How Does Career Growth In Data Analyst Look Like?

Data analyst is one of the most flourishing career profiles available in the industry. The entire world runs on technology, but it requires data as well for its operations. And managing this data is crucial for maintaining the normal operations in this field.

Data analysis holds the key to making the right decisions both in your life and your business. From nutrition to health goals, business targets, and commitments, you can predict almost every measurable concept with a data analysis aid. 

So, when you start paying attention to data, you discover measurable ways to make profitable decisions and enhance positive growth.

And if it excites you or you love to indulge in such calculations, then data analysis is the right one for you. By becoming a data analyst, you would open the door to a highly varied and rewarding career path.

If you are just starting your career in this field, it is absolutely fine to get nervous and confused. 

Here is a short informative list of the most sought-after roles within this industry to provide you with a glimpse of what the career options and future might hold for you related to data analysis. 

Data Analyst

The first job role on this list is that of a data analyst. It is closely related to data analysis skills, which are required across a wide range of sectors. It covers finances, marketing, media, insurance, IT technology, and even the healthcare industry.

The newbies would be working in such fields as a frontline professional or data analyst. They are responsible for extracting the data, cleaning it properly to perform the analysis, and sharing the seniors' findings. It is a hands-on job role which will help you to work closely with the business stakeholders. 

Here you would be guiding these professionals to make a few wise decisions to benefit their trade. Either you can take up entry-level jobs for the experience or directly opt for the data analyst title. 

It is advisable to get 2-3 years of experience to opt for the senior roles. Some of the typical job requirements for each of the levels are:

Junior Data Analyst

The entry-level job or the junior data analyst positions do not require any industry experience as it is meant for beginners. As per the junior data analyst job description, if you have the appropriate mindset and have proper knowledge of the fundamentals, you are good to get hired.

Data Analyst

For this position, you may require six months to three years of experience in the industry. The hiring company might also require the data analyst certification, which highlights your skills and knowledge properly.

Senior Data Analyst

The next position available for the ones with 2-3 years of experience in the industry is that of a senior data analyst. Here, you need to take responsibility for stating the appropriate measurements for data analysis. You would be directly working with the business stakeholders to determine the company's key performance indicators.

Business Analyst

The next job role on this list is that of a business analyst. In many companies, you might see that the terms data analyst and business analyst are used interchangeably. But there are some significant lines of differences between these terms and even the job roles.

In the case of the giant companies, any business analyst's primary focus is to examine and optimize the business's overall aspects to enhance its functionality. 

Here you might have to evaluate an existing business model and determine how to distribute employees across the entire organization to reduce its overall expenses.

Unlike a data analyst, you won't be only dealing with the sourcing and analyzing the company's data. Instead, a business analyst would be heavily occupied with strategic decision-making to shape the organization's overall direction. 

You might need at least a year of experience to get such a job role in the industry.

Data Scientist

The data scientists are quite in demand and get high-paid jobs across the global platform. But the transition from a data analyst or a business one to a data scientist is not linear. 

These happen to be quite separate job titles, and the responsibilities, too, differ significantly. So, in case you are looking forward to becoming a data scientist in this field, it is important to master data analytics.

A data scientist's job role is to collect and analyze the data to create meaningful deductions and thereby formulate actionable insights. Along with data analytics, the scientist needs to possess advanced programming skills as well. You also need to be an expert in machine learning.

Healthcare Data Analyst 

As already highlighted above, healthcare sectors, too, require the expertise of the data analyst. The entire healthcare industry tends to deal with a huge pool of data. 

The medical industry's business side, too, requires specialized input from the data analysts capable of analyzing the data to comprehend the business's future. 

Here, the professionals would be using data to provide data-driven insights to the clinical researchers, physicians, and key decision-makers working within this sector. 

Like the job profile of a typical data analyst, the healthcare analyst would gather and analyze the data to help the healthcare department improve the care quality for the patients.

Data Analytics Consultant

If you are a person who loves to explore and not remain confined in the typical in-house job role, then opt for a data analytics consultant role. It is the perfect job role that offers flexibility to the professional, decent pay, and a huge prospect for the experience. 

And the greatest advantage over here is that you get to work with giant companies and other clients on your terms. 

Final Thoughts

No matter which job profile you choose, there is a huge scope for data analysis in this modern world. The entire world runs on data, and there is always an increased demand for such analysts in the market. 

You need to keep enhancing your skills as per the industry's requirements to progress through your career.

You can choose to specialize in any particular industry or keep the chances open to explore diverse fields as per your choices. You can even select to become an entrepreneur as well if you are looking for flexible opportunities.