Today, we live in a data-driven business world of competition, where every organization wishes to stand out. Data analytics is the process that helps them optimize their performance and allows them to do their best.
It is becoming an essential process that facilitates operating cost reduction by identifying more cost-effective ways to store large amounts of data for their business goals.
Data analytics provides the right direction through meaningful insights while making business decisions. It is a vital process that provides leadership skills to build robust strategies to understand customer behavior better.
It is also known as a reliable understanding of future requirements and goals. In today’s modern age, data analytics is instrumental in optimizing processes and unlocking the entire potential of data and information for sustainable progress.
This article will tell you how to become a data analyst if you have no or little knowledge about data analytics.
What is Data Analytics?
Data Analytics is a vital branch of data science that includes many technologies, tools, processes, algorithms, and methods to improve productivity and increase business gains.
It provides many advanced features and technologies, such as business intelligence, reporting, and OLAP (online analytical processing).
The modern stage of data analytics involves several techniques, such as predictive analytics, data mining tools, machine learning statistics, etc.
It helps organizations acquire relevant and accurate information suitable for creating future strategies.
Who is a Data Analyst?
A data analyst is a skilled professional who extracts, processes, transforms, and represents the final data so that organizations can successfully utilize relationships, trends, and patterns to achieve their business targets. Such professionals assist organizations in areas like:
- cutting costs
- boosting revenue
- enhancing efficiencies
- strengthening customer focus and customer services
- identifying and reducing risk
- responding quickly and effectively to industry and market events
- gaining competitive advantages.
A Data analyst plays a vital role in transforming raw data into meaningful information to achieve business goals and increase return on investment.
How do you become a data analyst at Scratch?
Data analysts’ jobs are high-paying and reputed in today’s corporate world. Many freshers and even professionals from other fields are willing to become data analysts.
Here are some steps to become a data analyst, whether you have no or less knowledge in this field.
Basic Educational Background
A solid educational background is necessary to start any career in the highly advanced technical world. In data analytics, you should earn a bachelor’s degree in statistics, mathematics, economics, information technology, computer science, etc.
You can add extra skills, such as programming and coding, to enhance your knowledge and gain experience.
Develop Technical skills
Along with your educational qualifications, you must work on building your technical skills, such as Programming skills (R, Python, and Java Script), Statistics, SQL (structured query language), Data visualization (Power BI, QlikView, Tableau), Microsoft Excel, Dashboarding, Machine Learning, Relational Database, etc.
You should also master data analytics skills through hypothesis and regression analysis, which can add value to your knowledge.
Besides technical skills, it is also essential to master non-technical or soft skills to explore your real potential.
In this industry, you must develop skills such as leadership, good communication, problem-solving, creativity, and domain knowledge.
Projects and Hands-On Experience
Doing projects and getting hands-on experience with actual data is the best way to learn and earn. You must prefer degree programs or certification courses with hands-on projects using real data sets.
You can apply your knowledge to real-world projects and work on free public data sets to design and develop your projects. You can also participate in various online hackathons to access massive data sets and work on complex data analysis challenges.
Make an Attractive Portfolio
Now is the time to showcase your project work as a portfolio. You can save your work and hands-on assignments in your project portfolio, as it can demonstrate your skills and expertise to hiring managers. A strong portfolio means a lot to go a long way toward getting the job.
Keep on Practicing
Continuous learning and practicing are sure-shot rules for success. So, keep learning new things and practice presenting your findings and achievements.
Good communication skills can help you showcase your results to decision-makers and stakeholders. Data visualization skills can also help you tell a story with the data and help your organization make data-driven decisions.
Apply for an Entry-Level Job
To start a career in this domain, you must try to get an entry-level data analyst job. Don’t hesitate, and feel free to choose positions you may only be partially qualified for, as your skills and enthusiasm matter. You can improve your earnings by increasing your experience.
Networking and Community Engagements
Joining online communities, attending meets, and participating in forums related to data analytics can enhance your knowledge and experience.
Vast networking offers valuable insights, better job opportunities, and interaction with experienced professionals in the field.
Achieve Relevant Certifications
You can polish your resume by achieving relevant certifications to help you stand out to employers. Certifications can validate your knowledge and expertise in data analytics and demonstrate you have essential skills to work on the job.
Companies such as Simplilearn, Coursera, Cloudera, Google, Microsoft, and many more provide top-rated data analytics certification courses that you can opt for.
Bottom Line
Although organizations and companies hire certified, skilled, and experienced data analysts, if you need experience or are switching to data analysis from another job, develop your expertise by working with data and creating your project portfolio.
Attending boot camps and gaining skills to do the job as a degree isn’t always necessary to get hired as a data analyst, but your skills and expertise are.
With determination and hard work on the right path, these steps can make you a successful data analyst. Good luck!