What is a data analyst?

Organizations are becoming more data-driven. Learn more about a data analyst in this article.

Data analysts play a vital part in an organization’s growth and success by obtaining critical findings about a firm’s clientele and increasing revenue.

Data analyst professionals that can assist firms in converting raw data into significant information are in great demand. 

There are many professions available in the field of data analytics, and being a data analyst provides exceptional opportunities.

Data analysis is something that companies undertake on a regular basis. Every industry continually learns using data analytics, absorbing fresh knowledge, and arriving at many findings and judgments.

Learn about the roles and responsibilities of a data analyst, the required qualifications and skills, and how OP360 can help build up your career as a data analyst. 

What does a data analyst do?

A data analyst examines data to spot patterns, enhance corporate performance, and uncover crucial insights. Data analysts work with corporate leaders and other stakeholders to solve issues with the information acquired.

Data analysts play a vital part in an organization’s growth and success by obtaining critical findings about a firm’s clientele and increasing revenue. Some of the fundamental job duties of a data analyst include:

— Market share estimation

— Analysis of new materials’ market price

— Analysis of sales timing

— Determine when to hire or reduce the workforce

A data analyst’s responsibilities include using various data analytics tools and collaborating with web developers to enhance data collection methods.

Ultimately, a data analyst’s job is to provide insights that may change how the company moves forward and grows successfully.

Data analyst qualifications

Data analytics is more than just gathering information. It enables organizations to transform data into useful information. A data analyst must be well-versed in the data mining process as well as agile development approaches.

Qualifications for becoming an effective data analyst are listed below.

Degree

Having a degree in computer science with a focus on analytical and statistical skills is an added plus. But it is not often required in the field of data analytics.

Many data analysts are non-technical in nature. However, an aspiring data analyst can enroll in the following undergraduate courses:

— Data Analytics

— Computer Science

— Information Technology

— Statistics

Professional certification

A degree is not usually required for a data analyst position, but relevant certifications from accredited colleges and training programs are essential.

Certification demonstrates that you have basic statistical knowledge and can execute the overall overview of a data analyst’s tasks in a very short amount of time.

Data analyst experience

A data analyst job experience is not a must, but it is imperative. Having relevant data analyst experience is an excellent way to develop additional skills. 

Industry expertise and a work portfolio are also advantageous. They serve as a stepping stone to improved employment possibilities and professional advancement.

Basic knowledge of data analysis tools

A data analyst must have at least basic knowledge of data analysis tools to get started. The following are the most common data analysis software tools

— Google Analytics

— Tableau

— Jupyter Notebooks

— GitHub

— AWS S3

Top 3 skills for data analyst

Typically, a data analyst possesses both exceptional technical capabilities and extensive market knowledge. 

To increase this knowledge and become an in-demand data analyst, below are the top three skills an aspiring data analyst must have.

Analytical skills

Data analysts are responsible for working with vast volumes of data, which may include facts, statistics, and analysis of numbers. To conclude the data, a data analyst has to be able to navigate through it and analyze the data itself.

Creative and critical thinking

Working with concrete information requires a high level of critical thinking abilities, but having a creative and inquisitive mind may be just as crucial. 

Critical thinking is essential to obtaining overall solid analytical skills. It refers to the objective analysis of complex user concerns or data difficulties.

A skilled data analyst may offer appealing research findings that other firms or organizations may not have. This is by taking a creative approach to the information and looking at them from a different perspective.

Microsoft Excel

Excel is a well-known spreadsheet application that comes standard with Microsoft Office. It is one of the most practical applications a data analyst can have in their toolkit. 

Using Excel can be truly useful to an organization, especially as more employees are called on to analyze data. 

Everyone in today’s industry is already familiar with Microsoft Excel, and data analysts are expected to be highly proficient in it. It allows data analysts to customize fields and functions that make calculations easy for data analytics. 

Further, data analysts should also be familiar with the various modeling and analytics tools.

How OP360 can help your career as a data analyst

The data analytics industry is so vast that it might be tough to determine where to begin learning data analysis.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of operations and research analysts, including data analysts, will increase by 25% between 2019 and 2029.

Becoming a data analyst necessitates particular talents that will significantly help the success of a company that uses data analytics.

The most significant introduction to the field of analytics, in general, is an organized learning environment that methodically covers all fundamentals.

OP360 provides a wide range of data, analytics, and AI services which guarantees that as a  data analyst, you will continuously learn and be trained in the field of data analytics.

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