TDP #19: The Recommended Skill Stack for New Data Analysts

Knowing which technical tools to focus on when you’re just starting can save you time.

When you’re newer to the field, it’s not always obvious what you should know.

I’ve worked for a couple of different companies as a Data Analyst now and have applied to many many more. I’ve also spoken with dozens, if not hundreds of people at this point about their data jobs and data job hunt experience.

Through my own experience and from talking to others, I’ve noticed very common threads in what companies typically look for in an entry-level analyst.

Let’s go through each one.

Excel

Despite Excel’s age, it remains one of the most widely used tools for business. While it does have limitations when it comes to file size and malleability, it is still a fundamental tool that every data analyst should know.

I’ve come across Excel numerous times as part of technical interviews and know of data departments that use a simple Excel and SQL tech stack to get the job done. You’ll see it on most job applications so it’s a good tool to know.

Common skills to know are pivot tables, XLOOKUP, basic charting, SUMIF, and aggregation functions.

SQL

If I had to only pick one skill from this list to double down on, it would be SQL.

This is probably the most fundamental tool to know in data analytics. You’ll find that most roles require SQL in some capacity. Not all, especially if you’re leaning towards a Business Analyst role, but most will require it.

It’s a good idea to spend some time with this tool to get comfortable with it. Almost anytime you have a technical interview, you can usually expect to be quizzed on SQL. Proficiency in this tool is a great investment for long-term career growth as well.

BI Tool

BI stands for Business Intelligence. Think data visualization. Having solid skills in a visualization tool of your choice is essential in data.

The most common BI tools are Tableau and Power BI. Less common tools would be Looker and Qlik. There are others too, but you won’t see them often. Excel can be considered a BI tool as well since it can be used for data visualization.

Decide on either Tableau or Power BI and run with it. Have a handful of data visualization projects in your portfolio too.

Python or R

I’m putting this here as a “nice-to-have.” It is certainly NOT essential. Most entry-level data analyst job applications will not require Python or R. I’ve seen people waste a lot of time in their job search by investing too much time into these skills and then finding out they didn’t need them.

However, I do sometimes see them come up as a nice-to-have skill. As you progress to more senior-level roles, you will see Python or R pop up much more often. A general knowledge of one of these tools will help you, but please, don’t spend all of your time here when just starting out.

TL;DR

Focus your energy on learning Excel, Tableau OR Power BI, and SQL. Sprinkle in a little Python or R down the road.

That’s it for this week.

See you next time friends ✌️

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