Data Analyst – Job Description
Learn more about becoming a Data Analyst in the UK.
Main Duties
A data analyst has to collect and analyse data that companies will use for various tasks. They may relate to insurance, marketing, politics or other things. It will be necessary for the data analyst to complete a selection of calculations on the data and report back their findings and conclusions.
One of the most important aspects of their job is to analyse risk. They will need to make sure that any expansion plans the business has are likely to be successful according to market trends. They will need to look at competitors as well as the company they work for to draw conclusions. This can be difficult as they have to predict what might happen in the future and decisions may be based on their findings.
It may be necessary to problem solve using the data, by looking at problem areas and analysing data to work out why things are going wrong.
The finding will have to be reported in written and maybe verbal form. Graphs and statistical analysis will be needed to be done.
The job would normally be office based and working hours would be 9-5 Monday to Friday in most cases although overtime may need to be done if reports are due.
Expected Salary
Entry level salary will be from £25,000- but this could rise to £80,000 if you obtain a senior position after some years of successful work experience.
Pros
Has a good starting salary and can potentially reach very high salary levels.
It is possible to get high pay quickly with hard and accurate work.
A great job for someone with an analytical mind who likes problem solving.
Cons
Can be high pressured and therefore may be stressful.
Needs to get the information correct or else it could have devastating results for the company.
Can have some boring data entry aspects.
Qualifications Required
A good knowledge of computers especially spread sheets and possibly statistical packages.
A good degree in maths, computer science or economics.
A Masters can be helpful but is not necessary.
Work experience in computer science or engineering is a big help.
Required Skills
An eye for detailGood at seeing trends in dataComputer skills, especially spread sheets and statistics softwareA good head for numbersKnowledge of statisticsProblem solving skillsFlexible, creative with time management and organisational skillsGood social skillsGood presentation skills
This would be a good career for someone who is excellent at maths (for example took maths and stats at A level, and a mathematically based degree would be a distinct advantage)