I am Amaan Shaik. I do not claim any expertise. I am not a very skilled person, — at least not yet. This blog marks a starting point where I put everything I learn in public. Some may find this unusual, but I’ve realised something about myself that I work better when my progress is visible and being watched by someone. It keeps me accountable, focused, and away from all the distractions. So that’s the reason why I chose to document what I learn — not to showcase or flex something.
for recruiters
If you’re a recruiter or someone evaluating my profile, this blog is meant to give context beyond a resume. I use this space to document how I learn, what I work on, and how my thinking evolves over time. You’ll find learning notes, small projects, exam prep, a ton mistakes, and reflections. all written as they happen, no AI-generated slop.
i don’t have years of experience yet. but i believe i do have consistency, discipline and an intent to learn.
how it all started
i’ve always been curious about tech since the school. back in the 8th grade, i discovered IoT projects. My first micro controller was an Arduino Uno, which my father bought for me, shoutout to him. i felt genuinely interested in experimenting with tech.
at that time, i didnt even own a computer. so i had to rely on rented computer cabins at a local internet center to install arduino ide and compile the C code i used to copy from forums and youtube. sometimes i used to write the code on paper and use the school computer because the internet centers thought i was doing some shady stuff.
nonetheless, that curiosity stayed with me through school. in 11th grade, i finally got access to an old desktop computer at home. and by 12th grade i began exploring linux systems. i experimented with different distributions, dealt with broken audio drivers, system errors, and configuration issues but i slowly began how operating systems, hardware and software work together.
during this period, around january 2023 i started using ChatGPT. it was very new, it was just a month later after its release when i got to use it.
college, experiments, and poor decisions
i later joined a BBA Business Analytics program. Alongside academics, i spent time reading about business, data and tech, and experimented with entrepreneurial ideas outside classroom. i attempted to build a student community to improve peer engagement and later tried a small, frugal business consulting idea with friends.
not all of these worked.
some lost interest, others failed at execution. but each attempt helped me understand teamwork and understanding how to properly communicate and the gap between on paper ideas and ground zero adoption.
in paralell, i continued experimenting on my own — setting up a server at home, exploring VMs and learning how modern systems are built.
where i am now
right now, i’m in my final year of college, and honestly i’m still figuring out which specific roles suit me best. i’ve realized i’m a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none.
data analytics, business intelligence, cloud systems. i’m stuck somewhere between these areas. i don’t have a fixed title in mind yet, but i know that i’ll end up somewhere in Data, BI or cloud space. i expect clarity will come through actually doing the work.
what i have changed is my approach to learning itself.
i was doing too many things all at once — relational databases, Google Advanced Data Analytics, SQL, BI tools, and several MOOC courses. i realized i was just consuming content without much of a depth. i was just following tutorials and working on template projects that everyone else was doing.
i narrowed my approach: learn → certify → build.
instead of simply watching tutorials i am actually learning the fundamentals, preparing for certification exams gives me a structured deadline and holds me accountable. then i will build projects that no one else is building. i have already started, you can check out my github profile.
my first target is the DP-600 (Microsoft Fabric Data Analytics Engineer) certification. i’m learning Python through CodeWithHarry, SQL and DAX through DataCamp’s PL-300 prep course.
why this blog exists
this blog exists to document that process honestly. i will use it to share what i learn, what works, what doesn’t and how my thinking evolves over time.
few acknowledgements
along the way i’ve learned a lot through conversations with people who were kind to share their experiences.
Mani Raj and Jahnavi gave me an idea of how they got into corporate roles and what they do.
i’d also like to acknowledge Akshaya and Dinesh, with whom i drafted ideas around consulting small businesses, even if it didn’t work out the way we initially expected.
finally, i appreciate Dr. G. Sumanth Kumar, the former dean of my campus, for being open to the student community initiatives and the discussions early on.
This is where I’m starting from. Everything else will follow from here.