What does a data analyst do?
As the world becomes more digitized and data-driven, there are few occupations that are growing as rapidly as data analysis. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment for statisticians, mathematicians, and all other math occupations will grow by 27% over the next 10 years. Statisticians will enjoy the greatest growth at 32%, but data analysts are still enjoying respectable growth at 20%.
Data analysts, or analysts for short, use statistical software and programming skills to explore and analyze large datasets. They work in all industries from manufacturing plants to hospitals. Analysts can have many titles including business intelligence analyst, predictive analytics manager, or database administrator.
The role of a data analyst is often split into two broad categories: exploratory analysis and predictive analysis.
Exploratory data analysis allows you to make sense of large, messy datasets. This kind of analysis is useful for exploring problems or possible improvements in your business. When working on exploratory analysis, analysts use tools like Excel and SPSS but are also becoming increasingly proficient with data visualization tools like Tableau and RStudio. The key skill here is understanding what questions need answering first so that you can be most efficient in your approach to answering them.
The skills and education needed for the job
Data analysts are the people responsible for finding insights in data, mapping those insights to stakeholders, and then telling the story of the data. They work with businesses and other organizations that want better insights into their operations or consumer behavior. In order to do this, they need a strong background in statistics and computer science.
Some colleges offer programs specifically for data analysts. If you don't attend one of these schools, you can still start as an entry-level analyst by getting your bachelor's degree in either of these fields. From there, you'll learn how to use tools like SQL databases and statistical analysis software like SAS or SPSS.
As you gain more experience, you can move into leadership roles. These will let you provide insights into larger issues and help your team be more productive. Many analysts move into management, data journalism, business intelligence, or other jobs in these areas once they become experts in their field. It can take years to reach a leadership role as an analyst, so it's important that you stay motivated and keep learning new skills throughout your career.
How data analytics is used?
The data analytics process can be broken down into two main steps: data input and data analysis. In the first step, you gather relevant information from your company or organization's databases and store it in an organized system. Once this is done, you can start analyzing the data in order to find meaningful insights and conclusions about how people behave or interact with your business. With this valuable information, you can then decide what changes need to be made so that your company is meeting its objectives in the most efficient way possible.
Data analytics is used for both marketing and operational purposes in businesses. For example, you can use data analytics to analyze your social media followers on Twitter or Facebook and see which accounts are most engaging with your content. In order to make smart decisions about who to target on these platforms, you’ll need a strong understanding of your customer demographics and behaviors, so you can effectively communicate with them. If your company has an e-commerce platform, it’s also important to analyze data in order to figure out what’s working well and what needs improvement. This can be done by analyzing sales records and traffic sources, as well as reviewing customer support tickets or survey results.
How can I become a data analyst?
Data analysts, also known as data scientists, help companies make sense of their data. They're often tasked with sorting through large amounts of data, uncovering insights, and translating them into actionable items for the company. Becoming one requires a strong background in computer science, mathematics, and statistics.
To become a data analyst, you'll need to pursue an undergraduate degree in computer science or a related field. This will allow you to specialize in the skills necessary for this career path like programming and machine learning. You'll also need experience working with large amounts of structured and unstructured data so consider volunteering or interning at a company where you can get your hands dirty with real-world projects.
Data Analyst or Statistician – Master’s degree, either a Master of Science in Statistics or Statistics with an emphasis in biostatistics, big data analytics, or healthcare. Many universities have computer science/statistics double degree options available as well.
Data Scientist - Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science/Math/Statistics and work experience using some of these tools is also needed (SQL, SAS programming language, etc.) like data analysis. A 4-year undergraduate degree is required.
The most successful analysts come from various backgrounds and include mathematicians, computer scientists, statisticians, software engineers, and computer programmers. What they all have in common are strong problem-solving skills, critical thinking abilities, and curiosity about how the world works.
