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5 Things I Wish I Knew 5 Years Ago When I Was Starting In Data Analytics
Today, I’m sharing 5 things I wish I knew when I was just getting started in data analytics 5 years ago.
I’ve been working with data for the past 5+ years.
Unfortunately, there were times that I doubted the path I was on:
- SQL joins were confusing
- I didn’t get Python best practices
- Excel pivot tables were hard to understand
- Communicating with business partners and clients
Fortunately, I figured out things along the way and never looked back.
It’s easy to get tripped up if you don’t know what to watch out for.
You will waste a lot of time and energy:
- Second-guessing the path you’re on
- Believing you only have one shot
- Not realizing your full potential
- Getting mad and quitting
Fortunately, if you know what to look for, you can avoid all the hassle on your data analytics journey.
Here are the 5 things I wish I know 5 years ago:
1. Being a data analyst is like having a superpower
Your confidence increases as you solve more and more problems using data. Eventually, you become the “go-to” person for this stuff.
- Working with data and SQL
- Answering questions they never even thought to ask with Tableau
- Creating simple (to you) but magic (to them) Excel docs
- Automating tedious work with Python
2. Every industry needs data analysts
I like working in the financial services industry, especially with sales and marketing data. However: Every. Single. Company. has data and needs help.
Just have a look:
- Medical industry entry-level job in Massachusetts starting at $78k
- Entertainment business data analyst starting at $65k per year
- Higher education entry-level data analyst starting at $60k per year
- Digital business analyst at Nike (no salary estimate)
3. You don’t have to become a data scientist
Until recently, I assumed the career progression ended with becoming a data scientist. Since then, I’ve found a better path, getting into product management in strategic data analytics.
Other career paths as you advance in data analytics:
- Tech lead
- Team manager
- Project manager
- Senior data analyst
- Software engineering
- Data strategy and governance
- Product management (my path)
4. It’s okay if it takes a while for things to click
Some of the skills you need as a data analyst are hard to learn! And that’s okay. For example, I remember SQL JOINs taking forever and then “clicking” one day.
Everyone learns at their own pace. Don’t bother comparing yourself to others. Just focus on taking one step at a time.
One tip: share what you are learning and what you are struggling with. Chances are that there is someone that can help you and someone that can learn from you.
5. Soft skills > technical skills
While it’s true that technical skills (like SQL, Tableau, Excel, and Python) are absolutely required, you’ll need to develop soft skills to grow in your career.
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Critical thinking
The best analysts take their 2-3 tech skills and layer on the soft skills. If you can do that, you are unstoppable!
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5 Things I Wish I Knew 5 Years Ago When I Was Starting In Data Analytics
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