5 skills data analyst must know

A Data Analyst is a professional who gathers, organizes and analyzes data to understand and explain it. Data Analysts are essential for making sense of complex data sets and extracting meaningful insights from them. So what skills do you need to be a successful Data Analyst? Here are some essential domain skills and soft skills that every data analyst must possess to acquire growth in their career path.

SQL

The most crucial competency for Data Analysts to possess is the ability to use SQL, or Structured Query Language, which is the de facto industry standard database language. The language is frequently referred to as Excel's "graduated" counterpart because it can work with much larger datasets than Excel can. Almost every company requires an SQL expert, to handle and store data, connect several databases (like those Amazon uses to suggest things you might like), or create or modify certain database structures.

Microsoft excel

Although a spreadsheet is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Excel, this program has a lot more analysis capacity than that. While Advanced Excel techniques like building macros and using VBA lookups are still frequently utilized for smaller lifts and lighter, quicker analytics, programming languages like R or Python are better equipped to manage a huge data set. If you work for a small business or start-up, your database may even have been created and managed via Excel at first.

Critical thinking

Finding the right questions to ask in the first place is frequently the most difficult part of using data to get answers. You must think analytically if you want to be successful as an Analyst. A Data Analyst's job is to find and combine relationships between datasets that aren't always obvious.

R or Python–Statistical programming

R or Python can perform any task 10x times faster. When working with large datasets, these powerful statistical programming languages are utilized to conduct sophisticated analysis. They both meet industrial norms. Proficiency in at least one of these languages in addition to SQL tcould proof to be beneficial for a successful Data Analyst.

Data visualisation

To make your point and keep your audience engaged, you must be able to write a captivating tale using facts. You will have a hard time persuading people if it is difficult to immediately and simply identify your findings. Due to this, the impact of your data can either make or break your data visualization efforts. Analysts explain their conclusions clearly and simply by using eye-catching, high-quality charts and graphs. Because it is so pleasantly user-friendly, Tableau's visualization software is regarded as an industry-standard analytics tool.

Data Analytics is a complex and challenging field, but it is also immensely rewarding. If you have the right skills, you can make a real difference in the world by helping organizations to make sense of their data and extract valuable insights from it that lead to its profitability.

The 5 essential skills that we have listed above are just some of the skills that you will need to be a successful Data Analyst. Data Analytics can ideally pursued by those from all Engineering streams, degrees connected to computer science and IT streams, or any other degrees with a major in Mathematics and Statistics. So overall, anyone with interest can switch from non-technical to this career option and with a proper training, can slowly start to build a career as a Data Analyst!

(The author is the CEO, EduBridge)