How to Build a Career in Data Analytics

Data analytics is the backbone of many modern businesses and, as such, there’s never been a better time to build a career as a data analyst. Today we’ll be breaking down the data analytics roadmap to help you plan your career in this booming industry.

What is Data Analytics?

When researching market trends, it’s not uncommon for companies to hire expensive consultants. But what if you could cut out the middle man? What if you could build systems to gather and interpret customer data in a way that will always keep you on track.

For many data analysts, this is the core of the job. While not strictly a commercial role – there are plenty of data analysts working in the sciences – most data analysts spend their days gathering, cleaning up, and interpreting large data sets in order to provide the c-suite with clear insights to help guide their decisions making.

The term ‘data-driven’ has certainly become a bit of an industry buzzword in recent years – particularly among tech startups – but there is a good reason for this. Good data leads to stable, reliable profits. Good data helps you make predictions and keep your company on track. Truly data-driven companies survive and thrive and they can only do this with first rate data analysts working for them.

Skills & Qualifications

If you’re looking to start a data analytics career, then you may be surprised to learn that you won’t need a degree – although a relevant one is extremely helpful. Data analytics is a firmly skills-based profession and hiring decisions are almost always made on the basis of experience and evidence.

For those in a position to do so, degrees in data heavy subjects like computer science, statistics, or economics are worth pursuing. That said, what you really need is an incredible portfolio and just about any experience you can get your hands on.

That experience could come from internships, apprenticeships, or even working your way up from a low-level position in a company. Hiring managers won’t be too worried about where you learned your skills so long as they’re truly confident that you can do the job.

Building Your Career in Data Analytics

Once you’re through the door, things get a little easier. As with almost any job, the more professional experience you have, the more attractive you’ll be to companies.

If you’re looking to continue expanding your professional options then the key is to never stop learning. New tools and software are always coming out. There are always new ways of understanding the fundamental concepts. Being a data analyst is a skill and, like any skill, there’s always further you can go.

At the same time, you’ll also want to have a level of career sense. Networking is, of course, vital as is keeping a close eye on the industries you can be most valuable to. Five years of professional experience is amazing, but industry relevant experience is even better. An insurance company, for example, would much rather hire an analyst with experience in insurance than one whose career up until now has been working with retailers.

It is also possible to go freelance although not as easy as in some other industries. While freelance data analysts can bring in a lot of money, they’re generally building their client list on the back of an already successful career.

Finding clients isn’t easy because you’re competing with outsourcing firms who can spread the workload across multiple people and take on bigger contracts. You also don’t have the same marketing budget they do which means reputation will go a long way. Lastly, as a solo data analyst, you’ll really need to have a huge skillset, allowing you to tap into the broadest market share possible.

On the other hand, the major advantage to going solo is that you can build your own company, making much larger profits off of the back of your knowledge and experience.

All told, while it’s a difficult skill to master, a knowledgeable, experienced data analyst can earn a lot of money and that doesn’t look set to change any time soon.