Think of a project where you worked with a relatively large data set. Describe the process you took to gather and prepare the data for analysis.
Working with large data sets can present challenges, so the Morningstar hiring managers want to know that you have the experience to handle them if they arise. They want to ensure you have encountered challenges in your previous work and learn about the steps you took to overcome them. They are also interested in whether the project you worked on and the impediments you encountered are similar to the ones the Morningstar data analyst team handles.
"I have had experience working with large data sets delivered to us from outside vendors. These data sets were often survey responses for marketing research projects with large sample sizes. Upon receiving the data set, I checked the validity of the data by running predetermined frequencies and queries. Doing so would often reveal issues, such as missing data, data type issues, and errors in skip patterns within the survey. I would work with the vendor to correct these issues before beginning further analyses of the data. Once we resolved the data issues, I would load the data into a data analysis tool to begin my analysis. Sometimes I would work with a data engineer to load it into an appropriate tool that could handle the size of the data set."
Walk the interviewer through the project you plan to present step-by-step. Share any challenges you might have faced and how you successfully overcame them. If you have been fortunate enough not to face any challenges, stick to the details of your project and the steps you took while working with the data.
