From Student to Data Analyst
Businesses are finding that the gap between the insights that executives are demanding and what is being delivered by today’s digital analyst, is widening at an alarming rate.
So what can be done to ensure that future analysts are able to move beyond setting up dashboards and distributing reports to being true analysts that are able to provide insights and recommendations to help guide the decision making of business executives?
Gain a Broader View
Many of today’s digital analysts have a far too narrow worldview, often focused on vendor specific knowledge — this ends up creating analysts that are very skilled at capturing and distributing data, using a specific vendor’s platform, but ones that are not very capable of actually understanding and analyzing data.
To a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
To an analyst that is comfortable with building reports, every problem is solved with self-service reporting. To an analytics manager that is comfortable with data collection architecture, every problem is solved with implementation.
However, the most valuable analysts come equipped with a large number of tools that they skillfully select, and make use of, as each unique data problem dictates.
A few years back, i had the opportunity to speak to a group of MBA students from the University of Utah on the topic of analytics & entrepreneurialism and one of the most asked questions was, ‘What classes will prepare me to be a better data analyst? Should I focus on becoming a Google Analytics wizard or should I take more stats classes?’
The answer is, learn as much as you can across a wide range of subjects:
Critical Thinking Skills:
Focus on increasing your critical thinking skills by investing in courses that center around deductive logic, cognitive psychology, and human-computer interaction.
Build a Strong Foundation:
i’m amazed at how many digital analysts lack basic foundational skills like statistics, economics, and finances. Regardless of your field of expertise, these foundational skills are a must have.
Go Beyond Reporting:
Add more complex analytical frameworks by learning about data structures, algorithms, user experience and design, typography, machine learning, programmatic analytics, artificial intelligence, and data mining.
Add Real World Experience
Most people aren’t so lucky as to find the perfect job posting advertising that great entry level data analyst position. So rather than spending time looking for the perfect job title that is guaranteed to get a new data analyst the experience they need to become an industry leader, i recommend those looking to break into the analytics industry to simply look in their own backyard. There isn’t a position out there that couldn’t be made more valuable through the use of data and analytical techniques.
Current Job:
If you already have a job, regardless of the position, find a way to make better use of the data that is available to you. This may require you to get outside your comfort zone a bit and be pushy. Ask for access to data. Be proactive in using data to prioritize your projects. Use data to present the success of your projects to management. The opportunities are there for people who are willing to step up and take them.
New Job:
If you are looking for your next job, take this as an opportunity to find an organization that is data friendly. Ask tough questions during the interview process, what kind of data will I have available to me? What analytical tools does the company own? How critical is data in running the day-to-day of the company? Is data used to determine where future projects fall on the roadmap? This is your opportunity to find a company that will give you the best opportunity to make use of data and gain critical, real-world experience.
Industry Events:
For more than 15 years, Adobe has been running an annual Adobe Analytics Challenge. This is an amazing event that gives students an opportunity to gain experience, using real world data.
The year i attended this event, students were not only able to analyze MGM’s digital properties, they were able to provide their recommendations to MGM executives. Such an amazing experience! Previous years, students had access to analytics products and real-world data from organizations such as Starwood, Lenovo, Condé Nast, Comcast, Overstock.com, Backcountry.com, and Sony PlayStation.
Forward Thinking Institutions:
Seek out institutions that are actively preparing their students for opportunities in the digital analytics industry. One such institution that is on the forefront of developing tomorrow’s digital analysts is Eastern Tennessee State University and their organization ETSU Research Corporation. ETSU Professor and ETSU Research Corporation CMO, Stephen Marshall, and ETSU Research Corporation CEO, David Golden, are well on their way to creating a world-class program that will serve as a model for other universities looking to prepare future generations of both business savvy digital analysts and business leaders who are steeped in data.
While there is no singular track to becoming an amazing analyst, gaining a broader view of the world, adding new skills to your repertoire, and pushing yourself beyond distributing reports are all good bets to take.
The last piece of advice i’ll add is patience. Becoming a great analyst takes time. It’s not something that happens overnight. It’s not something that you become by reading a book. It’s not something you become by working for {fill-in-the-blank-company} or getting a certification in {fill-in-the-blank-industry-certification}.
Each unique experience, every project to you take on, makes you a better analyst. Don’t rush it and remember that this is only the beginning of a lifetime of learning.
