Fast Facts About Data-Related Jobs

Data scientists and analysts are among the most in-demand workers in the digital age. The reasons are numerous and include the fact that these highly skilled people understand what it takes to extract valuable information from raw sets of data, books, statistical studies, scientific experiments, academic studies, government documents, and more. Unfortunately, there are all kinds of myths floating around about data-related careers.

Few outside the profession understand that it's much more important to clean data than to gather it in the first place. While a college degree is an important stepping-stone on a long-term career path, it's imperative for prospective students to arrange to finance their degrees in advance. The good news is that jobs are available and exist in a wide variety of sub-categories within the sector. Additionally, communication skills are as relevant to the data-oriented segment as they are in the world of business. Here are pertinent details about job opportunities in one of today's most interesting and secure career fields.

All Data Needs to be Cleaned

Anyone who has ever written a term paper understands the concept of clean data. Raw information, in whatever form, is like a pile of ingredients for a gourmet meal. Until someone puts everything together, removes the unusable parts, and prepares it in the right way, that so-called gourmet feast is nothing more than a collection of unrelated components. The rule about sifting through databases and cleaning the individual elements is at the very foundation of analytics.

A College Degree is a Huge Advantage

To score a decent job in the analytics field, you don't need to hold a college diploma. However, as in many other industries, the best positions go to those who have completed a four-year degree program. While it's not necessary to major in statistics or computer programming, most analysts will need to pick up skills in both those subjects as they advance along the career spectrum. Note that large numbers of current workers in the niche graduated with majors in business, engineering, liberal arts, science subjects, and IT-related areas.

If you plan to attend college and aim for a career as a data analyst, make sure to deal with financial matters first. That means knowing how much your target program will cost and how you will be paying for it. Fortunately, there are plenty of scholarships for college available to people in all fields, not just science, analysis, or data-related areas. The first step is to find out which scholarships you qualify for.

When using an online search and apply platform, candidates can save time and avoid the hassles of filling out dozens of forms on multiple sites. Scholarship money, no matter how much you might end up getting, can lessen the financial burden of getting an education. All-in-one platforms and websites are ideal for many reasons. Primarily, their main benefit is that applicants can do wide searches for opportunities and then apply, on the same website, for dozens of scholarships at the same time. It's an efficient process, to be sure.

What Analysts Do

People in data-related positions perform a wide range of tasks, starting with the collection of raw information and numbers and ending with the presentation and general analysis of final reports, in which all the loose ends are tied together. The overall goal is to glean useful conclusions and actionable decisions from disparate collections of raw information. The process is close to the way gold miners use panning equipment in streams. They work long hours acquiring small quantities of useful metal that has many different purposes. Some of it ends up in jewelry, manufacturing equipment, or vaults.

Communication Skills are a Must

There is a myth about all technical career fields that assumes people who work with numbers, digital databases, statistics, mathematics, and manipulation of raw facts don't need to possess interpersonal skills. The reality is that even though careers in data science are in high demand, anyone who works in these occupational areas still needs the ability to communicate their findings. Much of the work involves giving public presentations, talking to small workgroups, explaining theories and findings to superiors, and using all the communication skills of a typical business manager.

The Focus is on Quality Data, Not Mountains of Statistics

Whether your goal is to secure a position as an analyst, scientist, or similar job title, it's imperative to remember that the overall focus of the effort is to acquire and use quality information. It's human nature to want to amass a huge pile of statistics and raw facts, even when the quantity is of almost no value. The field of analysis is one in which the overriding rule is quality, not quantity.