The way in which social media companies use the data collected about their users has hit the headlines and raised awareness even further of the enormous impact big data has on our lives every day. Let’s look at what it’s actually like to work in big data and why students should specialize in the field with an online data analytics course.
Why learn big data?
Career longevity is highly likely as big data is here to stay. So, a new generation of trained data experts and analysts are needed to lead the way and establish better data governance to win over consumers. You could be one of them with the help of analytics courses online.
To change the world, you’ll use data in all sorts of amazing ways:
What can be achieved through data analytics is demonstrated by several business sectors. For example, some NGOs, have been using artificial intelligence to fundraise by collecting data on their supporters and using this to predict and target actions and messaging.
The hospitals have been collecting reams of health data to improve patient care. Hence, 47 percent of hospitals in the US are already using predictive analytics to cut costs and predict operating room and staffing demands. We believe that big data will enable hospitals not just to cure disease, but also to prevent it in the future.
Growing skills gap for trained big data experts:
We’ve got good news if these types of job roles sound intriguing. As a major challenge to integrating big data into their operations,41 percent of businesses cited a lack of skilled candidates, according to a 2014 survey.
Available jobs with a degree in data analytics are huge:
The first thing to get straight is that your role isn’t the same as a data engineer or data scientist if you pursue a career as a data analyst. Relevant bits of information is pulled by data analysts from enormous databases in order to inform decisions in a number of business areas like HR, marketing, customer service, and operations.
Important transferable skills, such as project management, critical thinking, and problem-solving, and open up opportunities across industries as data managers, data consultants can impart you by this. The data analyst certification online promises to teach you how to reap the benefits of big data for business and give you a global understanding of the opportunities the technology presents.
The majority of companies realize the value of a data-driven business strategy and are in need of talented individuals to provide insight into the constant stream of collected information.
The best online data analytics courses have been designed to provide students with the specialized combination of skills they need to not only thrive in their work.
Top skills for data analysts include:
Structured Query Language (SQL)
Microsoft Excel
Critical Thinking
R or Python-Statistical Programming
Data Visualization
Presentation Skills
Machine Learning
Essential Skills for Data Analysts:
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SQL
The ubiquitous industry-standard database language is SQL and is possibly the most important skill for data analysts to know.
SQL has many clauses and functions. Among the clauses of SQL are the Join Clause, And Clause, and Where Clause. The functions of SQL, among others, are DDL, DML, and Triggers
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Microsoft Excel
The first thing that comes to mind is likely a spreadsheet when you think of Excel. But there’s a lot more analysis power under the hood of this tool. Meanwhile, a programming language like R or Python is better suited to handle a large data set, advanced Excel methods like writing Macros and using VBA lookups are used widely. The tool has remained a mainstay for businesses in every industry, over the years, so learning it is a must.
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Critical Thinking
Using data means figuring out what to ask in the first place, which can often be quite tricky. You have to think like an analyst to succeed as an analyst.
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Data Visualization
You’re going to have a difficult time getting through to others if your findings can’t be easily and quickly identified. That’s why data visualization can have a make-or-break effect when it comes to the impact of your data. Eye-catching, high-quality charts, and graphs are used by analysts to present their findings in a clear and concise way. You can easily learn these skills with an online data analytics course.
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Presentation Skills
Data visualization and presentation skills go hand-in-hand. That’s okay if presenting doesn’t always come naturally to everyone. Even seasoned presenters will feel their nerves get the best of them at times.
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Machine Learning
Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics are the hottest topics in the field of data science. An understanding of machine learning has been identified as a key component of an analyst’s toolkit. The tools and concepts are important to know in order to get ahead in the field. While not every analyst works with machine learning.
Developing Your Skills
The key to advancing your data analytics career is knowing which skills you’ll need to break into analytics and start working with data. Organizations are looking for hires with these in-demand, short-in-supply skills as industries are buzzing about Big Data. Improving your data analytics knowledge today means more opportunities and more money for you in the future.
If this transition into an analytics career is your demand. There are many ways that you can develop these seven skills to help you reach your goal. One of the best ways is to join an online data analytics course to achieve this goal.
