Data analysts provide essential support in arriving at data-driven decisions that enhance a company’s operations and enable them to be more competitive.
In This Article
The Ongoing Importance of Data Analytic Skills
Communication Skills and Soft Skills Benefit the Data Analyst
Technical Skills Beyond Analysis
Making good business decisions that set up a company for short-term and long-term success is crucial. In today’s world, this process is more complex than ever—because there is so much information to evaluate before making those strategic decisions. With so many details and pieces of information available to sift through, good business strategy comes down to analysis—and that means the role of the data analyst is vital in keeping companies competitive and effective.
Data analysts provide essential support in arriving at data-driven decisions that enhance a company’s operations and enable them to be more competitive. As a data professional, you will provide valuable insight that businesses can use to thrive. Here's a closer look at the essential technical, analytic, and soft skills needed for a successful data analysis career—and why this field is worth pursuing.
<h2 id="skills">The Ongoing Importance of Data Analytic Skills</h2>
Data analytics is a growing, appealing career path for good reason. With skilled people in position to evaluate information, spot meaningful trends, and offer insights that lead to good planning, data analysts can equip companies to thrive. There is an increasing call for data science across the broad spectrum of industries that drive our economy—including the media, entertainment, government, banking and finances, transportation, healthcare, supply chain management, sports, and just about any other industry you can name.
The reason for this need to evaluate information is clear: Our world is more interconnected than ever. With billions of devices that connect to the internet—computers, phones, tablets, cars, appliances, and beyond—it’s simpler than it’s ever been to capture increasing amounts of details about customers. And those customers place a strong importance on received personalized treatment. According to Salesforce, 84% of consumers desire trusted guidance as they purchase, but 73% of those consumers say most interactions feel transactional, not personalized.
It's in areas such as these that savvy companies turn to the data they’ve gathered to create an exceptional experience for their target audience. That competitive edge can make (or break) an organization. Here is where the data analyst shines—weaving together the details of business, from consumer purchases to product sales and more, to help pinpoint what next steps will help a company be more successful. So, it’s key to develop the right skills to do this well.
<h2 id="core">Core Data Analyst Skills</h2>
To provide effective business analytics, a strong set of skills in understanding numbers and statistics is valuable, alongside technical skills in computer programs that make data science easier to manage—such as data mining, data warehouse management, statistical analysis, data collection, and related knowledge. In addition, you’ll do well if you develop soft skills too, because you will work closely with a variety of stakeholders at different levels in order to help guide the company in its strategic decision-making.
First, there are the core thinking skills that make data analysis possible.
Ability to work with large datasets
Data analysts work with large amounts of information, pulling out key details and using them to arrive at logical interpretations and actionable insight that businesses can use to guide their decisions. To do that, you’ll need to be comfortable sorting through lots of data. A detail-oriented mind is essential, and so is a more creative ability to understand the big picture that large amounts of data may be revealing to you.
Strong mathematical and statistical knowledge
To make sense of those massive data sets, you’ll have to assess the facts and trends they reveal. For that, an understanding of statistics and probability is required. You’ll need to know about mathematical concepts such as percentages, distributions, averages and variances, so you can tell what’s happening with the company’s products, services, staff, and clients. These math skills ground you in the ability to test various hypotheses and ensure the data is correctly interpreted.
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Beyond math skills, you’ll also benefit from an ability to think critically about the data you’re interpreting, as well as the business questions you’re looking to answer. An inquiring mind that isn’t afraid to look at information from every angle is an advantage, especially as identifying the right questions to probe takes wisdom. You’ll use what you learn from the data to extrapolate clear and actionable findings that stakeholders can use. A passion for research and finding solutions is a plus.
Knowledge of the challenges in data management
While a data analyst is only one position that touches the information a company gathers, it helps to have a good grasp of the challenges that arise with big data today—such as privacy concerns, security, and quality. Good decisions are based on quality data, so you’ll need to recognize when data sources may be incomplete or unable to produce accurate insights and troubleshoot to get the input you need.
<h2 id="soft-skills">Communication Skills and Soft Skills Benefit the Data Analyst</h2>
Data analysis requires focused time to look at information, but there is more to the job than that. You’ll work closely with many other people at your company, and you’ll benefit from sharpening your soft skills too.
Ability to visualize data for yourself and others
Once you have a clear sense of what the data means, you’ll be responsible for sharing that understanding with a variety of stakeholders—most of whom don’t have the depth of analytical skills you have. This requires clear communication. You need to know how to tell a story with the data you’ve studied, ensuring that listeners stay tuned in as you convey ideas in an understandable way. You’ll want to master visual presentation through easy-to-grasp charts, engaging slideshows, and other tools.
