What are the top 3 skills for data analysts?

Computer skills that are useful include:

• Querying Language - (SQL, Hive, Pig),

• Scripting Languages - (Python, Matlab),

• Statistical Languages (R, SAS, SPSS),

• Microsoft - (Excel, Powerpoint, Docs).

Soft Skills:

For a data analyst, a large part of the job focuses on identifying the problem and narrowing the scope of analysis. To accomplish this requires a lot of soft skills such as:

• The ability to balance multiple demands of your time to reduce infinite what-if scenarios requires good communication and understanding of the business needs.

• Ability to understand limitations and avoid agreeing to deliver too much information that will not solve the core issues.

• Knowing the audience and modifying your language - using technical terms vs. business-speak - while communicating and presenting findings. There is a different presentation required for a PM or a CEO.

• Delivery -how best to present the data so that your findings speak for themselves.

• How to tell a compelling story with your data.

Analytical Problem Solving:

Around 90% of a data analyst's job is focused on critical thinking and knowing the right questions to ask.

• Performing various types of analytics, including descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, or prescriptive analytics.

• Finding data-driven solutions to problems.

• Understanding numeracy and when to apply descriptive versus inferential statistics or when to run a regression.

• Perform mathematical and statistical operations and create reports and visualizations that summarize the important finding(s).