The rise of technology has revolutionized both our routine lifestyles and the way business was conducted worldwide. New tools and gadgets give birth to unique practices, which every company has to cope with. The same is valid with data analysis, which has taken over every industry throughout the globe.
Surviving the ever-changing modern market dynamics is unimaginable for a firm without thorough data analysis. That is why organizations have started devoting special care to the subject. Businesses nowadays create a designated division to take care of every data-related duties.
This is how the now renowned job of data analyst came to rise. Becoming a data analyst is a viable decision in the modern market due to the sheer amount of perks you get. Dealing with data, formulating business strategies, and enjoying handsome pay for it is anyone’s dream.
Such perks give birth to severe competition, causing the market to be inundated with capable candidates. But what makes a candidate a skilled data analyst? What skills and what duties you need to fulfill to be called a qualified data analyst?
Many aspirants ask these questions daily, and the blog will address them. Although you can easily find an entry level data analyst job description, this one will give you immense clarity. Here is every duty an entry level data analyst must be capable of undertaking.
What is Analytics?
Before diving into the details of a data analyst’s duties, let’s take a look at what analytics is. Analytics can be defined as the bridge between the practice and theory of communicating and identifying data-based insights.
Such insights can help stakeholders, managers, and executives make educated decisions for the business. Depending on the position, data analytics might even account for a broader context than the organization.
Considering the market competition, external & internal business interests, and filling specific data sets can also be considered analytics.
Different Types of Data Analytics
Now that we know what analytics is, it is time to learn more about its types. Here are different types of data analytics an analyst has to consider:
Diagnostic Analysis
Under this category, the data analyst analyzes an event’s occurrence by comparing databases and identifying any patterns. Through this, the organization prepares itself for an upcoming impact, be it positive or negative.
Descriptive Analysis
The category accounts for what events took place in the past. Such events can be quarterly sales, monthly income, annual site traffic, etc. Analyzing the events can help the organization identify any recurring trend.
Predictive Analysis
This type of analysis determines what events are likely to occur after analyzing the descriptive and diagnostic research. This helps the organization stay proactive and make apt preparations for an upcoming shift.
Prescriptive Analytics
Prescriptive analytics help the business figure out the best steps to follow. Keeping up with the latest trends and addressing potential issues are two vital benefits of prescriptive analysis. Analytics is also utilized to comprehend advanced technologies like Machine Learning.
Entry Level Data Analyst Job Duties
Planning to apply for an entry level data analyst job? Enhance your data analyst resume by accounting for the duties you will need to fulfill:
The entry level data analyst role mainly revolves around gathering and assessing different data types to help the enterprise make educated calls. The job can require you to consider other data facets like market research, sales numbers, logistics, employee patterns, and transportation costs.
The candidate also collects data from different sources like internal, external, primary, and secondary sources to produce precise data for evaluation. After mining the data, the candidate needs to reorganize it in a set format to make it understandable for machines and humans.
After gathering the data, an entry level data analyst must analyze and interpret the data with different tools and software. Therefore, you must be adept with the latest analytical tools and software as well.
A junior data analyst deals with raw data to identify any relevant patterns, clarifying the data findings to a non-technical audience. The patterns also serve as a guide for other data analysts to undertake predictive and diagnostic analytics.
Other than that, preparing visualizations such as flowcharts, graphs, and dashboards fall under a data analyst’s working prowess. The purpose of such visualizations is to represent the findings visually to stakeholders and interested departments.
A junior data analyst also needs to compile Excel spreadsheets and use Visual Basic for Apps to show the data before running it through the analysis. Since data analysts’ work revolves around data, they must be adept with SQL and Python languages. Any candidate aiming for a data analyst role should be capable of coding and recoding the data gathered in different databases for identifying viable patterns.
After pattern recognition, a data analyst must maintain the database and look for new market opportunities. The maintenance part can also require you to fix any code-related errors alongside additional data-based issues.
The role can require you to demonstrate your analysis results in the context of local, national, and international market trends, which can affect your organization. Communicating the data findings with the senior data analyst or the chief data officer is also a data analyst’s duty.
Furthermore, discussing the data findings to formulate new governance policies is also the job of a data analyst. While performing all this, a data analyst must document the process followed to replicate or duplicate the analysis for further uses.
Generally, an entry level data analyst’s role can be acquired through an associate degree and 1-2 years of work experience. However, some organizations might hire a candidate with no degree but 2-3 years of experience. Nevertheless, most organizations prefer a candidate with a bachelor’s degree and 1-2 years of relevant field experience.
Conclusion
In recent years, the prominence of data has skyrocketed in the global market. Now every industry is investing significant resources to get the most precise data and enhance its proceedings. This has put considerable emphasis on the role of data analysts as their job primarily revolves around data.
The job is pursued majorly by numerous candidates, increasing competition and creating confusion regarding the role. That is why the blog has mentioned the duties a data analyst has to undertake. Read through to understand the responsibilities you need to perform if you wish to become a data analyst.
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