Career studio / Databases
Build evidence for the Analytics Engineer role
Two teams calculate monthly learning revenue differently. Build tested transformations from raw orders and refunds into a documented reporting table, using local SQL.
Your outcome: Analytics model repository with tests, lineage and metric documentation.
Start with the right expectations
Who this is for
SQL joins, aggregation and basic version control.
This path develops a demonstrable work sample for the named role. It does not replace employer-specific experience, professional qualifications or supervised practice.
Plan your study time
Use a flexible six-week project schedule: one week for each of the first four stages and two weeks for the portfolio and review. Allow roughly 3–5 hours per week for the case work, in addition to course study. This is a planning suggestion, not a measured course duration or a promise of job readiness.
Read the course access notes before starting. Free viewing or reading does not automatically include certificates, graded assessments, software licences or paid cloud resources. Core case work can be documented with a free editor and spreadsheet; optional implementation tools may have additional requirements.
Your course sequence
Start in the order below. Use the course outline to select the sections relevant to the stage tasks, and complete foundation exercises before moving on. Full provider courses can be substantially longer than this project schedule. These are course resources, not a claimed count of individual lessons.
Resource 01 / Harvard
CS 50’s Introduction to Databases with SQL
Purpose: Build the foundations. Connect your notes to the case tasks below rather than only collecting completion marks.
- Query relational tables and connect records using primary and foreign keys.
- Model entities and relationships, choosing appropriate data types and constraints.
- Create, update and delete information while maintaining a clear database structure.
Access: Free CS 50 OpenCourseWare material and free development tools; free edX and GitHub accounts for assignment submission and free-certificate workflow. No required paid hosting or software.
Certificate: Free CS 50 certificate after at least 70% on every required problem and the final project; no automatic academic credit.
Resource 02 / Google
Free Business Intelligence Course: Pipelines and Dashboards
Purpose: Develop the role-specific method. Connect your notes to the case tasks below rather than only collecting completion marks.
Access: Free Video
Certificate: Free video viewing; Google certification is not included
Resource 03 / IBM
Free Database Fundamentals Course: SQL and Data Warehouses
Purpose: Strengthen practical application. Connect your notes to the case tasks below rather than only collecting completion marks.
Access: Free Video
Certificate: Free video viewing; IBM certification is not included
Learn, make, check
Keep a decision log as you work. For each stage, capture the assumption, your work product, a check and the change you made after that check. The acceptance criterion is the stopping condition for the stage.
Stage 1 / suggested project week 1
Define the metric contract
Understand: A shared model needs a grain and consistent business definitions.
Make: Define order grain, refund treatment and the month assigned to each event.
Check before moving on: Document alternatives rather than mixing policies.
Study companion: CS 50’s Introduction to Databases with SQL. Use its relevant lessons and examples; the independent WikiFree task is not a provider assessment.
Save as evidence: a dated work product and a short note explaining one choice, one alternative and one remaining uncertainty.
Stage 2 / suggested project week 2
Design layered models
Understand: Staging, intermediate and presentation models serve different purposes.
Make: Sketch raw-to-clean-to-mart lineage and write naming conventions.
Check before moving on: Keep source cleanup separate from business metric calculation.
Study companion: Free Business Intelligence Course: Pipelines and Dashboards. Use its relevant lessons and examples; the independent WikiFree task is not a provider assessment.
Save as evidence: a dated work product and a short note explaining one choice, one alternative and one remaining uncertainty.
Stage 3 / suggested project week 3
Test the transformations
Understand: Data tests should catch real failure modes.
Make: Add uniqueness, non-null, relationship and reconciliation checks.
Check before moving on: A duplicate order causes a visible failed check.
Study companion: Free Database Fundamentals Course: SQL and Data Warehouses. Use its relevant lessons and examples; the independent WikiFree task is not a provider assessment.
Save as evidence: a dated work product and a short note explaining one choice, one alternative and one remaining uncertainty.
Stage 4 / suggested project week 4
Review and document
Understand: A model change can break downstream decisions.
Make: Write a change proposal with expected effects and a migration note for dashboard users.
Check before moving on: Describe how an altered metric definition is communicated.
Study companion: Free Database Fundamentals Course: SQL and Data Warehouses. Use its relevant lessons and examples; the independent WikiFree task is not a provider assessment.
Save as evidence: a dated work product and a short note explaining one choice, one alternative and one remaining uncertainty.
Stage 5 / suggested project weeks 5–6
Present your portfolio
Assemble the four work products into Analytics model repository with tests, lineage and metric documentation. Write a README explaining the problem, your assumptions, the decisions you made, tests actually performed and what remains incomplete.
Give a five-minute walkthrough: one minute for the problem, two for the work and evidence, one for trade-offs and one for the next improvement. If you have not implemented a proposed system, label it a design or prototype rather than a deployed solution.
Acceptance: a reviewer can locate each work product, reproduce the key reasoning and identify the limits without a private explanation from you.
The portfolio brief
Two teams calculate monthly learning revenue differently. Build tested transformations from raw orders and refunds into a documented reporting table, using local SQL.
Deliver: Analytics model repository with tests, lineage and metric documentation.
| order id | gross | refund |
|---|---|---|
| O 1 | 1000 | 100 |
| O 2 | 600 | 0 |
| O 3 | 400 | 100 |
Use these small inputs to make the reasoning visible. They are not a representative dataset, a real client engagement or evidence of production performance. Where the brief requires additional sample records, create them yourself, label them synthetic and explain why you added them.
The ZIP includes the case CSV, four stage worksheets, course sequence, decision log, test log, portfolio README template, review rubric and reference reasoning. It is a starter kit for your work, not a completed application, professional report or proprietary project file.
Check your reasoning
Orders total 2000 and linked refunds 200. A join returns gross 4000. What is your first concern?
Write your answer and assumptions before opening the reference.
Read the reference reasoning
Possible join fan-out. Inspect row grain and key cardinality before subtracting refunds; the intended net total under the stated case is 1800.
Portfolio review rubric
| Criterion | Points | Evidence required |
|---|---|---|
| Problem and scope | 4 | A clear user, need, boundary and assumptions |
| Role-specific work | 8 | 2 points for each of the four stage acceptance checks |
| Reasoning and validation | 4 | Independent checks, actual results and uncertainty |
| Communication and reproducibility | 4 | A usable README, source links and reviewable work products |
Aim for at least 16/20 as a self-review target, with no missing stage acceptance check. This is a WikiFree practice rubric, not an industry credential or a hiring assessment.
Interview practice
What test would have detected the double-counting before the dashboard refreshed?
Answer using the case: context, your action, evidence and limitation. Describe this honestly as a self-directed project. Do not present fictional organizations, invented interviews or practice results as paid work experience.
Your progress
Use this checklist as a personal study aid. Progress is stored in this browser when local storage is available; it is not an account record or a certificate.
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Questions before you start
Will this path qualify me for a job?
It helps you study relevant foundations and produce a work sample. Employers may require additional skills, qualifications and experience. Review actual role requirements before applying; no job or certification is guaranteed.
Are all tools and certificates free?
The linked learning routes were selected for free viewing or reading. Follow the separate access and certificate notes on each course. Paid tools and cloud deployment are optional; document a local design when implementation resources are unavailable.
Can I follow this on a phone?
You can read the path and many learning resources on a phone. Coding, detailed spreadsheet work, design tools and mobile-app development are easier or require a suitable computer. The page is designed to reflow; that is not a claim that every physical device has been tested.
Questions & discussion
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