We went through thousands of Data & Business Analyst Job Descriptions on LinkedIn: Here’s What You Need to Know to Become a Data Analyst

At Heicoders Academy, we are committed to helping aspiring Data and Business Analysts succeed. We analyzed 100 job listings to identify the key skills you need to break into this rapidly growing field. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up, this guide will provide valuable insights for your career.

1. TL;DR – The 3 technical Skills You Absolutely Need

If you’re only going to remember a few things, here are the top three technical skills you should focus on to get hired as a Data or Business Analyst:

1. SQL – Still the top requirement for Data Analyst roles.
2. Tableau or Power BI – Master one data visualization tool.
3. Python + Pandas – Learn to use Python for data analysis, especially with Pandas.

1a. Learn SQL Before Python

In 2024, SQL remains the backbone of data querying and analysis. Out of the 100 job listings we analyzed, SQL was by far the most frequently required skill. Whether you’re managing databases or pulling reports, SQL proficiency is non-negotiable for most Data and Business Analyst roles.

Our Data Analytics with SQL and Tableau course is designed to get you up to speed with SQL quickly, focusing on hands-on exercises to prepare you for real-world challenges.

1b. Master a Visualization Tool (Tableau or Power BI)

Data visualization is crucial to making your analysis accessible to stakeholders. The most popular tools mentioned in job listings were:

• Tableau
• Power BI

Instead of spreading yourself thin across multiple platforms, we recommend mastering one tool deeply. Whether you choose Tableau or Power BI, having proficiency in just one of these will help you land more roles. Beyond that, both tools are actually pretty identical in terms of features, so once you gain proficiency in one of them, it is relatively easy to pick up the other one.

Our course DA100: Data Analytics with SQL and Tableau focuses heavily on Tableau to ensure you gain a practical understanding of creating insightful dashboards.

1c. Python + Pandas for Data Analysis

In more advanced roles, Python is increasingly expected, especially for tier 2 and tier 3 companies. Python’s powerful Pandas library allows you to perform efficient data manipulation and analysis. Many job listings indicated that the ability to code in Python is critical, especially when handling large datasets or working with automation tasks.

For tier 1 companies, Python skills go even further. Companies expect candidates to build machine learning models using Python libraries such as Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, or PyTorch. While this may not be a requirement for all Data Analyst roles, having this skill can significantly boost your employability at top companies.

At Heicoders Academy, we offer specialized Python training modules to ensure our students are prepared to use Python and its essential libraries for data analysis.

2. The 3 Key Soft Skills You Need

Technical skills are crucial, but soft skills are just as important in the workplace. The top three soft skills we found in our analysis were:

1. Communication – The ability to present your insights in a way that non-technical stakeholders can understand is critical.
2. Data-Sense – Data Analysts must have strong critical thinking skills and the intuition to quickly formulate hypotheses about how to draw valuable insights from data.
3. Project management – Working on multiple projects simultaneously requires strong organizational skills.

By combining strong technical skills with these soft skills, you’ll stand out as a well-rounded candidate in the job market.

3. Data Analysts Are in Demand Across All Industries

While technology companies are big employers of Data Analysts, we found that these roles are also in demand across a range of other non-tech industries, including:

• Finance
• E-commerce
• Healthcare
• Retail
• Telecommunications

If you have domain expertise in one of these industries, make sure to emphasize that on your resume. Data Analysts are needed everywhere. You can read more about the importance of data analytics in different industries on our blog: Why is Data Analytics Important for Companies?.

More often than not, leveraging on your domain expertise will make you stand out more than other generic data analyst that only have technical skills in data analytics.

Remote, In-Office, or Hybrid?

The work setup for Data and Business Analysts is surprisingly flexible. Our analysis revealed that hybrid work arrangements were the most common, followed by remote roles, with in-office positions being slightly less frequent. This trend highlights the growing acceptance of remote work in the field of data analytics, so keep your options open when searching for jobs.

Advanced Requirements

Beyond the core skills of SQL, data visualization, and Python, here are some specialized requirements we uncovered from more advanced job listings:

1. Experience with cloud platforms – More companies are seeking Data Analysts with skills in cloud-based data tools like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure. Being able to analyze data on the cloud is becoming a highly desired skill set.
2. Big Data Technologies – Knowledge of Hadoop, Spark, or Kafka is becoming increasingly valuable, especially for roles that deal with large-scale datasets.
3. Build and productionize end-to-end Machine Learning Models – While this is traditionally the job scope of a data scientist, there are select companies that also express the need for candidates to be able to build and productionize end-to-end machine learning models.

By keeping up with these emerging trends, you can position yourself for roles that go beyond traditional data analytics and open doors to more advanced opportunities.

So, What Should You Do Next?

Becoming a Data or Business Analyst in 2024 is all about mastering the right combination of technical and soft skills. Start by building a solid foundation in SQL, get proficient with a visualization tool like Tableau, and ensure you’re comfortable using Python and its data analysis libraries.

At Heicoders Academy, we offer a comprehensive Data Analytics with SQL and Tableau course designed to help you land your next Data Analyst role.

Want to learn more? Explore these related blogs to help you on your journey:

• Business Analyst vs Data Analyst: What’s the Difference?
• 42 Data Analyst Interview Questions and Answers for 2024

By focusing on these in-demand skills and staying ahead of industry trends, you’ll be well-equipped to land your dream Data Analyst role. If you’re serious about getting started, sign up for Heicoders Academy’s Data Analytics course today!