Data Analysis Courses

Everything you need to know

What is Data Analysis?

Data analysis is the process of extracting information from data. With a strong understanding of data analysis, you will learn how to organise, interpret, structure, and present data, turning them into useful information necessary for making well-informed and efficient decisions.

Many organizations are experiencing an abundance of data. Tools that allow us to obtain data are being used everywhere and it sometimes becomes easy to lose sight of why we are fetching data in the first place.

We need to remember that the data we amass captures behaviors and outcomes that relate to different facets of our business. For this data to be valuable, we need to study it and explore ways to marry it back with the context that molded it in the first place. Data analysis closes this loop. Data analysis is the act of extracting actionable insights from data to inform, guide, and support us in making better decisions. It involves the ability to craft problem statements, test hypotheses, organize information, and apply insights to a specific business context.

Ultimately, our goal in analyzing data is to arrive at a clear understanding of what the most critical and actionable insights are and combine that with our knowledge of why our audience should find value in them in the first place.

Now that you know the answer to ‘What is Data Analysis?’, choose your course and start analyzing data!

Why is Data Analysis important?

Data analysis is important in business to understand problems facing an organization, and to make informed decisions by exploring the data in meaningful ways.

Important decisions are made every day, and the quality of those decisions depends on our ability to read, analyze, and extract insights from the abundance of data available to us.

Data analysis enables organizations to plan, anticipate problems, and come up with the best possible way forward amidst a potential volatile business environment. Data analysis is used in almost every aspect of a business as it offers a way for organizations to examine trends and derive insights from it. This skill is important in transforming data into intelligence that can be used to make critical, strategic, and tactical decisions such as identifying new markets, augmenting staff, creating budgets, and forecasting demand.

Data Analysis Online Courses

Data analysis certifications and courses are available with StoryIQ. Online courses are a great way to learn data analysis skills and StoryIQ’s analytics leaders will teach you the fundamentals that analytical professionals use to answer data-driven business questions. Start by learning key data analysis skills with tools such as Microsoft Excel. Excel is the most widely used spreadsheet program and is excellent for data analysis and visualization. Enroll in one of our Data Analysis online courses and learn how to use this powerful software.

While analyzing data is a fundamental competency that is expected in the modern workforce. In the US, despite the increasing demand for data science and analytics skills, this skillset is significantly underdeveloped among the workforce, according to the NTUC Learning Hub. Professional data analysis courses like StoryIQ’s Data to Insights are aimed at closing this gap in order to bolster the ability of professionals to drive growth for the businesses they manage.

Many of today’s executives tend to fixate over new data analytics platforms or machine learning techniques without first laying the groundwork to practice foundational data analytics skills.  In particular, the necessary but straightforward skill of asking the right business questions is often overlooked when it comes to data analysis. It is important to remember that the value we can extract from data is only as good as the questions we can define and answer. This course equips learners with the competency to analyze data, regardless of the tools they might have at their disposal.

What Skills do I need to become a Data Analyst?

Analyzing data is fast becoming an essential skill, regardless of one’s department or role.

The skills required to be a successful data analyst in any company or industry can vary. Still, some crucial qualities and competencies that impact on one’s ability to analyze data are the following:

Data Curiosity. In general, curiosity is valuable for any data-driven role. Data analysts who would like to be successful in their craft should be perpetually curious. Curiosity paves the way for asking essential business questions that can unlock actionable insights. Inquisitiveness is needed to unearth new information from data to highlight new ideas to the table.

Project Management. Analysts are expected to interact with different functions or lines of business regularly. Having excellent organizational abilities and strong negotiation skills will help to get all team members on the same page when solving a problem.

Data Storytelling. Despite the abundance of data, we know that the vast majority of people are inherently drawn to stories than they are to numbers. The ability to harness the power of storytelling to present insights helps close the communication gap between data models and decision-makers. Being adept at the art and science behind compelling data storytelling can set apart effective data analysts from the pack.

Design Sense. Having a practical design sense is not merely about choosing colors and designing charts. Design intertwines with the usability of data, which is crucial when cascading insights into various teams and decision-makers. Analysts who understand the value of design principles can create and execute systems that can be effectively used and rolled-out across different disciplines.

Enroll in one of the introductory data analysis courses and see if a career as a data analyst is right for you.

Data Analyst Jobs

It is evident how powerful technology and data is in today’s workplace. More and more companies are adapting and acquiring the skills necessary to navigate a data-driven landscape.

The functions of a data analyst are essential at almost every type of business or organization. The key findings drive decision making and help companies stay on top of business operations, competitors, development, strategy and much more.

One role that specifically requires competency in data analysis is becoming a Business Intelligence Analyst. This role entails using data to inform organizational recommendations and help guide decisions based on prevailing market conditions or trends. Business Intelligence (BI) Analysts are always on the lookout for new opportunities for companies, constantly translating the implications of the results of their study to key decision-makers.

Organizations dealing with and collecting massive amounts of data need to be sure they keep the data secure. This responsibility is fulfilled by the role of a Data Security Specialist. This position is expected to define data security strategies and network requirements clearly. Organizations must take steps to ensure data integrity, prevent possible network breach, and monitor compliance to local and international data privacy legislations.

Data Scientists are increasingly becoming a necessity, especially for more advanced technology-driven companies that are driven by big data and machine-learning. The role involves gathering, processing, and analyzing data and using data analytics programs, scientific methods, and mathematical systems to extract meaning and actionable insights useful for making highly complex and strategic business decisions.

Data analyst roles are not just reserved for big tech companies. Any organization that works with data and seeks to utilize it to their advantage—whether through operations, marketing, sales, or strategy–will also seek out the talent necessary to support this requirement.

Whether you’re building your skillset or your career, StoryIQ has a range of courses to help you take your next steps — and succeed.