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Got messaged by a C3 . ai recruiter. Read that wlb is bad and that the interview process is absurdly long, but the Glassdoor reviews are 4.2 and can't find actual hours worked posted by anyone. How's the culture really? I'd be aiming for DS consulting, something more functional but with DS/ML concepts as my differentiator.
C3.ai, Inc.
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Give them the resources to train/learn and set aside time to troubleshoot anything they couldn’t do alone to teach them. But mostly with something like SQL, they should be able to google anything and figure it out with enough repetition. Also helps to start with reading script rather than writing it, familiarizes them with syntax and also learning what the logic is trying to compute.
I learned it on w3schools
Learn basic skills: https://selectstarsql.com and https://mystery.knightlab.com
Then I start by getting them to do bug fixes, testing or documentation so they can see how other people structure analysis
Then I start them on basic requirements then build up new skills each week. I try and throw them a new challenge every week where they have to new a new function to deliver.
Bowl Leader
Have them read SQL For Dummies and practice making derivative reports on some reporting schemas (they'll be the cleanest and easiest to recreate if they purge something; of course, still give the don't drop anything extra lecture)
At this stage the question is usually "what's a database anyway," and nothing beats focusing someone on straightforward resources with minimal backend DBA jargon and maximum practice. For now anyway (and possibly ever?), they don't need to know where the optimizer puts stuff in memory or how index structures are built. But they do need to get excited about making novel insights!
I firmly believe that you should only drop them in a more productionized setting after this. Messy code and incomprehensible fields documented only in Jon's brain (who quit last week btw) are a morale killer for someone new, and an easy way to get them focused on filling requests verbatim rather adding analytical value. "Real" code is scary and DevOps is boring, so teach a newbie to walk before you make them run.
This website is phenomenal, gets you to intermediate sql in a couple hours: https://sqlbolt.com/. This one is great as well: https://sqlzoo.net/wiki/SQL_Tutorial
Give them a current code and ask them to adapt it to different scenarios.
I found this helps people understand the different functions better and, just important, the data they’re working with. Also, it improves their ability to spot errors in their logic and/or code, which is key to faster output
I had no teacher or scaffolds. Given access to a read-only DB and ask to do something.... lots of W3, Google, coursera.
Leetcode for interview preps etc.
Some 101 website, throw them into the deep end, ask them to ask you questions end of every day.
I found that Code academy and Khan academy were good tools for basic understanding when I was learning SQL with no previous tech background.