Today, I’m sharing 5 things I wish I knew when I was just getting started in data analytics 5 years ago. I’ve been working with data for the past 5+ years. Unfortunately, there were times that I doubted the path I was on: - SQL joins were confusing - I didn’t get Python best practices - Excel pivot tables were hard to understand - Communicating with business partners and clients Fortunately, I figured out things along the way and never looked back. It’s easy to get tripped up if you don’t know what to watch out for. You will waste a lot of time and energy: - Second-guessing the path you’re on - Believing you only have one shot - Not realizing your full potential - Getting mad and quitting Fortunately, if you know what to look for, you can avoid all the hassle on your data analytics journey. Here are the 5 things I wish I know 5 years ago: 1. Being a data analyst is like having a superpower Your confidence increases as you solve more and more problems using data. Eventually, you become the “go-to” person for this stuff. - Working with data and SQL - Answering questions they never even thought to ask with Tableau - Creating simple (to you) but magic (to them) Excel docs - Automating tedious work with Python 2. Every industry needs data analysts I like working in the financial services industry, especially with sales and marketing data. However: Every. Single. Company. has data and needs help. Just have a look: - Medical industry entry-level job in Massachusetts starting at $78k - Entertainment business data analyst starting at $65k per year - Higher education entry-level data analyst starting at $60k per year - Digital business analyst at Nike (no salary estimate)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم It all started with a spark of curiosity, a dream, and a small step into a community called "MAKE $1k-$5k in 30 Days". Back then, I had no idea how deeply this journey would shape me. I was just an average boy who wanted to learn, grow, and prove that with faith and consistency, even impossible things can happen. From watching Haroon Bhai’s lectures to engaging daily in the community, everything began to align beautifully. And then came the moment when Allah connected another dot. I got an opportunity to work with Bilal Bhai in his agency Ubex as an Upwork bidder. I had never even used Upwork before, but I said Bismillah and stepped into this new chapter. My first few days at the office were all about learning and observing. On the first day, I explored the portfolio, trying to understand how things work. The next day, I wrote eight dummy bids, each one better than the last. On the third day, Bilal Bhai reviewed them, shared his feedback, and told me where I could improve. After seeing my progress, he told me to write two or three more bids and show them to him. Once I did, he said, “Start karo.” That’s when I took a deep breath, said بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ, and started bidding for real. At first, I struggled a bit with job selection and crafting the right cover letters, but with the guidance and support of Bilal Bhai and Moiz Bhai, things started to make sense. I kept going, submitted my first bid, and soon after, sent the second one as well. The next day (5 November 2025, Wednesday), when I returned to the office, I opened the connects tracking sheet to see if there were any replies. To my surprise, there were messages on both bids, and within minutes, the very first client sent a contract. Then, I saw a message from Bilal Bhai in our group, saying that my client had sent the contract. For a moment, everything just paused. Tears rolled down my face, but they weren’t tears of sadness. They were tears of gratitude, of relief, of seeing a dream turn into reality.

Two months ago, on 1st September, a guy joined a community called "MAKE $1k-$5k in 30 Days". A very excited boy who always wanted to be on top started engaging in the community, not just to earn points, but because he genuinely wanted to build real and meaningful connections, learn, and grow along with everyone. His first post was about helping community members, then came his introduction, his journals, and many more after that. His dream of being on top came true within just a week, and along the way, he gained a lot of exposure and popularity in the community. Even after that, he continued to stay active, share value, and remain consistent with his journals, improving them day by day. A few weeks later, he became one of the well-known members of the community and stayed at the top of the leaderboard. During this journey, he made some amazing friends, interacted with their posts, and built meaningful bonds through the comments. At the same time, he was learning from the community, taking notes, and understanding the concepts of Bidding and Client Communication more deeply. One day, one of his close community friends messaged him and said, “Let’s do a live session with other members.” He immediately agreed. Then he messaged his other close community friends, and together they planned and held a live session. After that session, those five community friends became more than just friends. They became brothers who motivate each other, hold each other accountable, and learn from each other’s mistakes. A few more weeks passed. The brothers got busy in their own lives, and while the community was still active and growing, the boy started feeling overwhelmed. It had been almost one and a half months of consistent effort, yet he wasn’t seeing the results he hoped for. Still, he kept going, kept engaging, and continued to share value believing in Allah that his plans are the best, Indeed. Then one day, he received a message from a very respected member of the community. He told him that one of his friends was hiring an Upwork bidder and would personally train him. The boy, without any hesitation, said yes. From that moment, everything started to align beautifully. Allah connected one dot to another, and soon he gave his interview. The interview went really well, and he got hired to start his job the very next day.

