A data analyst is an individual who is responsible to gather, investigate and represent data and filter out useful information from it. A data analyst’s work may differ based on the domain and industry (marketing, sales, manufacturing, etc.) he is working in but the underlying job responsibility is the same i.e. to analyze the data.
In their effort to extract, scrutinize and portray data, a data analyst utilizes a wide array of skills including but not limited to data mining skills, database skills, knowledge of IT, analysis capabilities and presentation skills.
A data analyst must be able to elicit useful data from large amount of information, ask relevant questions to filter information, analyze the resulting data efficiently, use structural analysis to segregate data and make use of different data presentation techniques to deliver the data in the adequate format.
Responsibilities
- Conduct preliminary data analysis to assess the nature of data.
- Liaise with relevant people to understand data better.
- Ask questions from key stakeholders for missing information.
- Conduct further analysis to extract meaningful data.
- Perform data mining and use querying languages (for e.g. SQL).
- Determine data configurations and patterns.
- Represent data through graphs, charts and other representational techniques.
- Model data through different data modeling techniques.
- Make data projections and advice the relevant stakeholders.
- Conduct further analysis to support your analysis.
- Present you finding through meetings, presentations, workshops and seminars.
- Prepare the final reports on the basis of your analysis.
Skill set
- Analytical skills
- Ability to handle large volume of data
- Research and analysis capabilities
- Extrapolation and interpretation aptitude
- Ability to compile data and find patterns
- Skilled in data visualization
- Knowledge of querying languages/concepts (for e.g. SQL)
- Coding and programming abilities (for IT domain)
- Good command over spoken and written communication
- Presentation skills