My Data Analyst Internship Story
Ever wonder how it feels to work at an e-commerce startup? As a computer science undergraduate, it was a dream for not just me but many in my class. Being a student focused on artificial intelligence, I’ve always found working with data fascinating. Numbers can reveal so much about the past and guide us towards the future. So naturally, I was inclined to become a data analyst.
In February 2022, I was fortunate enough to get that very chance. I was accepted as a Data Analyst Intern at Blibli.
What to Prepare for the Interview?
I read a lot of articles and watched numerous videos to prepare for the interview. One thing I noticed was that most of these resources prepare you for a full-time job interview, not an internship. As it turns out, there is not much difference between preparing for a full-time job interview and internship interview. The real difference lies in the job responsibilities, and the questions in a full-time interview will obviously be more challenging.
But of course, you’re reading this article expecting solid answers and not some vague explanation you probably already know. From my personal experience, I suggest you start sharpening your SQL skills as your top priority. It’s not an exaggeration to say we use SQL every day for almost every task. I used to practice my SQL skill on HackerRank. Basic and intermediate questions should suffice for internships, but don’t let that stop you from trying out the advanced ones or other platforms besides Hackerrank — learning is never a bad thing. Next, it would be beneficial to have basic knowledge of Tableau, Google Data Studio, or other data visualization tools since data analyst tasks include creating dashboards for performance monitoring and pattern analysis. If you have some money to spare for courses, I suggest you take some on Coursera or Udemy as a start. It’s kind of expensive, especially for students, but having certificates related to the job you are applying for will go a long way. Any topic related to analysis should suffice. Examples include:
· Tableau Business Intelligence Analyst Professional Certificate
· Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
· Visualizing Data with Google Data Studio
· The Complete Tableau Analyst Bootcamp 2024
Now, for those of you who are tight on budget, you can try free courses on YouTube. Here are some examples I used to take:
· Google Data Studio Complete Courses
How is the Process for Applying as a Data Analyst Intern at Blibli?
I must admit, I’m luckier than most people. The university I attended has a partnership with Blibli, where 6th-semester students can apply for internship positions through the job portal provided by the campus. Other methods include job portals from the Kampus Merdeka Program provided by the government or applying through LinkedIn and other job application apps. As for the process, you will first need to send your resume, which will then be filtered by the employer. I submitted mine through the job portal provided by the university, so I couldn’t speak for the other methods. If you pass the screening process, you will be invited to a coding test where you must complete some SQL tasks. For me, it was three questions ranging from basic to advanced difficulty. The test itself will be done on HackerRank, so do check them out to see how the test will go. If my memory serves me right, most of the questions were about time-related data, such as how you would group the data in a timely manner, etc. If you manage to pass the test, you will be invited for a user interview.
At the user interview, you’ll be asked to introduce yourself and explain any projects you’ve done related to data analysis. Then you’ll face another SQL test while being monitored; it was nerve-wracking, so be sure to prepare yourself mentally. For instance, in a case like this, I would often place a mirror in front of me while coding to simulate someone observing me. After the coding test, you’ll get asked several questions on analysis cases. For example, “We want to expand by building a new Blibli warehouse. What should we take into consideration to determine its location?” The answers could include the availability of human resources, easy access for logistics, safety hazards, etc. Try pondering these scenarios and let your mind explore all possible answers!
Lastly, we arrived at the Q&A session. In this session, you can ask your interviewer any questions. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time since I had a campus test right after the interview, so I just asked some general questions about what tasks to expect if I join the team and typical day-to-day responsibilities as an intern, etc. If you get the chance, make sure to ask away any questions you have. Unsure about what to ask? I’d suggest asking about the expected workload and ask if there’s any topic you should know about beyond your current studies. Whether or not you get accepted, any information you gather can be valuable for your next job or interview.
What Did I Get from My Internship?
Short answer, a lot! Unlike some internship stories I’ve heard from my friends, Blibli really pushes you to experience real working conditions. For the first few weeks, I received a list of tasks to complete before fully diving into work. The tasks included requesting authorization for software usage, checking our account access to important documents, and familiarizing ourselves with day-to-day tools.
For the first few months, I familiarized myself with the data of the team I was assigned to. Apart from working with the data analysts, I also worked closely with the Product Manager of my squad. Since we mainly use Google BigQuery for our daily tasks, it would be better if we could remember all the primary tables, available data in those tables, as well as the definitions of each column in the table. This will prevent misleading information being distributed to your stakeholders. Imagine if you accidentally mixed up the quantity of purchases with the item price; you would have a customer buying 20,000 mangoes for 1 Rupiah in your report.
After becoming familiar with the data, I started learning how to analyze and visualize it. We learned about metrics such as Conversion Rate, Average Order Value, Click Through Rate, Bounce Rate, and what they can tell us. For example, a high bounce rate means there could be an issue with the user activity journey causing them to exit, or maybe we have room for improvement to keep our users engaged. To monitor all these metrics, we used data visualization tools such as Tableau and Google Data Studio. I learned what type of chart would fit best for every requirement. For example, if you want to see conversion rate movement, you go with a line chart to show data periodically. If you want to see customer distribution based on product categories, you go with a bar chart. For customer distribution based on multiple dimensions like product categories and purchase quantity at the same time, you go with a scatterplot.
One of my favorite projects during my internship in Blibli involves assessing whether a new third-party integration with the Blibli Trade-In feature would be beneficial for the team. I assisted my mentor in simulating the expected revenue if we decided to get on board with the third-party platform. We examined it by mapping the pricing schemes offered by third-party providers and comparing them to past trade-in purchases on Blibli. What interests me the most about this experience is how I was able to actively contribute to the business process and how my data analysis provided valuable insights for decision-making.
Farewell
It’s completely normal to be overwhelmed by all the weird terms you’ll hear such as CVR, CTR, etc. So don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t understand. Remember, you are an intern. Your objective in the company is to learn as much as you can, so don’t feel bad if you don’t understand something. Final words, for those of you who are interested in becoming a data analyst in a tech company or still exploring your career path, keep moving forward! Times may be tough, but it will surely be better.
