who is working in tech as a marketing analyst I’m looking to pivot to marketing& sales data science consulting next year. Would like someone with similar backgrounds offer some practical tips.
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If you have a tablet, invest in a good note taking app like EverNote or Notability. Seems like kind of a silly thing to spend money on but for me it makes notetaking more fun and less stressful. Mistakes are gone immediately and I can hand pick and actually see colors or symbols for every note at once.
I've tried Evernote, and while it's handy - I find typing (and having a laptop open) can leave me more prone to distraction. Notebooks (the paper kind) make me listen more attentively.
I heard you should not write things verbatim but write in your own words, which has been good advice. I've also heard you should try to anticipate what will be covered in each meeting and what you need to get out of them so you can structure your notes in advance of the meeting. That's also been helpful tip.
I feel like there's more knowledge to be had!
No....I haven't ever thought about it really but I agree. Its def a skill I could use some work on. I am the same as you... My notes are more like scribbles on a page.
I've been a software engineer for 15 years of my career. Spent much of it as a team lead, manager and director too. Note taking wasn't a required skill - and the scribbles I did do were sufficient. I recently made a pivot into Product Management and I think effective note taking that is both informed and actionable would be a worthwhile skill.
Right now I go back and update my notes after the fact, but because it's not real time I'm sure I'm missing some stuff.
It really depends on the purpose of the notes you're taking.
If they are only for you so you can reference them later, they just need to be easy to find and readable to you afterwards. For those purposes, I always use the same physical notebook that I take to meetings and take notes in it. I start by writing the name of the meeting and date up top. For action items and decisions, I put a star in front of them so they pop at me. I also stick to the same abbreviations so I don't confuse myself.
If the notes are to be shared with other people, then I do one of two things. Either I write the notes digitally from the git go (one note, Evernote, Google doc, etc.) or I take notes on my physical notebook and transcribe them digitally after the meeting (ideally within few hours). The first option is very time efficient because I can share the notes immediately after the meeting but it might limit how much I can participate in the meeting. The latter is more organic and makes participating and chiming in easier.
I've never given this much thought before but I've gotten used to drawing mind-maps on my notebook. I make circles and branch them around the main theme and would add other miscellaneous notes in the margins. As for using symbols, I think anything works. Just stick to the ones you've established though, eventually, you won't have to think too much about it. It'll all come together by constant practice.
There are tons of creators on youtube that give note-taking advice. Some even teach you how to take notes electronically with efficiency.