16 Skills for a Data Analyst that Employers Are Looking for

 Data analysts need to have technical skills

As you might expect, you need to know a lot about technology to be a good data analyst. A data analyst might know a number of coding languages, specialised software programmes, and other technical skills, and it can be hard to tell which ones employers want the most.

We looked at more than 66,000 job postings for data analysts to find out what the top technical skills are that employers want.

1 If you want to become a data analyst but don't know which tech skills to focus on, this list can be a good place to start.

Employers want data analysts to have the following technical skills:

SQL

Tableau®

Data warehousing

Python®

SAS®

Power BI from Microsoft

Project management

Taking out, changing, and putting in (ETL)

Database by Oracle®

Data mining

Data modelling

As you can see, data analysts should be comfortable with a wide range of programming languages and tech tools. It can be scary to look at a list of all these technical skills, but don't worry.

What soft skills data analysts need to shine

More to know about data analysis than how to use technology. When data analysts work with other people in their organisation to use the power of data, soft skills play a big role.

We looked at real-time job postings for data analysts to see what soft skills are most important in this field.

1 Read on to see if you already have some of the qualities needed for this job.

Communication

The work of a data analyst looking through raw data doesn't help anyone if they can't explain their findings to the rest of their team in a way that everyone can understand. Data analysts should be able to communicate well in a variety of ways, such as through writing, speaking, and special software for visualising data.

Data analysts may have to report their findings to a team in a group setting, so being able to speak in front of a group and give a good presentation are also valuable skills. Data analysts can help their company's leaders decide what to do next because they have great communication skills.

Problem-solving

You can't just push a button and have data mined and put in order. The way technology works isn't always perfect. When glitches happen in an algorithm, a database, or a line of code, data analysts must be able to find the problem and fix it so they can keep collecting the data they need as quickly as possible.

When working on big-picture problems with their team, data analysts also use their problem-solving skills. They have to work with other people in their company to figure out which problems to focus on and how to solve them using data analysis.

Research

You might think that data analysts have access to all the information they need. If a data analyst wants to get the most out of the data they gather, they should be ready to do some digging. If you want to tell a story or figure out what raw data means, you'll need to be able to do research and ask questions to put the facts in the right context.

Data analysts do research to keep up with industry trends so they can figure out how to get the most useful information out of their data. Research also helps them show their coworkers what they've found and explain why they think the organisation should move in a certain direction.

Attention to detail

In many ways, the job of a data analyst is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Data analysts must be able to find the small clues that point to a larger message that's hiding in a set of data. "Reporting and collecting data can be time-consuming and hard to understand," says Lauren Petermeyer, manager of digital strategy and planning at 301 Digital Media. "It's always possible to get better at drawing meaningful conclusions from that data."

Data analysts also need to pay close attention to details when they set up processes to capture and sort data in an effective way. A small mistake in a single line of code can mess up the whole process. Data analysts should always be on the lookout for small mistakes that can lead to bigger problems in the system.

Teamwork

Data analysts work with people in many different jobs to get things done. They work with data scientists to figure out what kinds of questions data analysis can answer. They also work with web developers to make sure that their company's website is set up to collect the information they need quickly and easily.

On a larger scale, data analysts work with company leaders to figure out how the most recent data insights can help the company reach its goals

Data analytics is a very rewarding field to work in, and there are many ways to get into it. We hope that this article has helped you see some of the many ways you can learn. Set up a call with Syntax Technologies if you want to talk to a real person about your plans for the future of data.

Our data analytics boot camps give students a unique chance to become experts in the field and, as a result, get jobs in one of the most in-demand fields in the tech industry.


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