Is Data Analytics a Good Career?

There hasn’t been a better time to enter the data analytics career. Over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created daily, and the pace is only escalating with each passing day.

Data has become a critical metric for evaluating an organisation’s performance. It allows businesses to understand their customers, alter their existing strategies, and upgrade the customer experience. 

However, people willing to take a data analyst job are still dubious, “Is data analytics a good career?” 

Although the overwhelming amount of data on the web and businesses’ reliance on it speaks volumes about the importance of a data analytics career, a look into what makes it a worthwhile route will reveal more.

What Do Data Analysts Do? 

Data analysts analyse unstructured, raw data and turn it into meaningful insights. Then, they use the insights to offer helpful recommendations to the company. 

This helps organisations take actionable decisions and improve their business strategies. Here are a few tasks data analysts typically perform: 

• Data analysts create, execute, and maintain databases regularly

• They collaborate with a company’s decision-makers to address the challenges 

• They gather and structure the raw data from internal and external sources 

• The role also requires them to clean the raw data and eliminate the errors 

• Then they interpret their findings and convert them into charts and graphs to communicate the insights to the company’s stakeholders.

Data analysts depend on their efficient problem-solving and statistical analysis skills to perform their duties effectively. Plus, they also have excellent communication skills to share valuable insights with others in the company.

What Makes Data Analytics a Good Career? 

Data is emerging quickly and expanding across various fields like sales, retail, marketing, research and development. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that it has turned into a revenue-generating concept for organisations. 

Industry giants are on the lookout for skilled professionals to handle massive volumes of data. 

The big analytics market is predicted to grow by 30% producing revenue of up to 68 billion US dollars by 2025. So, it presents opportunities for passionate candidates; those who enjoy working with numbers and those looking for a stable career path. 

Here’s what makes a data analyst role worth seeking.

Data Analytics Is a Priority of Most Organisations Today 

Most businesses today have gone online. Therefore, data adoption has become a priority of most enterprises in banking, healthcare, e-commerce, and various sectors. The shift has positively affected business marketing and has synchronised operations. 

So, the constantly evolving data and its valuable outcome point toward a bright future. This means more companies are willing to hire skilled data analysts. So, the opportunities are endless for those seeking a reliable position in the growing field.

It’s a Booming Industry 

One of the most obvious reasons to seek a data analytics career is the growing volumes of data. Companies need massive data to identify new marketing opportunities and improve their processes. 

Because online data is only expected to grow with no signs of slowing down, the industry remains a booming sector. So, the popularity of the field makes up for another reason why it’s a stable career.

The World Is Moving Toward Digital Transformation

We are rapidly moving towards the age of digitalisation and innovation. The adoption rate of big data technologies has increased over the past few years. Besides, 19% of respondents in another study reported having established a data culture in their organisations. 

Further, 56% of respondents said they have driven business innovation using data. Data is critical for conducting customer analysis and making predictions. 

Therefore, the world shifting toward digital transformation sheds light on the potential of the data analytics career path.

Getting Started Isn’t a Tough Cookie to Crack 

Data analytics is for you if you have an inquisitive mindset and enjoy seeking solutions to problems. Regardless of your educational and professional background, you can enter the field with the right skills. 

Numerous online courses allow you to dive deeper into data analytics skills and learn the programming fundamentals and software required to perform data analysis.

There’s a Shortage of People With Excellent Data Analytics Skills

Although the market is expanding with data analytics job opportunities, there’s a considerable gap between existing data analysts and experienced professionals. 

Therefore, companies often struggle to find professionals with significant statistical and programming knowledge. So, if you hone your skills and prove your competence, you may get hired by a renowned firm.

Various Sectors Use Data Analytics 

You’ll see data analytics applications in various sectors and industries. Therefore, there’s no better time to enter the field than now. You’ll find it everywhere, from chatbots to tips on e-commerce apps. 

Several industries would be willing to consider you if you’re passionate about exploring your data skills or building your career. Some popular options include financial services, banking, media, retail, and healthcare, to name a few. 

You can pick the sector that piques your interest and polish related skills.

Opportunities to Work With Top Brands

One of the best things about data analytics is that it offers you an opportunity to work with some industry giants. 

For instance, you may end up working with a global brand like Oracle, Microsoft, or IBM. Here are some other premium organisations and companies that actively hire data analyst professionals. 

• Retail industry: Musgraves, Amazon, Dunnes Stores, etc. 

• Banking and related sectors: KPMG, Fexco, JP Morgan, Bank Of Ireland, etc.

• Automobile industry: Opel, Hyundai, Honda, etc.

• Media. RTE, Virgin Media, Bauer Media Group, etc.

Several Job Profiles to Pick From 

Regardless of the industry, you have several data analytics job types to pick from: predictive, descriptive, and prescriptive analytics. 

Further, you can choose from different job titles, including: 

• Analytics Associate 

• Data Analyst 

• Business Intelligence Analyst 

• Data Engineer 

• Quantitative Analyst 

• Analytics Specialist

Attractive Salary Packages 

The high salary is one of the most alluring aspects of a data analytics career. The salary packages are multiplying with the growing demand for data analyst professionals. Most companies offer additional compensation to candidates applying for the role. 

Besides, as mentioned earlier, finding skilled data analytics professionals is a bit challenging for companies. Therefore, you can expect to receive good pay if a company finds you the right fit. 

Therefore, a competitive salary is another reason data analytics makes up for a good career choice.

Is a Data Analyst Career a Right Fit For You? 

Data analysis is a stable career path, but so is software development. Does that mean it’s the right fit for you? Not necessarily. 

A career that aligns with your innate abilities, natural talents, and skills makes it a good profession. 

Further, if the same area intrigues you, it’s the icing on the cake. So besides considering the perks of a data analyst role, you must identify your abilities before entering a field.

