Getting Started with the Search


Welcome to your best guide for learning more about a career in Data Analysis!

We all know how hard it is to stand out in today's competitive market. There are so many options out there, why choose a career in data analytics? This is just one out many questions that you probably have right now.

Where to even start? 

What will I learn ? 

Am I a good fit for this type of career?

What types of jobs can I get with a Data Analytics degree? 

  Fear no more! 

We were in your shoes once and we have decided to write this blog to give anyone considering a career in data analysis a unique view. We are a team of business analytics graduate students and we want to share our advice and all the insights we have gained so far. Stay tuned as we will be updating a lot of interesting articles as well as answers to all your questions!
Why choose Data Analytics? 

 Now more than ever before, data is being gathered and stored in all types of organizations. There is an enormous amount of data being generated by the second. But what to do with all of it? Millions or even billions of records. It is not a matter of simply looking at it. You've got to find the hidden secrets behind it. This is where data scientists and business analysts come to the rescue. Big Data analytics is allowing companies to make better decisions based on facts, enabling them to gain a competitive advantage over the competition. Sounds interesting right? 
A 2011 McKinsey report estimated that there will be 140,000 to 190,000 unfilled positions of U.S. data analytics experts by 2018!!!  (See References) 

Have got your attention yet? Keep on reading...


Where to even start? 

 There are a few graduate programs now being offered all across the country, as well as in the international arena. This blog focuses on programs in the U.S., but we will be publishing some articles in Mandarin as well for those of you abroad (not only in China!) who are considering undertaking this career. Before you start your search, read as much as you can about Big Data and the movement behind it. This will help you stay excited about the search, and it helps you stay focused even when it may become overwhelming. Consider the location that will best fit your needs. Narrow down your search in terms of program duration, cost, and placing opportunity. Consider all these factors before you choose your top 5. Look at your network of friends and colleagues. See if any of them are already in any type of related field and reach out to them. 
What will I learn ? 

 Different programs will vary in terms of the courses offered, but these are some of the basic content that we believe is at the core of most of the analytic programs.

1. Managing Big Data
2. Predictive Analytics
3. Marketing Analytics
4. Social Media Analytics
5. Retailing Analytics 
6. Data Mining
7. Advanced Statistics 
8. Decision Modeling 
9. Business Intelligence
10. Project Management 
11. Operations Analytics 

Some of the tools that you should expect to learn or at least get some basic exposure during a graduate program include:

1. SAS
2. R 
3. SQL
4. VBA
5. Advanced Excel
6. Power BI
7. Microsoft Visual Studio
8. Knime
9. @Risk
10. HTML/XML
11.  Hadoop
12. Tableau 
13. Alteryx
14. Java/ Ruby/ JSON

Depending on the program, you can expect to learn to apply these tools in order to solve business problems. Don't forget that it is of no use to be an expert at any of them if you are not able to apply them in a practical sense, so many schools will also offer classes that are more business focused with an emphasis on analytics. 

Am I a good fit for this type of career?

 This is a tough one. Depending on your background, you may already have a lot of these skills. 
In our program at SMU, we have classmates that come from a wide arrange of undergraduate degrees, and we suspect most of the other programs around the country do too. This area is only emerging now, and so as long as you are eager to learn, a can-do attitude is all you need. 
There are many different career paths that you can choose to follow, and in all types of organizations. It sounds cheesy, BUT, the options really are endless!

Data analysts are needed in all industries from including healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, retail, fitness, banking, finance, and telecommunications among many others.


What types of jobs can I get with a Data Analytics degree? 

We might need a few posts to discuss this one. But since at this point you may be a bit overwhelmed with so much to consider, we will just list a few examples!

Business Analyst
Data Scientist
Data Architect 
Data Engineer
Marketing Analyst
Statistician 


What now?

Stay tuned for more posts. We will be posting more information comparing different programs, talking about tuition, and interesting links to get you started.  ENJOY! 


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References
http://www.mckinsey.com





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