The big data analytics market is expected to reach $103 billion, by 2023. With the pace the industry is flourishing, no wonder why data analysts are the most sought-after professionals in the tech industry today.
However, making a good career in this field may not be easy due to the work challenges. If you are planning to grow and have an established career in data analytics, there are a few skills and knowledge of job requirements that you must be aware of.
Let us start with the skills you would need to make a good career in the data analytics industry.
Domain Experience
The first and foremost requirement to initiate a good career is to choose a domain-elective in which you prefer to work. Companies usually want to hire individuals with domain experience, so that the professional can connect the business performance to data and bring instant value to the firm.
It is essential to understand the ways to develop domain experience. Try to choose the domain that allows you to help several divisions within a corporation. The reason is, if you work with varieties of projects, you will get more domain experience in less time.
Presentations Skills
Experienced data analysts expertly convey their data. Learning this skill will allow you to present your data results and analysis report with a more professional touch.
Search and study sample data event presentations available online. You can also examine how speakers pass on their message to their audience and practice the same in your speeches.
Critical Thinking Skills
Critical thinking is also considered as problem-solving ability, which is a fundamental need for any professional in competitive programming. The ability enables the data analyst to analyze a problem statement and frame the walkthrough. Developing this skill will enable you to get quick solutions through more straightforward methods.
Technical Educational Requirements
You should be a graduate in any relevant streams such as computer science, mathematics, finance, etc. Moreover, earning a master’s degree in data analytics can really help to advance your career in the data analytics industry.
Here are some of the additional technical skills you should have if you are trying to make a career in data analysis:
SQL
SQL is one of the most widely used programming languages in database management systems. The organizations demand a candidate to be an SQL specialist when they look for a data analyst. It is because the analysts have to get involved in hyper-specialized work responsibilities.
Being familiar with the language will allow them to aggregate and evaluate data in massive databases swiftly. Plus, it will give them an added advantage in their job to complete the task in the least time and outperform in delivering a company’s requirement.
Machine Learning
Machine learning is considered a critical component of a data analyst’s toolset. It is essential to understand that artificial intelligence and predictive analytics are two of the most demanded subjects in data science.
While knowledge of machine learning may not be necessary for all analysts, understanding the tools and concepts is required if you wish to go far in the profession. Hence, machine learning is highly suggested for a good career in the data analytics industry.
R or Python–Statistical Programming
R or Python is a great statistical programming language to accomplish database management quickly and in a more sophisticated way. Most organizations perform sophisticated analysis and predictive analytics on large data sets as a part of industry norms. This is why they look for candidates with the practical experience of working with these languages apart from SQL.
Learning R and Python will not cost you anything as both are open source and free. R is expressly for analytics hence many analysts choose it for their data analysis. However, some analysts prefer Python for investigating data sets and performing ad-hoc analysis. Start with any one of them, but you must aim at bringing out the correct analysis.
Data Visualization
Conveying your message using statistics while keeping the audience hooked may not be easier. As a professional, you can face difficulty in passing on the message if your results are not simple and immediately recognizable.
Data visualization tools make this tough task easier and more interesting. These tools enable data analysts to create eye-catching, high-quality charts and graphs. Some of the popular industry-standard analytics tools that you must consider learning are Plotly, Tableau, and Qlikview.
Summary
The job role of a data analyst is highly crucial as they deal with cleaning data and transforming them to produce insights that further support the decision-making process. Companies are extremely selective and particular in recruiting data analysts who will be determining their success journey.
Therefore, making a career in the data analytics industry is challenging. The primary and the most important aspects of a good career in this field are technical and professional skills. If you earn the above-mentioned professional and technical skills and blend them with your hard work, your success is assured.
