Your Future Career: Why You Should Consider a Role in Data Analysis

Your Future Career: Why You Should Consider a Role in Data Analysis

Once a role reserved for the finance sector, Data Analysis is fast becoming one of the most desirable roles in all business fields. And for good reason too! Businesses are overflowing with data – data about consumer behaviour, data about their manufacturing times, data about cost breakdowns, and more. If managers can collect and understand this data, they can easily make decisions that will have a beneficial impact on their business.

Why Consider a Role in Data?

If you want job security and to know that your role is still going to be wanted in years to come, a role in data is about as secure as they come. Data scientist jobs are predicted to increase by 36% between 2021 and 2031, and data analyst jobs by 23%. Put that into context, most industries are only predicted to rise by 5%. Plus, these roles will be found across all sectors – from retail, to hospitality, to medical care, and countless others.

Because of the rise in demand, salaries for data roles are also booming. According to Glassdoor, Data Analysts with 2-4 years of experience could expect a salary of £29k-£44k, and that could increase all the way to £142k if you were to climb the career ladder up to Director of Data.

A role in data can be extremely rewarding in other aspects, too. Your insight will be incredibly valuable to the board, and you will be in a position to influence key business decisions. It’s definitely a position where you can make your mark.

What Are the Roles Available?

Data Analyst – responsible for collecting data, bringing it together to identify trends and create reports. It’s the analyst’s job to present the data in an understandable form for internal stakeholders and to make actionable recommendations.

Data Scientist – responsible for building more advanced data models from the day-to-day intel, perhaps creating predictive algorithms, or automatic data visualisation platforms.

Data Engineer – responsible for collecting and organising data. Their skills lie mainly in systems building as they will design the appropriate pipelines and storage systems required for their organisation.

Data Architect – responsible for designing and improving an organisation’s data processes. A Data Architect will take care of high-level data management, ensuring data privacy and security is sound, and acting as a liaison with business stakeholders.

6 Skills to Develop for a Successful Career in Data?

1.      Good with numbers and spreadsheets – It’s no surprise that a role in data will require a mathematical mind. To have the basics covered, you need to know how to calculate and interpret the relevant statistics. Many data analysts will have a bachelor’s degree in maths to start them off. You also need to be a spreadsheet fiend so that you understand the querying language and mathematical operations needed to get answers quickly in Excel.

2.      Methodical approach – Problem solving is a big part of data analysis. Someone who can follow logical processes will do well as they can assess the situation, understand the goal, and map out the steps needed to get there.

3.      Data Cleaning – Data cleansing is an underrepresented part of data analysis. Simply put, the better the data going into the formulas and algorithms, the better the data is coming out. Analysts need to identify corrupt, incomplete, duplicated, and outlying records in order to create accurate results.

4.      Data Visualisation – After collecting and organising the data, you’re going to need to communicate your findings to the rest of your team. Data visualisation is vital to making all that information easily digestible to non-mathematical teammates. Graphs, pie-charts, and key statistics will be your friends.

5.      Programme Languages – For anyone wanting to pursue a career more along the Data Engineering route, programming languages are going to be vital. Structures Query Language (SQL) will be essential, but other useful languages include Python, MATLAB, and R.

6.      Commercial Mindset – This is one of those skills that will set you apart for more senior opportunities. Someone who can produce and interpret statistics is one thing, but someone who can take that information and apply it to the business’s growth goals is better. Your managers will appreciate your ability to consider the wider context of your work.

If you’re looking to take the next step in your data career, we’re here to help. We can work with you to highlight all those essential skills on your CV, as well as finding you the best vacancies available to suit your career goals.

Call our specialist IT recruiter, Sarah Emery, on 07841 913 635 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to arrange a chat about your next steps.

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