Here’s What No One Tells You About Data Analyst Career

Yes, you have read the title right. ‘’ Data Analyst”.

We read a countless number of stories every day about how big data and data analytics is taking over the world and how data science has now become the hottest job of the 21st century. It seems like an absolute dream job for someone who can make an attractive sum of money by just working as a data analyst.

The active buzz in media and companies surrounding data analytics has increased to a wide extent. But the truth is, data scientists typically spend almost 1-2 hours a week looking for a new job as stated in an article published by the Financial Times.  

In my opinion, the fact that expectation does not match reality is the ultimate reason why a countless number of data scientists decide to leave their jobs. The hype surrounding the acceleration of data analytics now turned low.

My experience:

As a data analyst, I did have a handsome salary and the range of my salary mostly depended on the existing expertise and skill set I acquired. I’ve been asked endless questions relating to my job. My career started off on a really high note, but as years went by, it did get a little tiring as I had to be seated in front of my computer all day.

At its core, the job of a data analyst is all about answering questions and solving complex situations in the organization. And just as there are different types of questions asked, there are evidently also different types of data analytics involved.

I can break it down into 4 main areas. Descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive. Data analysts have to tailor their work and then find the appropriate solution to fit the scenario. All other forms of analysis can be used for successfully fixing these issues.

But as one, I have also had innumerable downfalls and would thus like to share the overall experience for the betterment of fellow individuals who want to pursue a career as a data analyst.

Duties and responsibilities of a data analyst:

Data analysts basically analyze a large chunk of data for multinational companies. They mainly do this to increase the optimization of the services provided to the customers and increase their efficiency of the work. It is definitely one of the highest paid jobs in the IT industry in the current age.

Some of the Responsibilities of a data analyst include:

• Acquire data from either primary or secondary sources and maintain a large number of databases and data systems.
• Develop, modify and implement databases, data analytics, and systems.
• Interpret data and analyze the simplified results using statistical techniques.
• Work with management to prioritize business needs mainly.
• Measure standards and locate new development opportunities.

The job of a data analyst is complex in nature. When working in a company as a data analyst, you’re the go-to guy for all problems relating to ‘’data”. Although it isn’t just non-technical executives that can make assumptions about your skills. Since you will have all the technical knowledge relating to data such as knowing your way around Spark & Hadoop, Python, and anything machine learning, the company relies on you for their decisions.

Skill set required for data analysts:

Data analysts like us can be involved in basically every part of the analysis process. Playing an active role, one can be included in everything from setting up metrics and an analytical system all the way to providing insights based on the data collected.

If we decide to break down the job of a data analyst into skills and duties, we can sum it down as follows.

• Data analysts have moderate statistical and math skills.
• They have strong business networking groups
• They have computer skills and prior programming knowledge
• They create visualizations of data
• They can utilize business intelligence and analytical tools.

Should you become a data analyst?

A data analyst does a lot more than you think. Now that you have the idea from my experience, you know the teamwork, the technical skills needed and the strategizing practices that go when you pursue this career, you may be considering a data analyst career yourself.

I’ve covered the basics of the job description of a data analyst, but if you want to dive in deeper, then you should check the training services offered by our company.