Is data just data? Not really. The major difference in looking at data is the strategy you use to turn it into useful information. The truth is data analytics is not a new thing. It has been in the industry for quite some time. So the difference lies not in theterm but the timing and skills.
Data analyst jobs are among the most sought-after, with demand expected to grow higher soon. Still, even with the high demand, the supply of skilled candidates is low. It helps to register on the proper data jobs channels. This lets you get notified about the latest jobs and any other relevant information.
Are you interested in becoming a data analyst? Read below to help you make a favorable decision.
Who Is a Data Analyst?
While deciding on a definite path for your career, it would be best first to understand what data analysis entails.
Without a doubt, many companies are acknowledging the benefits of big data as a reliable way of earning insights and making informed decisions. Therefore, a data analyst examines, cleans, converts, and models data to conclude useful information from the provided data.
While concluding, they make proper decisions from the data, which is a great advantage for many organizations.
To qualify as an analyst, apart from analytical skills, you must also be:
- A critical thinker,
- Detail-oriented, and
- An eloquent presenter.
However, the analyzing process is the most important technique. As a data analyst, you must properly transform raw data into credible information.
According to recent research, about 92% of executives use data analytics to score higher marketing strategies. Read on to discover more.
Pros of Becoming a Data Analyst
High Demand
According to Harvard Business Review in 2012, a data analyst is “the sexiest job of the 21st century“. Well, this is true if you look at ‘sexy’ to mean high demand and high salary. With data not going anywhere and instead keeps growing, this is indeed a secure field to indulge.
Moreover, about 70% of job postings in the analytics ecosystem are for data analysts requiring even below five years of work experience. Plus, with few people having the right qualifications and skills to succeed in this field, potential job seekers have many opportunities.
High Pay
Salary growth is another lucrative aspect of data analysts. Salary sets for big data jobs are as high as the demand for data analyst experts.
Most analyst jobs have salaries and compensation packages that can even reach a six-figure range. Besides, since data analytics specialists with the requisite skills are rare, being one will make you earn a pretty good pay-check to match your skills.
As long as the supply of data analytics professionals is low, the salary packages remain enticing and growing for the potential deserving candidates.
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Flexible
Another joy and beauty of being a data analyst is the flexibility of the job market. This means that you can apply to work in various industries requiring expertise such as: healthcare, e-commerce, banking, and marketing.
Thanks to the growing technology, several organizations are recruiting data analysts for better performances. So, there’s no being tied to a specific industry.
In healthcare, for instance, data analytics involves using AI techniques like Machine Learning (ML). This way, it promises to change Health Professions Education (HPE) approaches in handling big and usually messy data. Better yet, it made major improvements by using an application that detects early-stage tumors.
Remarkably, being versatile in data analytics also provides the opportunity to work with the big shots in the job market. In the world of data analytics, big names such as Microsoft, IBM, SAP, and Oracle have inviting chances for your skills.
Easy Start
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If it’s your nature to ask questions and look for solutions, a data analytics career is an ideal path for you.As observed above, you can get a job in analytics even with less than five years of experience.
Still, your academic background shouldn’t be much of a bother as you can easily kick-off your data analyst career as long as you have basic and relevant skills.
Ideally, you can still sign up for online courses and materials to boost and broaden your skills in data analytics.
Read: How Learning a Language Can Help you Become a Better Programmer
Cons of Becoming a Data Analyst
Privacy Challenges
Anything that involves gathering, inspecting, and converting data is likely to always put you in trouble with online privacy issues. As a data analyst, be ready to be in the most heated up controversies in the current world.
Besides, ethical issues surrounding online privacy are not likely to end anytime soon. Amidst helping organizations make data-driven decisions, analysts tend to be in the mix of breaching privacy due to security flaws.
Fast-Changing
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This fast-growing field will need a data analyst to stay updated with trends and advancements. Even though this is true in other professions, the burden of constantly refreshing knowledge and skills is great in fields concerning data.
Because data keeps growing, the changes tend to be dramatic and rapid. Moreover, even though it is easy to start this career, a job seeker must properly understand the field’s requirements.
Indefinite Job Role
While it has become the talk of the job market over time, data analytics is somewhat vague in its definition. It is the study of raw data whereby an analyst finds, analyses, and visualizes data to form insights that will better drive business decisions. What’s more?
The role of an analyst will also vary according to the company’s specific field in its specialization. However, the fact is that analysts must encounter a lot of raw data to work on, which is undeniably time-consuming.
Unfortunately, some companies provide illogical data that can be challenging to work on and not yield anticipated results.
Men-Dominated Culture
According to a survey, data analytics has a balanced gender ratio of 7:3 male to female. While this is better than other computing engineering fields, the men dominate the field. The good thing is that many opportunities are still out there regardless of gender.
However, certain cultures can be barriers to one’s career path. So as a woman, you have to choose the fight of dismantling the barriers and follow your dream job or drop it altogether.
Bottomline
Should you become a data analyst? Experts still agree from the above-detailed information that the demand for data analysts is growing and will keep growing. So, go ahead and pass out your resume!
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Hi, Nice Blog