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How can I transition from a non-technical background into a data analytics career, and what specific skills or certifications should I focus on to stay competitive in today’s job market?
just wondering
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Folayemi’s Answer
Hey Kamon,
I would advise you start with the fundamentals.
You don't need a technical degree to break into data analytics, but you do need to build some core skills. Start with Excel (more powerful than people give it credit for), then move into SQL, which is probably the single most important skill for a data analyst — almost every analytics role uses it. From there, learn either Python for data manipulation and analysis.
Learn at least one data visualization tool. Tableau and Power BI are the most employer-friendly options right now. Being able to tell a clear story with data is just as important as the technical analysis itself.
Also, look into getting certifications like Google's Data Analytics Certificate on Coursera, which is one of the most recognized entry-level options and is beginner-friendly.
Build a portfolio. Certifications alone won't get you hired. Work on real projects, even personal ones, and put them on GitHub. Kaggle is also great for practicing with real datasets.
I would advise you start with the fundamentals.
You don't need a technical degree to break into data analytics, but you do need to build some core skills. Start with Excel (more powerful than people give it credit for), then move into SQL, which is probably the single most important skill for a data analyst — almost every analytics role uses it. From there, learn either Python for data manipulation and analysis.
Learn at least one data visualization tool. Tableau and Power BI are the most employer-friendly options right now. Being able to tell a clear story with data is just as important as the technical analysis itself.
Also, look into getting certifications like Google's Data Analytics Certificate on Coursera, which is one of the most recognized entry-level options and is beginner-friendly.
Build a portfolio. Certifications alone won't get you hired. Work on real projects, even personal ones, and put them on GitHub. Kaggle is also great for practicing with real datasets.
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William’s Answer
I am not far into the field of data analytics, but perhaps enough to answer the question. Skills like SQL and Excel are an absolute must. Python and Power BI/Tableau are highly preferred. Skills in data visualization and communication are also important. There are many certificates you can look into on Google courses, Coursera, or LinkedIn. Still, the biggest thing that's going to help you right now is building a portfolio to show you know what you're doing, rather than having a piece of paper that assumes you do. And that's not as hard as it sounds. You don't need actual professional work to start building a portfolio. You can use ChatGPT to help you build a basic SQL or Excel project using generated mock data. It's a competitive job market, so do what you can to gain any advantage.