noun
- a long seat where the members of a sports team wait during a game for a chance to play
At 4 weeks to go to the end of my Data School training, I was told the placement lined up for me had fallen through as the client wished to delay their contract by a few months. And so, the clients name had slipped away from next to mine in the infamous 'Placement Gantt Chart' to a unnamed DS35 member, due to start on the 3rd of October. Naturally, after meeting and learning about the client, I had developed some feelings toward my potential work with them. I had imagined how it would be, where I would go, and what I would be doing. I had gleefully accepted the responsibility, and, despite having no experience in the sector, had grown an interest in their work. Alas, it was not meant to be and it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
With the news that they would be delaying to a future cohort, I moved on. Now, on the precipice of completing my training at the DS, I find myself on 'The Bench'. The capitalization of which is deserved as it is very often spoken about as if a physical location in which DS'ers stay until placed with a client.
There is a mixture of feelings when speaking about The Bench. The implication is that those on The Bench, may be called at any moment to work with a client for the remaining time of the 6 months allocated for placements. So it could be hard planning and organization anything around that impending potentiality. One may also find themselves with little to do other than self-improvement and self-inflicted projects, which may come easier for some than others depending on the level of self-motivation. It also comes with the (false) feeling of being left behind, with that niggling feeling of 'was I not good enough'. And finally to add to the cacophony, is the worry of the unknown, of possibly not improving and not developing relationships with clients as peers on placement will. All these worries are very natural. My advice, although coming before I actually experience The Bench, is to have a plan, ask for advice, gain some knowledge about The Bench and have resources to hand.
And therefore, with some possible naivety, I will share with you, dear reader, my plan of what I may do to combat these feelings and thrive through The Bench with hopes that it may also help you.
Accountability
- The Bench comes with a fortnightly catch-ups with all those who are currently without placements. Like any good stand-up, round-robin or catch-up of this nature, they are tool of accountability and motivation, to unblock barriers and bolster the energy to start something new and of interest. In the words of Steph Kearns, the meeting host herself:
'This is a chance to talk through or show anything you've been working on, ask others advice on something you may be stuck on and to see what others have been up to too.'
- This doesn't stop just at that meeting. My plan may also include a regular meeting with my mentor, a coach, or a core team member depending on availability. Not only will
- A final accountability task I will be doing is #thisweek on Convo.
Bolstering my profile
This is linked to Learning and Recapping. Specifically, this includes:
- Workout Wednesdays.
- Makeover Mondays.
- Alteryx Challenges.
- Frosty Fridays.
- Updating my Tableau Resume.
- Making my own Git repository.
- Making my own website for my work.
Learning and Recapping
I am sure, anyone who has been through the Data School has some tools, topics, learning they wish they had more time to recap and learn. Four months may sound like a lot for training, and it is, but in that time, a wide breadth of topics are covered. The training could go in several interesting and fruitful ways, and given some self-motivation, is a springboard for further learning. This is what I plan to do. Here are some of the topic I'd like to spend some time on:
- Alteryx - Advanced certification. Very thankfully, Robbin, DS32's very helpful coach, has made a course materials for the Advanced certification.
- Statistical analysis. Most likely, I will go through some of our previous training on this.
- Python - probably a CS50 course and/or a YouTube tutorial, and find a fun python project to undertake. DS also has a whole host of geniuses I could ask for advice on.
- SQL - similarly to the above.
Catch-up and TIL Life
Some down time may allow me to have a fuller involvement of the initiatives and life at TIL. This involves:
- Short-term projects and Seeing is Believing projects - normally week long. This would be more dependent on what is available and what I am placed on but it's something I would look forward to getting stuck into.
- Helping with application windows.
- Volunteering for recruitment events and external training.
- Coffee catch-ups - these are essentially being given one person to catch-up with, which changes monthly.
- Networking and getting involved in TIL/data-related events.
These are just a few ideas but reality will depend on keeping on keeping on. Wish me luck!