In the past, data roles were looked on as something niche, and maybe not even all that important, but today that’s changing very fast, and now businesses of every size rely massively on data just to understand what’s happening day-to-day, never mind planning for the future. That means people need to take on data roles more often, and to do that, they’re going to need a wide mix of skills to do it properly – it’s a lot more than running reports and looking at spreadsheets now. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about the core skills every modern data professional should build.
Understanding The Numbers
Of course, no matter what else is happening, having a strong foundation in analytics is still the most important thing – you’ve got to feel comfortable looking through datasets, working with basic statistics, and spotting important patterns, for example. All that doesn’t even have to be that complicated, though, as long as you know what to look for and what questions to ask to get there.
If you’re not sure you’ve got the core analytical skills you need, it could be worth investing in programmes like applied business analytics online, where the focus is on practical, real-word decision-making, which is sure to be something that helps you hugely in your job.
Working With Real Tools
If you’re working with data, you’re inevitably going to be using a variety of important tools like SQL, Python, Power BI, Excel, Tableau, and more. The good news is you really don’t have to become a whizz at them, although it’s wise to learn about them before just diving in because that can save a lot of time, and that could make all the difference.
The end goal is to use these tools to get the bits and pieces of data you need and, ideally, to make sense of them in a way you can easily share with others. So in the end, listing loads of different programs on your CV is fine, but you’ll need to show why they’re important, and how they help you help others – it might be that just one or two is really all you need.
Solving Problems
It’s all too easy to get the data and present it as it is, without any explanation. Yes, technically you’ve done what you needed to do, but is it really much use? The answer is pretty much no, which is why you need to look at the data, notice patterns, risks, and so on, and think in terms of outcomes – how does this information help with marketing or the customer experience or stock levels, or whatever else you need to work on.
Essentially, if you’re able to be a good problem-solver and not just someone who looks at data in isolation, you’re go from being a good analyst to a great one, and perhaps even one who’s genuinely indispensable.
Final Thoughts
Modern data jobs aren’t about crunching numbers, at least not completely – they’re about making those numbers clear and useful, and if you can do that, you’re on the right track.