Do You Have a Curious Mind?

Data analysts dive deeper into the data to draw trends and patterns that typically go unnoticed. They are keen observers and have great attention to detail. 

Plus, their inquisitive nature helps them discover the answers to common questions and find solutions to complicated business problems. 

A good data analyst is like a detective who puts together the story pieces to discover the hidden meaning. So, if you’re naturally curious, you’d enjoy undertaking challenging projects that tap your curiosity and encourage you to find relevant solutions.

Are You An Efficient Problem-Solver?

Problem-solving is the core of data analysis. Therefore, you must have efficient problem-solving skills to overcome complicated tasks. One of the primary responsibilities of a data analyst is to know what type of data is required for a specific problem. 

Moving forward, they must determine the most appropriate method to analyse the data. 

If you enjoy solving various problems and know how to keep cool in challenging situations, you’ll enjoy working as a data analyst.

Do You Rely On Analytical Thinking When Approaching Work?

Relying on intuition is common practice when approaching our day-to-day tasks. However, this approach doesn’t work in business. Companies rely on accurate data to draw helpful insights that can positively contribute to their business growth. 

Therefore, if you think based on facts and figures and look for evidence when approaching work, data analytics is for you - because there’s no other approach that works in data analytics. 

Although the driven data isn’t always 100% accurate, relying on gut feeling can lead to miscalculations in the business world. Therefore, those with an analytical mind would make up for an asset for a firm as data analysts.

Do Business Strategies Intrigue You?

Data analysts add value to companies by showing them how to use data to make smart business decisions and improve internal processes. However, getting some experience with data is not enough to succeed as a data analyst. 

You must bridge the gap between figures and the business world. If business operations intrigue you and you enjoy communicating with company decision-makers, you are well-positioned to take a data analyst role.

Are You Obsessed With Numbers? 

A passion for statistics and numbers is crucial if you’re willing to become a data analyst. Knowing the concepts of Maths and Statistics is no small feat, and only a candidate enthusiastic about numbers would enjoy learning related concepts. 

Note that we’re talking about passion here, something you love doing. This doesn’t mean you have to be an expert at maths or related tools. Put simply; the career is not ideal for you if you feel like running when presented with a spreadsheet. 

Conversely, you have a bright future in data analytics if you enjoy arranging complicated data and are eager to discover new concepts consistently.

Do You Enjoy Collaborating and Presenting? 

Data analysts' goals are achieved when they present their valuable insights in the form of charts, graphs, or dashboards. Otherwise, all their efforts will go down the drain. 

The role requires you to translate your key findings to make them easily understandable for non-technical people. 

The role is if you can explain complicated concepts in simple words. Plus, you must also be an effective communicator and an efficient collaborator. Such qualities will boost the chance of your success as a data analyst. 

A few employers also welcome storytelling skills. 

Storytellers are able enough to create compelling narratives for datasets. This makes up for a clear, concise, and interesting presentation for the company’s stakeholders and decision-makers.

What Skills Are Required to Become a Data Analyst?

Knowing what skills you need to become a data analyst is crucial to landing a reliable job. Passion alone won’t help you get a suitable role. Your employer will look at your skills and competence by the end of the day. 

Therefore, you must have relevant experience and skills on your resume to grab their attention and keep them from overlooking your CV. 

Here are some skills you must polish before applying for the role. 

• Programming skills. You cannot afford to forget learning about programming languages like Python. You must comprehensively understand its libraries and how you can utilise them for data analytics tasks. Besides, knowing SQL, R, and SAS is a plus. 

• Mathematical knowledge. Getting into the field is almost impossible without knowing the fundamentals of maths. Working with data requires understanding core maths concepts, including algebra, calculus, probability, and statistics. 

• Machine learning. Knowing ML is not a prerequisite for all data analyst roles, but a few recruiters may consider candidates with machine learning knowledge over those who do not have ML skills. Therefore, gaining fundamental knowledge is always better than being clueless about it during an interview. 

• Analytical tools and software. You cannot process data or analyse it without using analytical tools like Hadoop, Spark, and SQL. 

• Business sense. You could know the ropes of handling data, but if you lack business understanding and communication skills, you’ll fail to comprehend business problems. This will minimise your efficiency, and you may give an impression of an inexperienced, unqualified data analyst. So, ensure to polish your business sense before tapping into new opportunities. 

Data visualisation. Your helpful insights won’t make sense to people if they can’t see the results. Therefore, you must know how to present them in a useful format to help businesses optimise their strategies.

FAQs

Is there Demand for Data Analytics? 

Because companies heavily rely on data to alter their business strategies and improve customer satisfaction, the demand for data analytics is growing. Organisations readily hire skilled and competent data analysts to handle vast datasets and drive meaningful insights for their companies. 

Is Data Analyst Still In-Demand?

Data analysts are in high demand because we’re moving towards the age of digitalisation and rapid transformation. The soaring amount of data compels companies to seek out skilled professionals and pay them competitive salaries to improve their business strategies.

How Do I Get Into a Data Analytics Career?

Obtaining a bachelor’s degree, gaining essential knowledge, and levelling up your skills through professional courses are all it takes to kick start your career as a data analyst.

Final Words

The demand for skilled data analysts is skyrocketing, given the massive amounts of online data. Companies today understand that their businesses cannot thrive without extracting actionable insights from the data. 

So, if you’re wondering, “Is data analytics a good career?” rest assured, it is a rewarding profession. Organisations view data analysts as business assets. They are willing to hire more and pay more - a win-win for those considering the career. 

You can also take a UCD Professional data analytics course to stand out among other candidates applying for the same role in the same company. Not only will it give you hands-on experience to land a job, but you’ll get to learn key lifelong skills that’ll help you further your career.