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Data analysts, could share your experience and answer this questions? Thank You very much

What skills are most important? What skills you use every day?
What qualifications would you recommend?
What are the biggest challenges?
What advice would you give someone starting this career?

career advice careeradvice skills data-science data-analysis data challenges data-analyst data-analytics sharing-experience my-personal-experience
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Akasha’s Answer

Hi Jane,
Data analytics is a great career if you enjoy solving problems and working with data. Here are my thoughts:

Most Important Skills: Critical thinking, problem solving, attention to detail, communication, and curiosity. Technical skills like Excel, SQL, python or R, and data visualization tools(such as Tableau or power BI) are also very valuable.

Skills used every day: cleaning and organizing data, analyzing trends, creating reports or dashboards, and explaining findings to others in a way that's easy to understand.

Qualifications: A degree in data analytics, computer science, mathematics, statistics, business, or a related field can be helpful, but many employers also value certifications, projects, and practical experience.

Biggest Challenges: Working with incomplete or messy data, meeting deadlines, and communicating technical results to non technical audiences.

Advice For Beginners: Start by mastering Excel and SQL, then learn python and a visualization tool like Tableau or power BI. Build a portfolio of projects using real datasets and keep practicing. Strong communication skills are just as important as technical skills.
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MAJ Markeith’s Answer

From my personal experience in industry, it’s brutally important to work with and learn the tools of the trade, which is where the rubber meets the road, rather than learning a specific language - since ai can write code for you. It’s far more advantageous to get free developer accounts in tools like palantir foundry, Qlik, power automate, power bi, etc. These are the ways real life business problems get addressed and you learn the requisite languages by proxy. Identify and research the tools. Select with ones you’d like to specialize in. Build your portfolio with projects using those tools, and you’re pretty much off to the races from there. But remember, this is a fast moving space. Learning and expanding your knowledge and capabilities never end. But start with understanding the tools in the field and the ones most interesting to you. Let the world unfurl from there.
Thank you comment icon Thank You so much for Your answer! It's easy to understand and very helpful :) Jane
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Laura E.’s Answer

If you're working on building data analytics skills, equally important as the technical skills is the ability to talk about your work to different audiences. In a data analyst role you may have to present or summarize your work for different groups, from your own team - much more connected to the data space - to leaders, who may be more interested in the "big picture" conclusions. You will stand out as a data analytics professional if you can explain 1) not only what you did, but also 2) what it means - and tailor how much of 1 and 2 you share depending on who you're talking to.

Whether or not you're working with data yet, this translates to general presentation skills - practice really knowing what you're talking about, and consider what questions you might get asked ahead of time so you're prepared.
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Jose’s Answer

Hi Jane,

From my experience, here are some key things to keep in mind as a data analyst:

Important Skills:
You'll need to know SQL, Excel, data visualization tools like Power BI or Tableau, and have strong analytical thinking and communication skills.

Recommended Qualifications:
Having a degree in analytics, statistics, business, or computer science is great, but certifications and hands-on projects are just as valuable.

Biggest Challenges:
You'll face issues with data quality, need to understand business needs, and explain insights to people who aren't tech-savvy.

Advice for Beginners:
Start by learning Excel and SQL, work on real projects, enhance your communication skills, and focus on solving business problems, not just handling data.

Hope this helps!
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Brandy’s Answer

I'd be happy to share my perspective!

What skills are most important?

The most important skills are:

Critical thinking – asking the right questions and understanding what the data is really telling you.
Communication – being able to explain results to people who aren't technical.
Problem-solving – turning business questions into data-driven answers.
Attention to detail – small mistakes in data can lead to big mistakes in conclusions.

What skills do you use every day?

Most data analysts regularly use:

SQL (querying data)
Excel or spreadsheets
Data visualization tools such as Power BI or Tableau
Communication and presentation skills
Data cleaning and validation

What qualifications would you recommend?

A degree in a field such as Data Analytics, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Business, Economics, or a related area can be helpful. However, employers also value practical experience and projects that demonstrate your skills. Learning SQL, Excel, and a visualization tool is a great place to start.

What are the biggest challenges?

One of the biggest challenges is working with messy or incomplete data. Another is translating technical findings into clear recommendations that decision-makers can understand and use. Sometimes finding the answer is the easy part; explaining it effectively is the harder part.

What advice would you give someone starting this career?

Learn the fundamentals of SQL and Excel.
Build projects using data that interests you.
Focus on storytelling, not just numbers.
Be curious and ask lots of questions.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Every project teaches you something new.

My biggest piece of advice: A great data analyst is not someone who knows the most tools. It's someone who can turn data into useful insights and communicate them clearly. 😊You're going to be great!
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Felipe’s Answer

What skills are most important? What skills you use every day? Apart from languages, I'd say it's important understanding the data. In the end, it's just numbers, but you must understand what they mean. You must be able to analyze and let the numbers talk to you.
What qualifications would you recommend? I'd start with excel, SQL and basic Python.
What are the biggest challenges? Lately, with the AI, seems difficult to find entry/junior level jobs.
What advice would you give someone starting this career? Start with online courses and personal projects to start a portfolio. It don't need to be complex at first, you'll learn with time and patience. Try not to feel overwhelmed with the requirements some companies have, but rather, find a learning roadmap with a lot of practice.
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