Key data analyst skills

Analytical skills are qualities and characteristics associated with solving problems using facts.

5 essential points

1. Curiosity : Curiosity is all about wanting to learn something. Curious people usually seek out new challenges and experiences. This leads to knowledge.
2. Understanding context : Context is the condition in which something exists or happens. This can be a structure or an environment.
3. Having technical mindset : A technical mindset involves the ability to break things down into smaller steps or pieces and work with them in an orderly and logical way.
4. Data design : Data design is how you organize information.
5. Data strategy : Data strategy is the management of the people, processes, and tools used in data analysis. You manage people by making sure they know how to use the right data to find solutions to the problem you're working on. For processes, it's about making sure the path to that solution is clear and accessible. For tools, you make sure the right technology is being used for the job.

Learning Log: Explore data from your daily life

Overview

In a previous learning log, you reflected on how you use data analysis in your own life to make everyday decisions. Now, you’ll complete an entry in your learning log exploring data from an area of your life. By the time you complete this activity, you will have a stronger understanding of how you can apply your data analysis skills to more specific activities and situations in your life--starting with your own everyday decisions! Later, you are going to use the data you generate for this entry to practice organizing data to draw insights from it.

Create a list

Before you start, pick one area of your everyday life you would like to explore further. Think about how many times in the past few weeks you made decisions about anything related to this area. Then, create a list and include details, such as the date, time, cost, quantity, size, etc. Try to focus on things that can be represented by a number or category.

Here are a few thought-starters:

• Number of cups of coffee you drink daily
• Popular workout times at the gym
• Nightly bedtime

For example, you could create a list exploring your daily coffee intake like this:

Daily coffee intake

• Jan. 8th 8 am - bought coffee - one 10 oz. cup
• Jan. 8th 10 am - made coffee at home - one 12 oz. cup
• Jan. 9th 8 am - bought coffee - mug
• Jan 10th 11 am - bought large coffee - 20 oz.
• Jan 11th 8 am - made coffee at home - mug

This example includes a few different details like date and time, whether the coffee was purchased or homemade, and the quantity. You can choose to focus on any area of your life you want and track the details you are interested in exploring. Then, you will compile this list in a learning log template, linked below.

Reflection

After you have finished creating your detailed list exploring data from your own life, take a moment to reflect on that data. In your learning log entry, write 2-3 sentences (40-60 words) in response to each question below:

• Are there any trends you noticed in your behavior?
• Are there factors that influence your decision-making?
• Is there anything you identified that might influence your future behavior?

When you’ve finished your entry in the learning log template, make sure to save the document so your response is somewhere accessible. This will help you continue applying data analysis to your everyday life. You will also be able to track your progress and growth as a data analyst.

Skills for data analysts

Name that skill, Identify the five key skills used by data analysts.

Q. Which skill matches this description?

1. "The qualities and characteristics associated with solving problems using facts"

   A : Analytical skills

2. "The analytical skill that involves breaking processes down into smaller steps and working with them in an orderly, logical way"

   A : A technical mindset

3. "Analytical skills that involve how you organize information"

   A : Data design

4. "The analytical skill that has to do with how you group things into categories"

   A : Understanding context

5. "The analytical skill that involves managing the processes and tools used in data analysis"

   A : Data strategy