Are you thinking of getting into the data analyst career path? If yes, it helps to know the in-demand skills you need to land a lucrative job.

Data analysis is a challenging but rewarding career path. The data analyst’s job prospects are quite positive for one reason. There is high demand in all sectors, including government, finance, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals.

There is no limit to the areas that need your data analyst job specialization. These include marketing, sales, business intelligence, data assurance, and quality assurance.

Data analysts are responsible for collecting, organizing, and analyzing vast amounts of data from various sources. They use the insights from their data analysis to determine trends, recognize patterns, and forecast future behavior. Data analysts often recommend strategies that help businesses or organizations improve performance or solve problems. 

Responsibilities can range from developing reports, forecasting trends, creating models, and managing databases to creating visualizations, using data mining techniques, and making recommendations for improving data operations. 

Data analysts also need to be able to handle uncertainty and make decisions based on incomplete information. With an ever-increasing amount of data and the complexity of modern day businesses and organizations, the job of the data analyst is more important today than ever before.

Data analyst job entry-level salaries range anywhere from £23,000 to £25,000. With experience, you can expect to take home anywhere from £60000 and above.

So, what are some of the in-demand Data analyst skills you need to be hired?

In-Demand Data Analyst Skills That Will Get You a Job Quick

A concern for many people getting into careers is the issue of job prospects. As we mentioned above, this should not worry you. Every organization or sector needs the services of data analysts.

Once you graduate, sign up for data jobs online. Employers use such platforms to look for  suitable candidates. When a job opening comes up requiring your experience, you get a notification to apply.

Increase your chances of getting a good job with the following in-demand data analyst skills.

1. Data Management Skills

It would be difficult, if not impossible, to get data analyst jobs without data management skills. After all, this forms a significant part of your daily activities. If we put it in figures, 80% of the data analyst’s job is in data management.

So what does data management include?

• Data cleanup removes any wrong information from data sets.
• Data analytics and exploration which is critical to the generation of useful insights
• Data visualization and knowledge of relevant software like Tableau, PowerPoint
• Report generation to present the insights you get from the data analysis.

2. Statistical Programming

Statistical programming is one of the most in-demand skill sets for data analyst jobs. As part of the course, you will learn programming languages like Python or R.

These programs give you the ability to analyze data at a higher level than with Microsoft Excel. Writing programs with statistical programming languages brings higher efficiency to the job.

3. Structured Query Language (SQL)

SQL is the language you use to communicate with databases. SQL helps with updating, organizing, and querying data in relational databases. You can also modify the schema or data structures.

Please note SQL is, for most data analysts, the entry point into programming languages. Also, some of your data analysis tasks will need you to write SQL queries. The same applies to getting data from the database. 

So you can be sure that not having the skill set may put you at a distinct disadvantage. Indeed, some interview questions may have SQL tests as part of the technical screening.

4. Domain Knowledge

As a data analyst, you can find a job in any sector. One of the first things you must do is to get clarity on that particular industry and company.

This can be especially important in fields such as healthcare, finance, and marketing, where the data can be complex and the industry-specific context is crucial to understanding it. 

Candidates with domain knowledge are able to bring a unique perspective to their work and are often able to provide more actionable insights.

5. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving

Data analysis jobs entail a lot of critical thinking and problem-solving. You work with tons of data every single day. But all that data is only meaningful if you can identify patterns and extract insights. You should be able to look deeper into the data and generate useful actionable insights.

Problem-solving is another critical skill set. How can you use the insights you generate to improve the organization? And that also requires a level of innovative thinking. How can the company, for instance, increase efficiency with limited resources?

6. Statistical Visualization and Good Communication Skills

Your role as a data analyst is to generate insights from huge data sets. That entails breaking complex information into simple, digestible bits. If you try presenting raw data to a roomful of executives, the outcome will not be good. Many will not grasp what all that information means.

So your other role, aside from data analysis, is presenting the final insights. And that is where statistical visualization as an in-demand skill comes in. you must be conversant with visual representations like graphs, charts, and maps.

Imagine standing in front of those executives, but you can’t communicate well. How will you explain what all those visualizations and insights mean? Yes, your data analyst job is more than just dealing with big data analytics.

You should also be able to explain complex terms in simple language. The same applies to defending your findings based on what the data insights reveal.

7. Machine Learning

Make yourself more attractive to data analyst recruiters with machine learning skills. By now, you know identifying patterns in data sets is a core data analyst’s job. And nowadays, machine learning has made the task simpler.

The data analyst creates algorithms that can help with pattern identification. The more data the algorithms process, the smarter and more accurate they get. We are not saying you should go into an in-depth study of AI and machine learning. But, some understanding can set you apart from other candidates.

Final Thoughts

In the introduction, we shared why data analytics as a career choice makes sense. There is high demand as every sector needs the skill set.

The salary is quite good even at a data analyst job entry level. Further, there are opportunities to advance your career as a data analyst. But, it helps to have specific skills to make you more attractive to data analyst recruiters. We have shared seven in-demand skills above.

Also, don’t struggle to look for work. Fill in your profile on onlydatajobs and wait for the job offers.

As we navigate the data-driven world of the 21st century, honing in on the right skills to become a successful data analyst is even more important than ever before. With the help of this article discussing seven essential data analyst skills, you’ll have the knowledge needed to stand out above the competition and get hired for the job you’ve always wanted. 

So, take some time to brush up on these vital skills, and you’ll be setting yourself up for a highly rewarding career as a data analyst!

Daniel Martin has hands-on experience in digital marketing since 2007. He has been building teams and coaching others to foster innovation and solve real-time problems. Dan also enjoys photography and traveling.

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