Jason Khu - Actuarial Studies (Quantitative Data Science), Commerce (Information Systems)
Jason is currently a graduate data analyst at Quantium, where he assists internal teams with their data pipeline, reporting, and automation. Before graduating, he served as a Tableau Student Ambassador for two years and gained valuable analytics experience at American Express, Deloitte, and IAG. Currently, he's involved in writing content for students and aspiring analysts.
How did you get started with Tableau?
I was introduced to Tableau through online courses while pursuing my university studies. Initially unsure of my career path, I began exploring the field of data analytics. It was during this exploration that I came across courses offered by SuperDataScience. I dove headfirst into these courses, learning various tools, machine learning techniques, and more.
From there, I began replicating the work I learned from these courses, participating in data case competitions using the software, and the rest is history.
How has learning Tableau impacted your academic track/career?
Being a part of the Tableau Community solidified my interest in pursuing a career in data analytics. During my second year of university, I shifted my focus from the more traditional Actuarial path to data analytics and science. This shift led me to explore various tools such as R, Python, SQL, and Tableau.
I decided to align my studies with this career path, majoring in Quantitative Data Science and Information Systems. Being a part of the Tableau Ambassador program and the broader Tableau Community allowed me to gain the experience and skills that hiring managers sought.
When applying for internships at American Express and IAG, my Tableau experience caught the hiring managers' attention. Overall, learning Tableau and participating in the Tableau Community has greatly benefited my career.
Tell me a bit about how you became a student ambassador and the work you did with students!
Before becoming a Student Ambassador in late 2020, I started my Tableau journey through online courses, as mentioned earlier.
I began to explore data analytics and learned Tableau as a valuable skill. Later that year, I participated in a Tableau case competition organized by one of the Tableau Ambassadors at my university. This led to a conversation about applying for the program.
After submitting a written application and a phone interview, I was accepted into the program's second cohort. It was an incredible experience. I honed my Tableau skills, earned the Desktop Specialist certification, organized around 10 events reaching approximately 150 students, and received various benefits.
I reapplied for a second year and mentored the new Student Ambassador. During my second year, I organized more events and became a Tableau Certified Data Analyst.
Some key highlights of my work with students include:
Writing a 'Tableau for Students' guide to support newcomers to Tableau and new Tableau Student Ambassadors.
Organizing two hackathons with The Data School, each involving approximately 30 students at UNSW. Students worked on creating data stories in two days with the support of industry mentors.
Serving as a guest lecturer for several courses at my university, including a business analytics course and an industry project course.
Do you have any advice or tips for students starting out with Tableau?
Tableau is one of the most widely used business intelligence tools, making it a highly marketable skill. Here are some recommendations for aspiring analysts looking to build their Tableau skills:
Leverage Tableau's offerings for students, which include free access to Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep Builder, and Tableau's e-learning suite for a year (renewable while you are still a student). This is generous, considering that a regular personal Tableau license costs approximately 900 USD per year. Students also receive a 20% discount on the Tableau Desktop Specialist certification exam.
Build projects and share your work. Creating a portfolio of work is one of the best ways to showcase your value when applying for analyst roles. Engage in community initiatives within the Tableau Community, such as Makeover Monday, Workout Wednesday, and Viz for Social Good. These initiatives offer opportunities to practice your Tableau skills and gain inspiration from other community members. Share your work with your network and add it to your Tableau Public profile to gain recognition and impress recruiters/hiring managers.
Learn visual best practices. While Tableau is a valuable tool to master, understanding and applying visual best practices will enable you to create cleaner and more effective visualizations. These skills transcend any specific data visualization tool.
Don't be discouraged by what you don't know. The Tableau Community and the broader data analytics community are welcoming to individuals of all skill levels. You can easily access knowledge, connect with experts through blogs, forums, social media platforms (LinkedIn, X, and YouTube), and participate in your local Tableau User Group. Tutorials and guides are readily available for specific chart types or features, so don't feel limited by your current skills or experience.ople from the highest level - through blogs, forums, social media platforms (LinkedIn, X and YouTube specifically), and your local Tableau User Group. For me personally, at least from a project perspective, I never felt limited by own my skills/experience because I can easily find a tutorial or guide on how to create a specific chart or use a specific feature.
What is your favorite part about the Tableau Community?
The Tableau Community is incredibly supportive and provides opportunities to enhance your skills. Everyone is welcoming, and knowledge is generously shared.
If I had to choose a favorite aspect of the Tableau Community, it would be the people you meet. Throughout my time in the Tableau Ambassador program and my continued involvement after graduating from university, I've encountered individuals who have played pivotal roles in my career. I had a mentor who was a Tableau Public Ambassador, received excellent references from the Tableau Ambassador program, connected with a data visualization specialist through the Tableau Forums Ambassador, and formed friendships with like-minded analysts in the community. These connections have not only helped my career but also provided a network of support for others in their job searches and endeavors.
Connect with Jason on LinkedIn and Twitter or through his website.