This week, we give a platform to the data analyst career. Duduza resident Tholakele Mbonani has been a data analyst for almost a year.
“I fell in love with data last year. I was going through a lot and needed something to challenge me, and I fell into it. I came across the Tomkin Outreach programme, which helps individuals globally to study and learn for free through Coursera [US open online course provider]. You can do a professional certificate through Google.
“I love challenges, and this field is challenging. It is always growing and complex. You can never say you know enough. There is always something new and more interesting to learn.
“Right now, I am proficient in three programming languages – Structured query language (SQL), R and Python, but there is much more to learn,” she said.
Mbonani is studying data engineering and loves learning new skills.
What is data?
Data is the most precious commodity at the moment. We create billions of data daily through search engines, social media and the internet.
What is data analysis?
Data analysis is examining data through Excel, SQL, Python, R and other programming languages depending on the size of the dataset. These methods or languages help data analysts process the data faster and break it into meaningful insights.
What does a data analyst do?
They study data to derive information to drive business decisions. They study large datasets and create simple graphs that tell a story.
Where can I study to become a data analyst?
You can study data analysis through colleges, universities and training programmes, but I studied online using Coursera. Through the help of Tomkin, I got a professional certificate in data analysis and another in business intelligence and advanced data analysis.
I studied all these courses for free. Each course takes three to six months, depending on you. I learnt a lot and fell in love with data because it is one in a million. I have a background in journalism, and data analysis aligns with every profession.
It adds value because you do not assume you use data, and data tells its own story. Data is always correct if you know how to read it. It uses statistics to determine the problem and how to solve it.
Which high school subjects do I need?
Although it does not matter what you studied in high school, it requires statistics and machine learning, which is mathematics. So, a good background in maths is a huge plus because it allows you to read data or numbers better.
What are the roles and responsibilities of a data analyst?
The role of a data professional is to collect data, clean it, analyse it, protect it, preserve it and destroy it if need be. Data is sensitive because it holds sensitive information, so when you deal with datasets, you must understand that certain information must be secured and handled with care, such as names, addresses, cell numbers, and personal stuff that cannot be shared with just anybody.
What tools do data analysts use?
We use Excel for small data sets, SQL for large ones and R and Python for more complex ones. Tableau and Power BI (software) data visualisation and other programming languages.
What skills do I need to become a data analyst?
You need to:
• Have good technical, analytical and soft skills.
• Be inquisitive.
• Understand that every data set tells a different story.
• Do not assume or be prejudiced.
• Listen to what the data says, not what you want to hear.
It is like a gold mine; you must dig deep to find the gold. It is a beautiful profession that will challenge and take you out of your comfort zone. It has something new every day. If you need a challenge, it will challenge you. It will frustrate you but is extremely rewarding.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the job?
Cons: There are a lot of challenges, as in every profession. Sometimes, the data is so complex it takes you time to work through it or weeks to get your code right, so there is a lot to it. It’s not a walk in the park. It requires you to use your brain, push yourself and not give up.
Pros: Getting it right, helping a business solve its problems and offering solutions.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to be a data analyst?
Be inquisitive. Be hungry for information and learning. This profession will challenge you, require more from you and reward you. Great data analysts earn good money, but before you become one, you must understand that your learning never ends. You need to keep up.
Where do data analysts work?
You can work anywhere as a data analyst. At banks, insurance companies and hospitals. When you see graphs and statistics, they are from a data analyst.
You walk into a bank and see financial statistics, that is data analysis. You go to the stock market and see the statistics for market price – that is data. You see HIV statistics, employment rates statistics – that is data analysis. It is everywhere and everything.
