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r/dataanalysis•2 yr. ago
milwted
DA Moderator 📊

Want to become an analyst? Start here.

Starting a career in data analytics can open up many exciting opportunities in a variety of
industries. With the increasing demand for data-driven decision-making, there is a growing need
for professionals who can collect, analyze, and interpret large sets of data. In this post, I will
discuss the skills and experience you'll need to start a career in data analytics, as well as tips on
learning, certifications, and how to stand out to potential employers.

Starting out, if you have questions beyond what you see in this post, I suggest doing a search in
this sub. Questions on how to break into the industry get asked multiple times every day, and
chances are the answer you seek will have already come up. Part of being an analyst is searching
out the answers you or someone else is seeking.

I will update this post as time goes by and I think of more things to add, or feedback is provided
to me.

Originally Posted 1/29/2023

Last Updated 2/25/2023

---------------------------------------------------

Commonly Asked Questions –

Q) Do I need a degree?

A) Its helpful. Many job postings for DA ask for a bachelor’s degree.

Q) Will the Google Data Analyst certificate from Coursera be enough to get me a DA job?

A) No. Not even close. The course teaches you some of the basic technical concepts of the
industry and that’s about it. My feeling on the course is this – If you took the entire thing from
start to finish and it didn’t scare you away, you may have a chance at this.
More on this certification -- It is marketed really well as being a potential game changer. This
cert gets asked about 10x more than any other. Again, it is not a magical key to the industry. It
lets you peek in the door to see what you are getting yourself into.

Q) How do I transition from X field I am in today to become a Data Analyst?

A) See the list below for the tips on how to do it.

Q) I already have a degree in X, will that help me?

A) Depends on the position, the recruiter, and the company. Most job postings show that they are
looking for a degree in a related field -- Business, Statistics, etc. The more relevant, the better
your chances are that it will help. Remember, a degree is just one part of an entire package you
should have to help you transition into the field.

Q) What do I need to learn?

A) Excel, SQL, Python, and Power BI or Tableau is a good place to start. I would also learn
them in that order. From those, you can start branching out to learn more, such as SSRS, Azure,
SAS, Looker, Alteryx, etc.

Q) Do certifications matter?

A) Depends on the person doing the hiring. To some recruiters, it means you have at the
minimum a basic knowledge set on the topic. To others, they may see them as useless
throwaways that anyone spending 30 minutes on the Internet could get.

Q) Can I get a job right away?

A) Depends on your experience level. If you are trying to break in from another career, its going
to be difficult and like any job hunt, you will probably be passed up for those that are experience
already. Its going to come down to your knowledge of the field and how well you market
yourself. See #11 below.

Q) Is having a degree in X enough to get me a DA role?

A) Probably not. Again, depends on the company and the hiring manager. You are going to
improve your chances by adding a great resume and experience to your degree.

---------------------------------------------------

Roadmap to break in to analytics:

1. Build a Strong Foundation in Data Analysis and Visualization: The first step in starting a
career in data analytics is to familiarize yourself with the basics of data analysis and
visualization. This includes learning SQL for data manipulation and retrieval, Excel for
 data analysis and visualization, and data visualization tools like Power BI and Tableau.
There are many online resources, tutorials, and courses that can help you to learn these
skills. Look at Udemy, YouTube, DataCamp to start out with.
2. Get Hands-on Experience: The best way to gain experience in data analytics is to work
on data analysis projects. You can do this through internships, volunteer work, or
personal projects. This will help you to build a portfolio of work that you can showcase
to potential employers. If you can find out how to become more involved with this type
of work in your current career, do it.
3. Network with people in the field: Attend data analytics meetups, conferences, and other
events to meet people in the field and learn about the latest trends and technologies.
LinkedIn and Meetup are excellent places to start. Have a strong LinkedIn page, and
build a network of people.
4. Education: Consider pursuing a degree or certification in data analytics or a related field,
such as statistics or computer science. This can help to give you a deeper understanding
of the field and make you a more attractive candidate to potential employers. There is a
debate on whether certifications make any difference. The thing to remember is that they
wont negatively impact a resume by putting them on.
5. Learn Machine Learning: Machine learning is becoming an essential skill for data
analysts, it helps to extract insights and make predictions from complex data sets, so
consider learning the basics of machine learning. Expect to see this become a larger part
of the industry over the next few years.
6. Build a Portfolio: Creating a portfolio of your work is a great way to showcase your skills
and experience to potential employers. Your portfolio should include examples of data
analysis projects you've worked on, as well as any relevant certifications or awards
you've earned. Include projects working with SQL, Excel, Python, and a visualization
tool such as Power BI or Tableau. There are many YouTube videos out there to help get
you started. Hot tip – Once you have created the same projects every other aspiring DA
has done, search for new data sets, create new portfolio projects, and get rid of the same
COVID, AdventureWorks projects for your own.
7. Create a Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your skills and experience that are
relevant to a data analytics role. Be sure to use numbers to quantify your
accomplishments, such as how much time or cost was saved or what percentage of errors
were identified and corrected. Emphasize your transferable skills such as problem
solving, attention to detail, and communication skills in your resume and cover letter,
along with your experience with data analysis and visualization tools. If you struggle at
this, hire someone to do it for you. You can find may resume writers on Upwork.
8. Practice: The more you practice, the better you will become. Try to practice as much as
possible, and don't be afraid to experiment with different tools and techniques. Practice
every day. Don’t forget the skills that you learn.
9. Have the right attitude: Self-doubt, questioning if you are doing the right thing, being
unsure, and thinking about staying where you are at will not get you to the goal. Having a
positive attitude that you WILL do this is the only way to get there.
10. Applying: LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. Indeed, Monster, and Dice are also
good websites to try. Be prepared to not hear back from the majority of companies you
apply at. Don’t search for “Data Analyst”. You will limit your results too much. Search
for the skills that you have, “SQL Power BI” will return many more results. It just
 depends on what the company calls the position. Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Data
Visualization Specialist, Business Intelligence Manager could all be the same thing. How
you sell yourself is going to make all of the difference in the world here.
11. Patience: This is not an overnight change. Its going to take weeks or months at a
minimum to get into DA.

Be prepared for an application process like this

100 – Jobs applied to

65 – Ghosted

25 – Rejected

10 – Initial contact with after rejects & ghosting

6 – Ghosted after initial contact

3 – 2nd interview or technical quiz

3 – Low ball offer

1 – Maybe you found something decent after all of that

---------------------------------------------------

Links to help get you on your way:

YouTube:

Alex The Analyst

Luke Barousse

Ken Jee

Tina Huang

Thu Vu

Sundas Khalid

Kenji Explains

Guy in a Cube
Data Tutorials

Tech with Sofia

Shashank Kalanithi

Ali Ahmad

CareerFoundry

Data Set Websites:

Kaggle

Data.gov

Our World in Data

Google Datasets

Opendatasoft

Tableau

Maven Analytics

UCI Machine Learning Repository

Learning Websites:

YouTube

Udemy

Coursera

Data Camp

Code Academy

Leet Code

Stratascratch
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