Why & How to Become a Data Analyst – Your Ultimate Guide

1.7 MB of data per second!!
Yes, each day we generate 1.7 MB of data per second! According to a recent market report, it is estimated that by 2025, the data market will be worth $229.4 billion USD (source: statistia.com). With an increasing focus on data-driven operations, every industry is looking for a data analyst who can analyse and derive actionable insights from data. Demand for skilled data professionals - especially data analysts - has witnessed a 45% increase in the Indian market (source: educationtimes.com).
Data analysts play a crucial role in extracting valuable insights from large datasets, transforming raw data into meaningful information. This information is later used for deriving strategic decisions that can help businesses serve their customers better. Their work contributes directly to the success and profitability of businesses, making them an indispensable part of the company.
Data analysis is an exciting and dynamic career domain with immense growth potential. Entry-level analysts can earn around ₹6 to ₹8 LPA, while experienced ones make something between ₹18 to ₹30 LPA.
With every click, purchase, and interaction generating valuable data for the organisation, the demand for skilled data analysts continues to soar. The blog explores why data analytics is an excellent career option and how you can build a successful career in this domain.

Who Is A Data Analyst?

A data analyst collects, cleans, analyses, and interprets raw data to draw out meaningful, actionable insights. They help organisations to process data to uncover patterns, trends, and relationships within datasets. This information enables organisations to gain valuable insights into various departments, such as customer behaviour, market trends, and other major parameters. These data-driven insights further help businesses undertake suitable business decisions.
Data analysts are largely in demand across different industries including finance, healthcare, retail and manufacturing. In finance and banking, they work on data to identify fiscal risks, optimise investments, and improve overall financial performance. In the retail industry, data analysts help understand consumer preferences and forecast demand. For the healthcare industry, data analysts work on finding meaningful insights from a thorough analysis of patient records and medical data.

Why choose Data Analytics as a career?

Each organisation collects data to understand its customers better and develop dedicated business solutions for them. But, a huge part of the data gathered is cluttered and needs expert cleaning to glean valuable insights. Thus, businesses are in urgent need of data analysts who can process the information into valuable, evidence-based insights.
Here are a few reasons why data analytics is a great career option -

1. High demand for data analysts

The demand for data analysts is growing rapidly as businesses are increasingly counting on data-driven decisions.



2. High salary

Data analysts typically earn good salaries, especially as they gain experience. An entry-level data analyst can earn up to ₹ 7 lakhs annually, while experienced top talents can earn up to ₹27 Lakhs.



3. Huge Scope of career growth

This profession has immense scope for career development. Data analysts can advance their careers by shouldering senior-level responsibilities - such as leading data analysis projects or managing teams of data analysts. They can also sign up for a Data Science certification course for upskilling.



4. Demand in multiple industries

Data analysts are in demand in a vast and versatile range of industries, including but not limited to finance, healthcare, technology, and retail.

Top Skills to Become a Data Analyst

You need a college degree in mathematics, statistics, or computer sciences (preferably) to build a career in data analysis and data analytics. Since data analysts work in multiple disciplines, they must develop various hard and soft skills to make it in the industry. Here are a few hard and soft skills that are a must-have for a data analyst:

1. Hard Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Knowledge of programming and querying languages like SQL, Oracle, and Python
• Expertise in data visualisation
• Mine, analyse, model, and interpret data
• Basic Mathematics
• Data Cleaning



2. Soft Skills

• Communication and presentation skills
• Research
• Problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Good organisational skills and an ability to meet deadlines
• Business acumen

Dataspace Academy’s Certification in Data Analytics program is open to learners from all domains, including non-technical ones. This job-ready data science course introduces a learner to data visualisation, data cleaning, and data mining tools. Learners are also introduced to Python programming, SQL, and statistics as well. The program involves hands-on training to help learners develop practical skills for the real-world workspace.

Steps To Become A Data Analyst

Data analytics is one of the most promising careers of this decade. Ideally, you need to dedicate 12 to 14 weeks to learn the basics skills. However, it’s imperative to garner hands-on experience to develop professional expertise and scale up your career.
Here is a detailed roadmap for anyone trying to build a data analyst career from scratch.

1. Get familiar with the fundamentals

You have to start with the fundamentals and familiarise yourself with the theories pertaining to data analytics. You can read reports on how data analytics helps in real-world situations, and research different techniques - regression analysis, factor analysis, cohort analysis, etc. - used for transforming raw data into clean data. This will help to establish a sound theoretical foundation in the domain of data analytics.
Once you are confident with the theories, it's time to explore the key data analytics tools. Anyone aspiring to be an analyst should start with Microsoft Excel.

2. Sign up for a certification course with practical training

While the free resources online could help with beginner’s essentials yet these courses barely offer the opportunity to develop hands-on course. Thus, enrol into a structured certification course that covers all the major topics in data analytics, covers hands-on training - and also doesn’t cost a leg.
The data analytics course by Dataspace Academy enables students to receive hands-on experience in various tools and programming languages frequently used by data analysts. Plus, at the end of the course, learners receive internship opportunities, placement assistance, complimentary grooming, and interview preps.

3. Brush up Soft Skills

While working on data analyst skills and training, it is essential to focus on honing soft skills as well. Data analysts need to work on their soft skills like conducting research and solving problems. They also need to polish their communication skills to ensure smooth delivery during presentations, reporting, team discussions. The right soft skills often render a strong traction to your resume.

4. Networking

Creating networks with your cohorts and forging connections play a crucial role in securing lucrative jobs in this field. For optimum impact, participate in conferences, extend LinkedIn invitations, or actively engage in data analytics forums. Extensive networking with the right community improves chances of discovering mentors, finding potential job & upskilling opportunities, and building a promising career.

5. Build up a professional portfolio

Build a smart job-ready portfolio as you prep up for job interviews. A portfolio is arguably the most essential asset when it comes to applying for jobs. You can showcase your work and demonstrate your proficiency in using tools that are frequently used by analysts to analyse data.

Wrapping up

A career in data analytics offers endless possibilities for both professionals as well as freshers. Companies from different sectors are hiring data analysts who can help them with analysing the data sets and uncovering hidden patterns. And these corporations are willing to offer generous salaries and additional perks to the right talent. By honing your analytical skills and staying up-to-date with industry trends, you too can build a rewarding career in this domain.
If you have a passion for uncovering patterns, a curiosity to explore hidden connections, and a drive to make an impact, then Dataspace Academy can help you build a career in this domain. Get ready to unleash the power of insights and embark on a fulfilling career as a data analyst. Our beginner-friendly, 6 months-long Certification in Data Analytics program is the perfect launch pad for data analytics enthusiasts. This course comes with a dedicated online/offline class schedule and exclusive hands-on training that can help you develop essential data analyst qualifications.
So, what are you waiting for? Join us now!!

FAQ

1. What are the prerequisites for taking the data analyst courses?

Prerequisites for data analyst courses are mathematics, statistics, and object-oriented programming languages like Java, C, or Python. Also, fundamental knowledge of structured query language (SQL) for database queries is essential.



2. What types of skills are needed to be data analyst?

Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, knowledge of programming and querying languages, and expertise in data visualisation.



3. What are top Data Analyst job opportunities?

Job opportunities for data analytics include business analyst, healthcare analyst, consultant, and data engineer.



4. How much does a data analyst earn?

Top data analysts with relevant years of experience can earn up to ₹27 lakhs annually.