Happy 1st Birthday

Time flies and My Datafication got already 1-year old! Happy Birthday! Kids just grow so quickly! But let's review this year... 12 months and 10 posts... probably not my ideal ratio but this has been a really busy (and exciting!) year. Many things have changed, but the constant is that "My Datafication" is still a blog for young data scientists who want to learn more and succeed in a data science career. But what exactly happened during this busy year?

#1. Joined Smartbox Group as a Data Analyst

When I started this blog I was still a Master student researching on my thesis. However, soon enough I started looking for a job, both in Greece and abroad. I got a few job offers, but you already know the winner! Now, I am counting 9 months working as a Data Analyst in the Operations Department @Smartbox, addressing challenging business problems and providing answers through complex analysis and insightful reports/dashboards. It's worthy to mention that the team I work in is just the best!

#2. Moved to Ireland

Since Smartbox is located in Dublin, the next big step was to pack my staff and move to Ireland. Four suitcases, a four-hour flight and four house viewings later, I got my accommodation and was finally enjoying a new life in Dublin. If you want to know about your opportunities as a data scientist here read my post about the analytics landscape in Dublin.

#3. Finished my Thesis

After I settled and got used to the new daily routine, I got back to writing my thesis. Working 9+ hours per day and writing an 80-page thesis were not a walk in the park, but I did it! (believe me, you could as well ;) ) If interested, you can learn more about my thesis at the Research Work section of the blog. For the record, the thesis was presented at the Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems on 4/9/2017. Thank you Anastasia and Stratos for making that happen!

#4. Graduated

On May 19th I graduated from my Masters in Business Analytics at the Athens University of Economics and Business. I was honored to represent my class and give a speech about my experience and my personal path after the studies. (fun fact: the announcer pronounced my name wrongly not only once or two, but all four times!)

#5. Studied more

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” ― Henry Ford

At work, I am using on a daily basis Microsoft tools such as SQL Server and Power BI, as well as R programming, while on my free time I take classes on Lynda or learn more about the Microsoft tools capabilities on YouTube. Going to conferences and meetups are part of the agenda too, but I got one of my greatest experience when I joined the Hackathon competition in the company. You can read more about this experience here.

#5. Traveled

Studies and work are good  for your career, but sometimes we just need some short breaks to relax, refresh and recharge. This year's calendar has already included Berlin, Brussels and a day-trip to Northern Ireland, while the trips to Milan, Glasgow and Edinburgh are on my plans. Yet, I haven't counted my trips back home. Nevertheless, every experience has something to teach you and so did Berlin, as you can read at the "Ich bin ein Berliner" post.

#6. Committed to be fit

Being fit has little to do with our appearance. It is all about our health and mental fitness. A data analyst job is another office job which means hours of sitting in front of a computer screen on a daily basis. As you might know, this can cause pain, ache, muscular skeletal disorders, obesity, heart disease to name just a few. So healthy eating and frequent exercise have been a single-choice plan for at least the last six months. (FYI pilates is my favorite type of exercising)

Almost there... Keep reading...

No review should end without awarding the best-sellers or in this case the most-viewed posts!. It seems that you like the most "What is Datafication?" and "How have weddings in Greece changed over the years ?", which you should check now if you haven't already read them (or just click and (re)read them!)

Thank you everyone for reading this blog and supporting me with your likes and constructive feedback. I hope you enjoyed this bragging- year-review. I definitely did. Cheers!