Career as a Data Analyst: Roles, Skills and Job Outlook

Are you Inquisitive about how a pattern can be structured out of data? Or do you have an analytical mindset when it comes to problem-solving and concluding facts? If you have also asked these questions or are particularly interested in working with data, then a career as a data analyst is something that you should definitely check out.

Living in the digital age, data is priceless. Today Data Management has come a long way with the advancement of technologies. Data technologies, science and the market that they are building have rewritten the rules of business and marketing. Understanding customer needs and their choices has become a lot easier with data interpretation and evaluation.

What is Data Analysis?

In a nutshell, decoding what data is trying to tell us or what pattern it is trying to build is Data Analysis. Data Analysis contributes widely to the success of a business or a product because it provides valuable insights about its customers and competitors as well.

Data analysis these days can even tell you which trends or which posts are going viral. Or what kind of movie content people are enjoying. When is the right time to post a story on any of the social media platforms and a lot more…

Who is a Data Analyst? Roles and Skills

Data analysts collect and store data on a given domain, examples of which could be market research, sales numbers, logistics, and other behaviours. By using their technical knowledge and experience, they ensure the quality and accuracy of the data, eliminating any kind of error. They then study it to identify trends or insights that are then processed, designed, and presented in a manner that helps businesses and stakeholders to make better decisions.

Key responsibilities of a Data Analyst:

• Building and analysing data systems and databases.
• Finding solutions for technical errors in coding and other data-related issues.
• Translating numerical data into a format that can be easily read or decoded by a machine or a human
• Analysing the statistics and preparing reports for business teams
• Analysing local, national, and global ongoing trends that might impact both the organisation and the industry
• Designing final analysis reports for the stakeholders to understand the data-analysis process, enabling them to take important decisions based on the facts provided.

Skills required for a Data Analyst:

• Analytical mindset
• Ability to decode statistical data
• Quick problem-solving and decision-making
• Knowledge of database languages like Python, SQL, etc.
• Critical thinking
• An understanding of basic machine learning

Types of a Data Analysts

Data Analyst has variations in their roles and that’s why there are different types of data analysts based on the roles they perform. Almost all major domains like fashion, food, technology, and public sectors recruit data analysts, but with different titles, depending on the work. Some of the most popular ones are:

• Medical and Healthcare Analyst
• Market Research Analyst
• Business Analyst
• Business Intelligence Analyst
• Operations Research Analyst
• Intelligence Analyst

Courses offered on Data Analysis:

Data Analysts should consider completing a course or a certificate to upskill themselves. Listed below are some of the popular online certification courses offered on Data Analysis that you might consider:

• Certification Program in Data Science and Analytics by upGrad
• Google Data Analytics Professional certificate by Coursera
• Learning Python for Data Analysis and Visualisation by Udemy
• Managing and Analysing Data in Excel by LinkedIn
• Data Analysis and Interpretation by Unacademy

Educational Requirements:

While there are no dedicated degrees for data analysis, a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, statistics, mathematics or a related field can be a good place to start.

A Master’s degree is not a mandatory requirement, though pursuing a specialisation Data Analysis in the form of a certificate or diploma can give arm you with the right skills.

Job Outlook and Salary

Data Analysis being a key requirement across all companies these days, top companies are constantly recruiting Data Analysts. Google, Flipkart, JP Morgan Chase, Twitter, Deloitte, Bank of America, ICICI Bank, Deutsche Bank, Microsoft, LinkedIn, E&Y, etc. are some of the top companies that regularly recruit data analysts.

The salary range for the post of Data Analyst ranges from INR 5,00,000 to INR 7,00,000 per annum.