May 28, 2020
Data Analyst Career Overview
Salary:
The national average salary in the United States for a Data Analyst
is $62,453
Education:
For most entry-level jobs, you are expected to have a bachelor's
degree. For more senior-level positions, companies will require a
master's degree. Most analysts will have degrees in fields like math,
statistics, computer science, or something closely related to their
field. There are multiple certification options in this field.
Skills and Requirements:
- The ability to analyze, model, and interpret data.
- Critical thinking.
- Domain knowledge, i.e., know the specific of an industry.
- Be able to present findings to stakeholders using visualization software.
- Math skills- linear algebra, calculus, probability and statistics, discrete math & graph theory.
- Knowledge of AI, ML, and Deep Learning.
- Ability to work with structured and unstructured data (videos, social media and etc.)
- Programming skills/tools - SQL, MS Excel, Data Visualization Software, Analytics Software.
Career-Boosting Skills
Good Knowledge of Python, R, SAS, and Scala
How To Become a Data Scientist Without a Degree?
Data Science stems from multiple disciplines in mathematics. Having
an understanding of mathematical concepts like calculus, linear
algebra, probability, discrete math, etc., is essential.
Next, build the necessary prerequisites by learning the basic
concepts of Computer Science. Currently, the most popular languages in
the field of Data Science is Python and R.
Explore existing case studies... Examining case studies will help
you assess and practice the correct approach to a particular problem.
Get hands-on experience by working on live projects. Here are some
places to gather data-sets and start experimenting. “Top 10
Great Sites with Free Data Sets”
Get certified. This step is optional but would improve your chances
of becoming a Data Scientist.
Here are the top certifications for Data Scientists:
- Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)
- Cloudera Certified Associate: Data Analyst
- Cloudera Certified Professional: CCP Data Engineer
- Data Science Council of America (DASCA) Senior Data Scientist (SDS)
- Data Science Council of America (DASCA) Principle Data Scientist (PDS)
- Dell EMC Data Science Track
- Google Certified Professional Data Engineer
- Google Data and Machine Learning
- IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
- Microsoft MCSE: Data Management and Analytics
- Microsoft Certified Azure Data Scientist Associate
- Open Certified Data Scientist (Open CDS)
- SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional
- SAS Certified Big Data Professional
- SAS Certified Data Scientist
Also, building a presence on websites like Github, Linkedin,
Kaggle, Tableau Public, etc., increases your visibility online.
Recruiters frequent these profiles for potential candidates.
You can identify jobs through job-board-listings and contact the
companies directly to get information about their hiring process.
And, remember to network through your local Data Scientist Meet-up
or User Group. Many times, it is surprising how quickly you can make
helpful connections.
If you are an analyst or a hiring manager looking for talent,
please feel free to share in the comments, insights, or suggestions.