Good days full of learning. Bringing me to my point of being too sleepy to elaborate more, but still here we are... 🛏️ Sleep Log Day 34: Slept at: 6:30 AM Woke up at: 3:30 PM 🛏️ Sleep Log Day 35: Slept at: 3:00 AM Woke up at: 7:00 AM 🔥Primary objective: - Gather $4500 for my sister's upcoming wedding in 78 days. 📊 Long-Term Focus - Deep focus on getting to $4k/month Before December starts - Try to get high-ticket clients from Upwork - Outreach personalized DMs on LinkedIn - Deliver work which gets you referrals - Daily Arabic learning and pact - Start getting clients for Skool community building - Video editing cleaned working 🔔 Daily Reminders - No one can waste my time except me - Allah is giving me new opportunities "as well as rewards" EVERYDAY, But I am not Thanking Him nearly as much as i should. (24) - Not arguing with elders is the best solution. - Keep showing up, even if progress feels slow - Full trust in Allah and Don't let your work disrupt your namaz Priority tasks for Next Day: - Get done with Project Catalogues on Upwork Profile - Following up on client 1 (MY) - Start making Dummy Bidding document (3 hours everyday) - Work on replacing your specialized profile from content strategy to video editing - Write LinkedIn post and commenting follow ups :- no comments means no algorithm push - Post the notes of the Client communication Masterclass - Make notes on the structure of the cover letter in bidding - Post the question you have from Haroon bhai (Future niche) 🧠 Key Highlights: Day 34: 3:30 – 4:45 PM – Chai + Family time + Zuhr 4:50 – 5:45 PM – Making notes of the client communication class + Asr 5:45 – 7:00 PM – Started working on my LinkedIn post + Maghrib + Housework 7:00 – 7:55 PM – Warmed up the algorithm by commenting + Made the media on canva for the post 7:55 – 8:20 PM – Housework 8:30 – 9:10 PM – Posted + Commenting 9:35 – 11:35 PM – Meeting with @Sohaib Khan bhai, @Ahmed Saleem Kasmani bhai, @Moazzam Sajid bhai and @Abdul Rehman Khan bhai.. Discussed almost everything; from personal branding to Ahmed bhai's daily journal, routine and future goals, to Marriage.

📊 6-Month Goal "In the next 6 months, I will master the art of client acquisition through Upwork by consistently learning bidding strategies, proposal writing, and communication skills while working in my current job. I will gradually build my own Upwork profile, attract inbound leads, and start outsourcing projects to a reliable team to create a sustainable freelance income stream. Alongside my career growth, I will stay spiritually grounded by performing all five daily prayers with consistency, completing the recitation of the Quran, and maintaining a strong connection with Allah throughout my journey." 📊 3-Month Goal "In the next 3 months, I will develop strong bidding and communication skills by learning how to write persuasive proposals, identify profitable clients, and close deals confidently. I will gain hands-on experience in understanding client needs and agency workflows while also start building my own Upwork profile on the side. By maintaining discipline and consistency in both work and worship, I will stay regular in my five daily prayers and complete at least half of the Quran during this period." 📊 1-Month Goal "In the next 30 days, I will focus on understanding bidding systems, client types, and proposal strategies. I will learn how successful freelancers communicate with clients and start applying those techniques in my own proposals. Spiritually, I will stay consistent with all five daily prayers and dedicate time daily to reciting and understanding the Quran." 🔔 Daily Reminders - Until Death, All Defeat Is Phychological. - Each Day, My Peak Keeps Rising. - I’m The Only One Responsible For How My Time Is Spent. - Excellence In Little Things Leads To Excellence In Everything. - Holding Onto My Faith Is My Greatest Blessing 🛏️ Sleep Log Slept at: 4:00 am Woke up at: 2:00 pm 📌 Top Priority Tasks For Today - Wake up at 5 am. - Take a cold morning shower. - Stay consistent with all 5 prayers (Aim for masjid as much as I can). - Continue daily walk + jogging and intermittent fasting. - Stay active and engage in both communities. - Complete all my small daily tasks. - Prepare for tomorrow’s Graphic Designing test. (Got postponed to Wednesday) - Make notes of Upwork Outreach Masterclass and post them in the community.