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Data has become the lifeblood of several organisations in this digital age leading to an increased demand for skilled data professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics reports that there will be a 36% growth in the employment of data scientists from 2021 to 2031. This indicates that the data industry has one of the highest growth rates in the world which makes data analytics a lucrative professional choice.
But how do you build a successful career as a data analyst? Getting basic education in data analytics, earning certifications, building a portfolio, networking, and keeping an eye on the latest trends in the data sector are some of the ways to start a career as a data analyst.
In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about becoming a successful data analyst and the skills you should pick up on the way to advance your career in data analytics.
What is data analytics?
Data analytics is the process of examining and interpreting raw data to extract valuable insights that can be used to make informed business decisions. Data analysts use various techniques, tools, and statistical models to uncover hidden patterns and trends which can give businesses a deep understanding of their operations and customer base thereby enabling them to improve efficiency and identify potential opportunities.
How to build a career as a data analyst
Education, skills, and experience are the most important things you need to start a career in data analytics. Let’s take a detailed look at each of the requirements:
Obtain relevant education
Enrolling in any data analytics programme and learning the basics is the first step to building a successful career as a data analyst. To become a data analyst, you must have a basic understanding of database management, statistics, and several programming languages like Java, C++, SQL, and Python.
Additionally, you must develop skills relevant to the data industry such as data mining, visualisation, statistical analysis, and machine learning. Once you develop these skills you will be qualified to apply for data analyst jobs.
Earn certifications
Data analytics is a diverse field with several specialisation options to explore. Consider your area of interest and apply for certification programmes in that field. Some of the popular specialisation areas in data analytics include business analytics, logistics analytics, healthcare analytics, marketing analytics, and financial analytics.
Earning certifications in your area of interest helps you gain a deep understanding of the working mechanism of that sector and the various challenges that you may encounter. Doing projects and fieldwork in a particular subject area will widen your skill set and also boost your career prospects.
Build a portfolio
Employers often look for candidates who can demonstrate their skills and knowledge through projects or any other work experience. So, you need to build a portfolio of your project works and similar work experiences for the employer to be interested in your profile.
Also, ensure that you have an updated LinkedIn profile. This is often a crucial factor during the hiring process.
Networking
Building connections with like-minded people is an integral part of career growth and data analytics is no exception. Attend industry events and get in contact with professionals working in the data industry. This will not only expand your knowledge but also create a channel to find out about any job openings in the field.
Kaggle, Open Data Science, Data Science Central, and Dataquest are some of the popular data analytics communities where you can discuss projects, develop your skills, and interact with peers.
Stay updated
As data is a growing field with new innovations every year, it is important that you stay updated and make continuous learning a priority. To do this, make it a practice to attend conferences, workshops, or any other industry events that talk about data science.
This is an excellent opportunity to meet experts and learn about the latest trends and technologies in data analytics.
As the first step to a successful career, enrol in a data science programme at the University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE), Germany where you will get the opportunities to learn and grow. In this programme, you will learn about data science skills that are highly relevant in the business world.
UE also provides opportunities for you to explore related subjects through their interdisciplinary electives where you can choose to study game design, digital media communication, or UX/UI design along with the data science programme.
Enrol in a data science programme at UE to discover exciting opportunities in the field of data science.