The rise of Big Data has resulted in an urgent need for data analysts, who are experts that extract useful information from large amounts of data and apply them to solutions and strategies to benefit their organisation. Learn more about the responsibilities and roles that data analysts handle, and the skills that are needed to thrive in this career, supported by data analytics courses in Singapore.

What are the responsibilities of a data analyst?

Some of the roles and responsibilities that data analysts have include finding trends and insights from data to make effective recommendations, collating data and streamlining it via proper infrastructure and assisted by specialised software, producing reports for both internal use and external clients, as well as collaborating with colleagues across various departments to implement various strategies.

Data analysts play an important role across a wide range of fields, such as banking and finance, software development, healthcare and pharmaceutical research, along with logistics and manufacturing, amongst others. Undergoing data analytics training in Singapore is an excellent way for students to step into this challenging yet rewarding industry with proper support and guidance.

Smartcademy’s Data Analytics Course is a online live webinar consisting of 8 lessons and includes assignments, assessments, and a capstone project. It covers data analytics fundamentals, as well as introducing Python, SQL and data visualisation, which are essential for every data analyst to be familiar with. The course also includes 1-on-1 consultations to allow students to clarify their doubts with trainers, as well as alumni access that includes exclusive free webinars and networking opportunities with our partners.

What skills are needed to thrive as a data analyst?

Having a good fit of skills is key to thriving as a data analyst. Here are a number of essential skills, which are further honed by data analytics training in Singapore.

1. Technical skills

Data analysts require a strong familiarity with technical skills to perform multiple rounds of comprehensive analyses, construct computerised models and create data visualisations, as well as manage databases for easy sorting and retrieval of analysed data. Commonly used software and programming languages include Python, R, Structured Query Language (SQL), and Oracle, amongst others. Data analytics courses provide students with the sufficient foundation to learn how to do so, as well as the practice needed to be familiar with these programs and languages.

2. Critical thinking and problem solving

Data analysts are constantly presented with novel problems, and require an innovative and creative approach to solving these issues. They are also required to have a methodical approach in uncovering and creating connections between datasets, applying critical thinking to thoroughly analyse the process, and have a clearly defined flow of processing, refining, and storing the data they work with. In addition, it helps for data analysts to be resilient, organised, and focused, and data analytics training in Singapore goes a long way to preparing one to do so.

3. Strong mathematical ability

Data analytics requires a strong familiarity in statistics and mathematics, with a large number of data analysts majoring in these fields in university. Some examples of maths in data analytics include linear algebra and calculus, which have applications in machine and deep learning. A rigorous understanding of statistics also ensures the validity of the analyses being carried out, as well as avoiding fallacies and logical errors that can affect the utility of the data.

4. Interpersonal and communication skills

Contrary to popular belief, data analysts are not permanently working behind a computer screen while running their analyses. They often work with a team of colleagues which include data scientists, database developers, as well as marketing and sales executives, being required to present their findings in both written and verbal form. As such, having interpersonal and communication skills are soft skills that are invaluable for data analysts, particularly as they grow in seniority and experience.

Looking to enroll in a reputable data analytics course in Singapore? Get in touch with us today to find out more.