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SusanCS
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

When he moved to the U.S. in 2011, Hardik Trivedi’s data career was flourishing. Though he had started to experience hearing loss in his early 20s, Hardik had succeeded in various data roles in both Australia and the U.S. 

 

But like many, Hardik was laid off in early 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With free time and an opportunity to reconsider his career direction, Hardik chose to pursue the Alteryx Advancing Data + Analytic Potential Together (ADAPT) program. He recently graduated from the program with both the Alteryx Core Certification and a Udacity Nanodegree in Predictive Analytics for Business

 

 

Hardik+Trivedi_photos_v2_faces_x2.jpgHardik Trivedi

 

 

Hardik shared via email some of his experiences before, during and after ADAPT, offering his perspective as a person who is hard of hearing. His story offers insights and encouragement for everyone seeking new learning and career opportunities in the data professions.

 

 

Hearing Loss in the Workplace

Hardik completed most of his education before experiencing hearing loss. But by the time he moved from India to Australia in 2001 to pursue a postgraduate diploma in information technology, he had been diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss. He faced difficulty in managing a new language, the cultural adaptation and his fast-paced academic program.

 

His IT job search after graduation was frustrating, too. “I searched for jobs in IT for over a year and was heavily discouraged by not being able to hear questions during the interview process. I think I was struggling to come to terms with the fact that I have a condition, and it needs to be dealt with,” Hardik says. “I decided to change course after a year and found a job in a call center as a customer service rep. At that point, it was easier to hear over the phone, so I chose that.”

 

Within a couple of years, though, a manager recognized Hardik’s potential, and moved him into a workforce planning analysis position. His 2011 move from Australia to a new job in the Washington, D.C., area introduced Hardik to the healthcare data environment, where he took on “hardcore” data management and data mining tasks, he says. He was up for the challenge.

 

“I did pretty well and was promoted four times in the last nine years or so that I was with the company,” Hardik says. “Of course, this wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for great people who went over and above to ensure I am included.”

 

Still, Hardik had a difficult time in meetings and conversations. 

 

“It was becoming increasingly painful for me to effectively communicate in the meetings. I kept struggling to hear my direct reports, executive leadership teams and pretty much everyone,” he says. “So I stopped attending meetings in person and basically lost the sense of situational awareness. That created perceptions on my ability to perform over time.”

 

Then the layoff happened.

 

“That made me reevaluate my long-term career strategy, keeping my hearing loss as a center point,” Hardik says. As he puts it, he wanted to be “realistic” about jobs and tools that would best match the tasks he enjoyed and his communication needs, he says. 

 

“I had spent a lot of time cleaning data, explaining bad data and dealing with inaccuracies due to bad data. So, in my next role, three things I want are: 1) ability to tackle mundane tasks with accuracy and speed, 2) [ability to] spend more time on analyzing the data, 3) ability to work more with non-audio communication,” Hardik says.



20200712_112359[1].jpg

 Hardik enjoys cycling on Maryland and D.C. bike paths 

and rides 3-4 times per week in the summer.



The Right Tool for the Next Role

For his refreshed career strategy, Hardik sought out software tools and learning opportunities that would fit the three items on his wish list. Alteryx and the ADAPT program impressed him.

 

“Seeing real-life use cases such as Coca-Cola’s 95 million rows report … further strengthened my desire to be part of [ADAPT]. ADAPT offered me the ability to validate my data analysis/statistical knowledge and learn an awesome tool,” he says. “All of that at no cost, that's a huge bonus too.”

 

Hardik is also intrigued by the future of Alteryx and its ongoing development: “Alteryx is very well thought out software, and it's just starting to expand its wings to add more and more capabilities. ... I envision Alteryx becoming synonymous to data analysis as Amazon is to shopping.”

 

Hardik isn’t stopping at Core Certification. With the time remaining on his ADAPT Alteryx license, he hopes to obtain Advanced Certification as well. He says he’s already seen more interest from recruiters on LinkedIn since sharing his new qualifications and is optimistic about the opportunities these credentials will bring.

 

 

Learning During ADAPT

Hardik used online videos provided in the Community — which are captioned — to learn during ADAPT. Like others building their Alteryx skills, Hardik also appreciated the Weekly Challenges



SusanCS_2-1597268217909.png

Hardik used the Video Training Index as a resource during ADAPT.



“There are so many ways to get to the same solution. I have spent hours downloading solutions by other people and have learned a lot from it,” he says. “I have gone back and rebuilt the same workflow, aiming to complete it using [fewer] tools and processing time.” 

 

And among Hardik’s favorite new skills: “Regex is the most important thing I have learned through this program. It's so powerful.”

 

When he’s settled in a new career path after executing his strategy, Hardik also hopes to use his data expertise for others’ benefit. 

 

“If my vision comes to fruition, I will use these skills and pay it forward to help people overcome their constraints in life,” he says.




 

If you’re an ADAPT participant or graduate and would like to share your story, record a 30-second video and share it with the Community! We’d love to hear about your experiences on this journey.

 

If you're not yet in ADAPT and would like to add new data credentials to your résumé, connect with others seeking new career opportunities, and take on a new challenge, learn more and sign up for ADAPT. If you're eligible, you'll receive a free six-month license for Alteryx Designer, gain access to Alteryx Core Certification training materials and the Udacity nanodegree program, and become part of a vibrant community of Alteryx learners and professionals.

Susan Currie Sivek
Senior Data Science Journalist

Susan Currie Sivek, Ph.D., is the data science journalist for the Alteryx Community. She explores data science concepts with a global audience through blog posts and the Data Science Mixer podcast. Her background in academia and social science informs her approach to investigating data and communicating complex ideas — with a dash of creativity from her training in journalism. Susan also loves getting outdoors with her dog and relaxing with some good science fiction. Twitter: @susansivek

Susan Currie Sivek, Ph.D., is the data science journalist for the Alteryx Community. She explores data science concepts with a global audience through blog posts and the Data Science Mixer podcast. Her background in academia and social science informs her approach to investigating data and communicating complex ideas — with a dash of creativity from her training in journalism. Susan also loves getting outdoors with her dog and relaxing with some good science fiction. Twitter: @susansivek

Comments
SubratDas5
10 - Fireball

This is indeed a great story. Kudos to Hardik Trivedi for embracing change positively and @alteryx for the ADAPT program. Very well written @SusanCS .

SusanCS
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

Thank you, @SubratDas5! It's such a pleasure to share stories like this one.

LDuane
Alteryx
Alteryx

Thank you @SusanCS for sharing Hardiik's amazing journey and his vision to #neverstoplearning!  What an inspiration!

SusanCS
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

Thanks so much for reading, @LDuane! These ADAPT stories were so uplifting to hear and an honor to share.