This blog features a podcast conversation with Pramod, a successful learner from our Data & Business Analytics Program at Jobaaj Learnings. He recently got placed at EY (Ernst & Young) and shares his learning journey, placement story, and honest feedback about the program. If you're wondering whether a career in data analytics is right for you—especially without a tech background—this real story might help.

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Podcaster:
So Pramod, my name is Harshit. I head the digital marketing team at the Jobaaj Group. First of all, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to join us on this call. The purpose of this call is to hear about your journey with Jobaaj Learnings and get your feedback. But before we dive in, could you start by telling us about your educational background, and where you’re from?

Pramod:
Sure. I was born and brought up in Mumbai. I completed my engineering in Information Technology from Shanan Anar Kachi in Chembur. After graduation, I worked as an analyst at NSIT, where I focused on Tableau, SQL, and Python.

Once that project ended and I had to resign, I started looking for a new opportunity. During that phase, I came across Jobaaj Learnings online. I was already familiar with some tools like Tableau and SQL, but I wanted to gain deeper knowledge—especially for long-term career growth. The course content and the reviews really stood out, and I felt it matched what I was looking for.

The experience was great! The sessions by Shiva Sir were detailed and very beginner-friendly. I especially appreciated the weekend live classes—they made complex topics much easier to understand. Also, the Excel practice sheets provided after classes were super helpful.

Podcaster:
How did you actually find out about Jobaaj Learnings?

Pramod:
I found it while Googling for online data analytics courses. I read the reviews, checked the course content, and also looked into the mentors’ backgrounds. Everything just clicked for me.

Podcaster:
Awesome. Now, one question we often get—can someone from a non-tech background get into data analytics? Do they need to be very strong in tools like Excel and Google Sheets from the start?

Pramod:
Honestly, no. I believe anyone with the curiosity to learn and a basic understanding of Excel can start. The course is designed to take you from basics to advanced level. So even if someone doesn’t know much to begin with, they can still succeed.

Podcaster:
That’s reassuring. And what about those who have zero prior knowledge of Excel or analytics? Can they still make a career in this field?

Pramod:
Yes, absolutely. You can start from scratch. The course gives you a new way of learning, and the support system helps you build your foundation from the basics.

Podcaster:
So Pramod, where are you currently placed now?

Pramod:
I’m currently placed at EY (Ernst & Young).

Podcaster:
That’s amazing! Huge congratulations from our side. Now, if I ask you to rate the Jobaaj Learnings course content on a scale of 1 to 10, what would it be?

Pramod:
I’d give it a full 10. The course content was exactly what I needed. It really helped me a lot.

Podcaster:
And how was your experience with your mentor and the live classes?

Pramod:
The mentor’s teaching style was great—very helpful and beginner-friendly. Even if someone is a fresher, they’ll find it easy to understand. The live classes were engaging and simplified everything.

Podcaster:
Is there anything you’d like to say to students watching this podcast who are still deciding whether or not to start their career in data analytics?

..............

Don’t miss the full conversation—watch the podcast now and get inspired by Pramod’s journey!

 

General interview questions answered by Pramod during her selection process

Can you walk us through your recent project experience with data analytics tools?

Sample Answer: Yes, during my learning at Jobaaj, I worked on several case-based assignments using Tableau, SQL, and Excel. One project involved analyzing sales data to identify regional trends and top-performing products. I used SQL to clean and filter the data, Excel for quick calculations, and Tableau to create dashboards that visualized sales distribution and profitability across regions.

What’s your proficiency level in SQL? Can you write a query to fetch the second highest salary from an employee table?

Sample Answer: I’m confident with intermediate SQL, including joins, subqueries, CTEs, and aggregate functions. Here’s how I’d write that query:

SELECT MAX(salary) AS Second_Highest_Salary FROM employees WHERE salary < (SELECT MAX(salary) FROM employees);

How do you handle missing data in a dataset?

Sample Answer: It depends on the context. If the missing data is minimal and random, I might remove the rows. If it's significant, I consider techniques like mean/median imputation, forward-fill, or using domain knowledge to make decisions. I’ve practiced these approaches using SQL and Excel in the Jobaaj assignments.

What’s the difference between INNER JOIN and LEFT JOIN in SQL?

Sample Answer: An INNER JOIN returns only matching rows between tables, while a LEFT JOIN returns all rows from the left table and matching rows from the right. If there's no match, NULLs are shown for the right table's columns.

How comfortable are you with Excel? Which formulas or functions do you use most?

Sample Answer: I’m very comfortable. I use VLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, IF, SUMIFS, COUNTIFS, and pivot tables regularly. These help in cleaning data, filtering, and aggregating information effectively. I also used Excel to validate SQL results in my projects.

Have you worked with any BI tools other than Tableau?

Sample Answer: So far, my hands-on experience is primarily with Tableau, but I’ve also explored Power BI briefly during the course. I’m open and quick to learn any new tool based on the team’s tech stack.

What does a good dashboard look like to you?

Sample Answer: A good dashboard is clean, interactive, and tells a story. It should answer key business questions without overwhelming the viewer. It must include filters, tooltips, and clear charts to track KPIs. I’ve learned how to build such dashboards using Tableau in a structured format.