Blog

Writing from our team. The latest news, insights, and resources.

How to earn rewards by sharing the knowledge!

Referring a friend to something you genuinely believe in is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to create opportunities. With that in mind, we’re excited to introduce the Data Engineer Academy Referral Program—a way to reward you for sharing the benefits of industry-leading data engineering training with the people you know. We designed...

By: Chris Garzon | November 25, 2024 | 8 mins read
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How to host a website on AWS EC2

In today’s digital world, both individuals and businesses require a powerful website. However, finding a trustworthy hosting company is an important step in creating a website. Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 provides a strong and scalable infrastructure for hosting websites, making it a great alternative for your hosting requirements. Step-by-step instructions for how to host...

By: ninad magdum | June 17, 2023 | 13 mins read
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Data Analyst Interview Questions and Sample Answers

Data analyst interviews commonly test SQL, analytical thinking, communication, and your ability to explain past work. Use these Data Analyst Interview Questions and Sample Answers to practice connecting your technical choices to business decisions. Key Takeaways Quick summary: Interviewers want to understand how you solve problems, handle imperfect data, and explain your reasoning. Key takeaway:...

By: Chris Garzon | October 23, 2026 | 8 mins read
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How to Use dbt Snapshots for Historical Data

dbt snapshots preserve historical data by comparing source rows with their previously stored versions and recording detected changes. Each version gets validity dates, so you can query what a record looked like in the past. Unlike a source table that overwrites customer details, a snapshot keeps earlier versions alongside the current one. To use snapshots...

By: Chris Garzon | October 20, 2026 | 9 mins read
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Real-World Data Engineering Case Study: Fraud Detection Pipelines

A fraud detection pipeline turns payment events and supporting data into fast, trustworthy signals that help a business approve, review, or decline transactions. Effective fraud detection pipelines connect reliable data, fresh features, scoring, and feedback. We’ll use a clearly labeled illustrative case study, not a real company’s results, to show how those pieces work together....

By: Chris Garzon | October 19, 2026 | 8 mins read
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How Snowflake Tasks and Streams Support ETL

Snowflake Streams track changed rows, while Tasks run SQL or stored procedures on a schedule or when data changes. Together, Snowflake Tasks and Streams let data engineers automate incremental processing inside Snowflake. For beginners and working engineers, this means processing changes without rebuilding entire tables. Start with change capture, apply transformations, and monitor execution so...

By: Chris Garzon | October 16, 2026 | 7 mins read
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Referrals for Data Engineering Jobs: How to Get Them

You can earn referrals for data engineering jobs by building genuine connections, choosing relevant employees, and making your fit easy to assess. Start with people who know your work, then expand through technical communities and thoughtful outreach. A referral can help your application get noticed, but your evidence of fit still matters. Here’s how to...

By: Chris Garzon | October 15, 2026 | 9 mins read
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How to Become a Data Analyst With No Experience

You can move toward a data analyst role by learning core tools, completing practical projects, and showing clear evidence of your skills. If you’re figuring out how to become a data analyst with no experience, start with SQL, spreadsheets, and basic statistics. Your goal is demonstrated ability, not a collection of course badges. No learning...

By: Chris Garzon | October 12, 2026 | 8 mins read
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dbt Core vs. dbt Cloud: Features, Costs, and Trade-Offs

dbt Core is the free, open-source command-line tool, while dbt Cloud is a hosted service with managed development and execution workflows. The dbt Core vs. dbt Cloud decision depends on your team size, engineering capacity, workflow needs, and budget. Core gives you more control over infrastructure. Cloud reduces setup work, but you need to check...

By: Chris Garzon | October 9, 2026 | 9 mins read
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From BI Analyst to Data Engineer: Skills You Need to Upgrade

You can move from BI analyst to data engineer by building skills in Python, data pipelines, cloud platforms, testing, and software engineering practices. Your SQL, data modeling, and business knowledge provide a useful foundation. The main upgrade is learning to build and maintain reliable systems that other teams can trust. Start by expanding the skills...

By: Chris Garzon | October 8, 2026 | 9 mins read
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How to Test Data Quality in dbt

Test data quality in dbt by adding checks to models and sources, running them with dbt test, and fixing failures before unreliable data reaches users. Start with critical keys and business rules, then run those checks during development and automated builds. The practical answer to “How to Test Data Quality in dbt” begins with deciding...

By: Chris Garzon | October 6, 2026 | 9 mins read
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Snowflake SQL Interview Questions With Answers

Strong Snowflake SQL interview prep combines standard SQL skills with knowledge of Snowflake features, query behavior, and practical trade-offs. These Snowflake SQL interview questions with answers cover beginner to mid-level roles, plus scenarios that test experienced candidates’ judgment. You need to explain why your query works, not just produce valid syntax. Start with architecture, then...

By: Chris Garzon | October 2, 2026 | 9 mins read
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How to Prepare for a Data Engineering Interview

Prepare for a data engineering interview by matching your practice to the role, reviewing SQL and Python, explaining design choices, and rehearsing project and behavioral answers. Prioritize clear reasoning over memorizing every tool. Knowing how to prepare for a data engineering interview helps you turn limited study time into focused practice. Start with the job...

By: Chris Garzon | September 30, 2026 | 9 mins read
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How to Use LinkedIn to Land Data Engineering Jobs

Here’s how to use LinkedIn to land data engineering jobs: show proof of your skills, connect with relevant people, and search deliberately. Your profile should make your technical evidence easy to find before you contact recruiters or submit applications. Beginners can use portfolio work; career changers and working professionals can add relevant experience without overstating...

By: Chris Garzon | September 30, 2026 | 8 mins read
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How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions as a Data Engineer

To answer behavioral interview questions as a data engineer, tell a real story using Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR). State what you owned, explain the decisions you made, and close with the effect on your team or its users. Interviewers assess communication, judgment, ownership, and teamwork alongside technical skill. A pipeline failure, for example,...

By: Chris Garzon | September 28, 2026 | 10 mins read
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Data Quality for Data Engineers: Why It Matters

Data quality matters because every report, model, and decision depends on data that is accurate, complete, consistent, and timely. For data engineers, protecting that quality starts at the source and continues through ingestion, transformation, and reporting. A pipeline can finish on schedule and still deliver the wrong answer. Well-placed checks help you catch problems before...

By: Chris Garzon | September 28, 2026 | 10 mins read
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