Showcasing the Career of a Data Analyst for University Students in Ottawa

I've talked before about how to develop skills related to data analysis, but I've never gone over the potential careers or fields that require it. And if you're a university student who's still wondering about what career path you want to pursue, you might not know what options are out there.

Today, I'll introduce the career of a data analyst for university students, talk about what they do, which sectors they work in, and what skills they need for the job.

What does a Data Analyst do?

Based on the name, a data analyst is an individual whose role is to analyze data. Sounds straightforward, doesn't it? Well yes, but there's so much more to it.

There's a whole process that analysts need to follow as part of their job, and analyzing data is just one step of the process. The diagram below illustrates this:

To sum it briefly, the process begins by asking a simple question: why? Why do we need data? What is the reason why? Is it to solve a particular issue or problem at work? What do we want to know?

Once that question is answered, we can then go about identifying and collecting the data we need. We can collect it ourselves, through surveys or questionnaires. This is referred to as primary data. We can also look at data that others have collected before us. This is secondary data.

Either way, no matter if it's primary or secondary data, the dataset needs to be cleaned. Often, there are missing values, duplicates, or improperly formatted values. Before we can analyze it, we must clean this data  to make it easier for us to analyze. Data analysts often use tools such as IBM Modeler, Excel, Power BI, or Python, to help clean data.

Now, we get to analyzing data. Here, the goal is to answer the question we defined in the beginning of the process. By analyzing our data, analysts use tools to look for patterns and trends in the data. They try to make sense of the numbers, and how  they can help understand and answer the main questions they defined earlier.

After analyzing the data, we often have to communicate our findings. We understand what we've found, and what the numbers mean, but others don't have the context that we have. In a way, we have to be able to share that knowledge with others. Analyst often build visuals to make organize the data, so that it's easier to understand the information being presented. This is where analysts can get creative with the colours and visuals they choose to use.

So, data analysts do more than analyzing data. Data analysts have to ask themselves the purpose of what they're trying to do with all their data, acquire their data, clean it, analyze, and then communicate to others about their findings. 

Importance of Data Analysts in Other Fields

So why exactly are data analysts important? Well the simple truth is that data is everywhere. Almost every field today uses data to understand their current situation, and to make decisions. Every field requires analysts who are able to collect, analyze, and communicate data for that purpose. 

Here are some popular sectors that require data analysts:

Finance

Financial analysts are a common title you'll hear in the world of Finance. Data is an important part of financial reports, as it is an indicator of whether a company is in good financial standing, or if they are performing as expected. Analysts are often involved in collecting data related to the company itself, and then prepare, analyze, and create visuals to communicate this information. Financial analysts are also sometimes required to extrapolate and help predict what the company's financial standing will look like in the future.

Healthcare

Believe it or not, the Healthcare sector is finding themselves requiring a growing number of data analysts. These analysts are required to analyze data related to patients, hospitals, and healthcare outcomes. The overall goal is to analyze data to see where improvements can be made regarding healthcare. For example, a hospital might want to improve their internal processes, such as their waiting times. They'll need analysts who can collect  analyze this data to figure out whether the hospital's average waiting times are considered to be "too long" or not. Then, the hospital can make a decision of whether or not to find a way to reduce the waiting times in order to provide better care to their patients.

Required Skills

Given that Data Analysts are in high demand in many sectors, there are many opportunities out there. If you're interested in becoming a data analyst, here are some skills you'll need:

• Knowledge of data analysis tools: This includes knowledge of how to use Excel, Python, and other software. I've written a blog post on how to use Python, but if you want to learn more, there are plenty of online courses and certifications that you can earn!
  
• Knowledge of data visualization tools: This includes knowledge of Power BI, and other visualization tools. I've also written a blog post on Power BI, but I would encourage you to learn more about other tools like Tableau, or programming languages like R!
• Knowledge of different fields: Since analysts work in different sectors, it's important to have an understanding of the context of the field you're working in. 
• Communication: Understanding how to analyze the information is one thing. Being able to communicate and explain it to someone else is another thing. 

I hope you've found interest in the career of a data analyst. If you enjoyed this content, feel free to share with other university students who might be interested! 

I also encourage you to contact me through my website and/or connect with me on LinkedIn! I'm always happy to chat and get to know you!

Thanks for reading!