From Portfolio to Practice: Building a Real-World Data Analytics Project

​Most aspiring data analysts know they need a portfolio, but very few know what actually impresses hiring managers or how analytics work in a real corporate setting.

​In this live, hands-on workshop, Chris Perry and Sai Bysani will walk you through how to think about, build, and present a data analytics project the way professionals do on the job.

​This is not a theory-heavy session. You’ll see real tools, real workflows, and real decision-making, exactly how analytics is practiced in the industry today.

​What you’ll learn

• ​Why portfolios matter, and what hiring managers actually look for

• ​How to choose the right projects for data analyst roles

• ​How to structure an end-to-end analytics project

• ​How tools like SQL, Tableau, Python, and spreadsheets are used together in a real workflow

• ​How to tell a compelling story with data and tie insights to business outcomes

​Live, hands-on project build

​In the second half of the session, we will build a complete analytics project live, walking through:

• ​Data ingestion and preparation

• ​Analysis using SQL/Python

• ​Visualization and dashboarding

• ​Explaining why each decision is made along the way

​You’ll see how multiple technologies come together, just like they do in real analyst roles.

​Format & agenda (2 hours)

• ​30–40 mins: Portfolio strategy, project selection, and storytelling

• ​~60 mins: Live project build (hands-on walkthrough)

• ​15 mins: Q&A

​Who this is for

• ​Aspiring and early-career data analysts

• ​Career switchers breaking into analytics

• ​Analysts who want to level up their portfolio and real-world skills

​What you’ll walk away with

• ​A clear framework to build or improve your analytics portfolio

• ​A real example of an end-to-end analytics project

• ​Practical insight into how analytics is done in corporate environments

• ​Actionable next steps you can apply immediately