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A data analyst doesn't just see data everywhere.

Buzz Lightyear telling Woody, 'Data, data everywhere!'

They enjoy taking raw data and turning it into useful knowledge based on the needs of their organization.

For example:

Where you might see a boring excel spreadsheet with numbers on how many burgers were sold by a fast food joint in a year...

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A data analyst might see trends in fruit and vegetable consumption among people throughout the year and use that to inform seasonal menu items!

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But What Does A Data Analyst Really Do Though?

If you want to get technical, the daily activities of a data analyst include:

  • Compiling Excel spreadsheets to organize data before analysis

  • Interpreting raw data and identify patterns

  • Using statistical tools and other software to combine and create specific solutions

  • Creating flowcharts, graphs, and dashboards to visualize data

Quiz

If they only deal with data, are communication skills necessary?

Ok, But What Kind Of Jobs Can A Data Analyst Apply For?

Plenty! In fact, there's a growing need for data analysts as the world creates ridiculous amounts of data every second!

Andy from The Office motioning, 'My mind is blown,' with his hand

Roles that a data analyst can apply for include:

  1. Data journalist

  2. Risk assessor

  3. Operations analyst

  1. Research assistant

  2. Business intelligence analyst

  3. Marketing analyst

Did you know?

Indeed, a large amount of time and effort in the lives of data analysts everywhere is spent cleaning and refining data. However, the possibilities of fields you could work in are only limited by your imagination!

What About The $ Amounts?

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In Canada, the average salary for data analysts is $57,357 CAD.

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In the U.S., the average salary for data analysts is $61,329 USD.

So Is It For Me?

Data analysis is not everyone's cup of tea.cup of tea illustration

Reconsider a career in data analysis if:

  • You can't fathom working at a computer all day

  • Numbers give you a headache

  • You're not detail-oriented

But, a career in data analysis might just be what you are looking for if you enjoy:

  • Solving problems

  • Shaping the future

  • Critical thinking

  • Working with raw data

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Quiz

I like people watching at the mall and taking note of what people are doing. Is this a sign?

Take Action

If you think there's a number cruncher hidden in you, take the opportunity to bring them out and show off a world of data to process!

Flaticon IconTry out a little data analysis on yourself:

License:

This Byte has been authored by

GK

George Kuruvilla

Communications Coordinator

English

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