Your roadmap
Step by step to your first data job
Start with onboarding, then pick your career track. Every step is actionable — theory, real projects, mock interviews, and job prep all in one place.
Getting Started
9 tasksYour journey starts with a few simple steps — introduce yourself, discover what Surfalytics is about, and plug into the community rhythm. Here's a taste of what's ahead:
Write the Introduction post about yourself
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Write the Introduction post about yourself
Go to the #introductions channel on Discord and post a short intro about yourself. You can copy the template below, paste it into Discord, and fill in the blanks:
👋 **Hey everyone!**
**Name:** [Your name]
**Location:** [City, Country]
**Current role:** [Your job title or "Student"]
**Goal:** [What you want to learn or achieve]
**Fun fact:** [Something interesting about you]
Excited to be here! 🚀 Read the blog post - What is Surfalytics
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Read the blog post - What is Surfalytics
From the blog post
"Surfalytics is a community-focused learning platform designed to assist individuals in launching and advancing their careers in data analytics and data engineering. It offers practical skill development, career transition support, and guidance for securing top job offers — with a particular emphasis on achieving significant business value and fair compensation."
Read the full post →
Learn about our mission, how the community works, and what resources are available to you.
Read the post here: What is Surfalytics
Share your weekly progress on Discord
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Share your weekly progress on Discord
Every Monday we create a thread in #share-success-or-progress where you can share what you did last week. Simply follow this template:
**Job Search** 🧑💼:
**Learning** 👨🎓:
**Interesting Stuff at Work** 🧶:
**Wellbeing** 🎹:
**Goals this week** 🚩:Don’t skip this routine. Even if you don’t have much to report, take a moment to share whatever you can and check out what others have been working on. Self-tracking and checking in will help with your accountability and motivation levels!
...and 6 more tasks — set up your workspace, explore Discord channels, prepare your resume, write a LinkedIn post, and everything else you need to be job-ready.
Join Surfalytics to unlock the full roadmap →Pick your career path
Once you've completed onboarding, you'll follow a structured track tailored to your goal role. Each path includes theory modules, live mock interviews, hands-on pet projects, and dedicated job prep.
Data Analyst
Master SQL, BI tools, and business communication. The fastest path to your first data role.
Theory
SQL, data modeling, visualization fundamentals
Mock interviews
SQL challenges, case studies, stakeholder Q&A
Pet projects
End-to-end dashboards on real public datasets
Resume & LinkedIn
Templates, review sessions, and profile optimization
Topics covered
- SQL & Databases
- BI Tools (Tableau, Power BI)
- Statistics & Analytics Thinking
- Business Dashboards
- Job Interview Prep
Data Engineer
Build pipelines, cloud infrastructure, and data platforms. High demand, top salaries.
Theory
Python, cloud architecture, warehouse design
Mock interviews
System design, coding rounds, scenario walkthroughs
Pet projects
Real ELT pipelines deployed on cloud infrastructure
Resume & LinkedIn
Portfolio setup, GitHub tips, recruiter-ready profiles
Topics covered
- Python & Git
- Cloud Platforms (AWS / GCP / Azure)
- ETL / ELT Pipelines
- Data Warehousing
- Orchestration & dbt
Analytics Engineer
Bridge analytics and engineering with dbt, modern data stack, and transformation pipelines.
Theory
dbt, dimensional modeling, CI/CD for analytics
Mock interviews
Technical SQL, dbt scenarios, modeling decisions
Pet projects
Full dbt project with tests, docs, and deployment
Resume & LinkedIn
AE-specific positioning, portfolio tips, keyword audit
Topics covered
- Advanced SQL
- dbt Core & Cloud
- Data Modeling (Kimball / Data Vault)
- Testing & Data Quality
- Modern Data Stack
What's included in every track
Every career path follows the same proven structure:
Theory modules
Structured lessons with video walkthroughs, covering tools and concepts used in real jobs.
Mock interviews
Practice SQL, system design, and behavioral questions with real feedback from Dmitry.
Pet projects
Hands-on portfolio projects on real-world datasets — the kind recruiters actually care about.
Job prep
Resume review, LinkedIn audit, job tracking templates, and weekly accountability check-ins.
Weekly online meetings
Live sessions every week — Q&A, progress check-ins, and group problem solving with the community.
Offline events
In-person meetups worldwide — put a face to the community and grow your network in person.
Personal brand events
Workshops and panels on LinkedIn presence, public speaking, and building visibility in the data world.
Deep dives
Extended sessions going deep on a single topic — architecture patterns, real production incidents, tool comparisons.
Job references
Get a personal reference from Dmitry or a senior community member when you are ready to apply.
Interview shadowing
Join live mock interviews as an observer and help solve problems alongside the candidate — learn by doing.
Offer negotiation
Practice negotiating salary and benefits so you walk into every offer conversation confident and prepared.
Salary intelligence
Know the real market ranges for DA, DE, and AE roles — understand your worth and never leave money on the table.
Ready to follow a full structured path?