Attention to detail
Accuracy is essential in data analysis, as the business decisions being made can only be as good as the input you’re providing. Careful attention to details and accuracy at every step will help you to gather data, organize it, make sense of it, and report on what you find with confidence that the results are correct, without misleading errors or inaccurate assumptions.
Collaboration and teamwork
Data analysts regularly work in teams, both with other analysts, as well as in a cross-functional manner with other departments. You’re likely to interact with people from marketing, sales, finance, and other divisions as they make decisions and strategize based on the information you evaluate. You’ll need to manage your time effectively as you gather information and prepare it for presentation in a timely fashion to help others act on what the data is showing.
Adaptability to new technologies and methodologies
As with anything related to technology and data, the field of business analysis is always evolving. New tools and methods pop up continually, and it pays to have a willingness to learn what’s new. Staying up to date with the latest technologies, methods, tools, and trends in data is essential. This includes a keen understanding of artificial intelligence, predictive analysis tools, and other forms of machine learning that are on the upswing in use for handling and understanding data.
<h2 id="skills-beyond">Technical Skills Beyond Analysis</h2>
Of course, to succeed as a data analyst in our highly technical world, a range of mastery in tech-based skills is also a must.
Proficiency in commonly used data analysis tools
The work of data analysis requires using tools that help you make sense of all the information at hand. In practical terms, that means gaining mastery in a variety of software programs that deal in data, such as SQL, Python, R, Excel, Power BI, Google Analytics, Apache Spark, AWS/GCP, SAS, Tableau, MATLAB, and others. These tools make it possible to gather, manipulate, integrate, automate and present data in understandable ways. The more you know in this area, the more flexible you can be in approaching your role.
Knowledge of databases and SQL
Data is collected in databases, so you’ll need to be comfortable working with a variety of different database types. To do that, you’ll use the industry-standard database language—Structured Query Language (SQL). In a way, it’s like Excel on steroids, allowing you to manipulate and arrange enormous amounts of data with ease and accuracy. A knowledge of SQL and the SQL server setup makes it possible to build, manage, store, connect, and change databases so that needed information is at your fingertips.
Statistical programming
It also is beneficial to be proficient in programming languages, as you are likely to write different codes that allow you to pull the data you want and produce the analysis you need. Commonly used tools for this purpose include R and Python, which make it possible to perform in-depth, complex analyses, including predictive analysis to envision where current trends could lead. R and Python are both effective with large sets of data, making them helpful when working with a big company that handles great amounts of information. And since R and Python are both open source, you will likely have freedom to choose one or the other—though it’s advantageous to know both so you understand their benefits.
Familiarity with data visualization and reporting tools
In order to present your findings in consumable ways, you’ll also produce appealing visual charts and graphs. The industry-standard tool for this is Tableau, though there are other tools you may also want to learn in order to make eye-catching visual presentations of the key takeaways from your analyses. An understanding of other ways to provide reports, such as creating dashboards for users to navigate, can be helpful too.
Experience in data cleaning and processing
Much of a data analyst’s work is rooted in ensuring the data is ready for use. This includes pulling all the relevant raw data from all the right places, compiling it for a thorough evaluation, and ensuring the data is complete. You must be able to recognize if data is incomplete—if data is missing, you’ll need to tackle how to find it. You’ll also be responsible for scrubbing the data of any inaccuracies or duplications that would otherwise skew the results of the analysis.
Summing It Up
Data analysts play an undeniable and vital role at work—using information to find solutions for their companies that foster competitive advantages and boost profits. With an increasing amount of data available to companies to use, the need for the accurate, insightful, forward-minded business analyst will only continue to grow more important. This vital area of business intelligence is highly sought after, so greatly that the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the field of data analytics will grow by 23% in the next several years—much faster than the average rate of growth for all other occupations.
With this ongoing need to find skilled, dedicated data analysts, people seeking to take on this field as their career path will have numerous options to choose from—with an average salary approaching six figures. People who are willing to hone their skills and gain expertise in data analysis will set themselves up for a lucrative and fulfilling long-term career. Taking a data analytics course and seeking a data analytics certificate are two ways to progress in this area. Studying computer science is also a smart step to take to grow your skill as a data scientist.
When you’re ready to seek your next career opportunity in a field like data analysis, inTulsa can help. Sign up for our Talent Network to learn more and set up custom alerts to look for data analyst job opportunities, so you can stay updated on the latest positions available in-person and remotely from Tulsa.
