Data Analyst Job Description & Career Opportunities

Data Analysis is the art of collecting and analyzing data so that a company or companies can use said data to perfect their marketing, insurance, political and/or business practices. The data analyst is a highly trained professional who performs the analysis, running various mathematical calculations to determine how the data samples might best be applied to profit the business. Most importantly, the data analyst evaluates risk; culling statistical information to determine whether a company is accidentally harming itself. As most companies are always looking to expand their businesses, or at least improve their business practices, data analysis is an essential and profitable field.

Job Responsibilities
Data analysts use their technical expertise to cull data through advanced computerized models; then, they extrapolate data patterns. The process is heavily technical, influenced by mathematics and advanced algorithms. In fact, the process is broken up into four general steps. Data Cleaning roots out erroneous data; Initial Analysis assesses the quality of the data; Main Data Analysis determines the meaning of the data; the Final Analysis provides additional screening. Each of these steps requires a unique skill set, involving statistical mathematics and computer software, and the qualified data analyst will understand all of the statistics and algorithms that are used to predict the meaning of the data. Data, itself, is also very specific, and so typically the data analyst must become familiar with the field for which he/she is analyzing the data patterns. Such a field may be the corporate business arena, analyzing sales trends. Data analysts are also essential for insurance companies, where they must constantly assess actuarial tables to determine how the liability coverage should correspond with trends in the populace. For insurance companies, risk assessment is paramount. In the political arena, the analysts must examine the polling data to determine where candidates should expand their campaigns. Since insurance agents, politicians, and business experts are not necessarily mathematical, data analysts must possess a firm command of language so that they can relate the results of their statistical findings in layman terms their clients will understand. They must also develop simple graphs and charts to elucidate how the mathematical information will influence the said business. Data analysts are essentially mathematical prognosticators, telling their employers how to best alter their business models to generate profitable future trends. Some data analysts employ writers to assist them in putting their mathematical findings into words.

Training and Education Requirements

A BS in Mathematics, Economics, or Computer Science is a gateway towards a career in data analysis. Computer software, excel spreadsheets, and C++ programs are the tools of a data analyst, and so a competent knowledge of computers is an absolute necessity. An MBA is always useful but not a necessity for being hired as a data analyst. Most data analysts intern in a specific field (i.e. Politics, Insurance) and then, after familiarizing themselves with the specifics of said field, focus their analysis on that area. A data analyst familiar with Politics will be much more effective analyzing polling data than actuarial data. An Analyst for a brokerage firm should possess an exhaustive knowledge of asset allocation and free cash flow trends.

Typically, then, a data analyst will want to have at least 1-2 years experience in a specific field when applying for a job in said field. Many companies will stress the need for this experience in their advertisements; even so, an especially skilled data analyst who is not familiar with a specific field may be completely qualified for the job, regardless. Even with experience specific to a particular field, most data analysts not seeking an entry level position in a company should have at least 3-4 years of overall data analysis experience in any field.

Salary and Wages

A data analyst can expect to make, on average, $80,000 a year plus benefits. Generally, he/she makes no less than $65,000, and no more than $110,000. The amount a data analyst makes depends on wealth and prestige of the employer. A large Brokerage firm will pay handsomely for a data analyst who can make accurate assessments of future trends.

Certifications
Some online colleges offer training programs in data analysis, but these programs are not required to work as a data analyst. Anyone with an advanced degree in mathematics, computer science, economics, or a similar scientific field, will possess the required training to embark on a career in data analysis.

Professional Associations
There is currently no professional association for data analysts; truly, data analysts have no need of one. Once hired by an organization or company, a data analyst is usually a valued member of the team and is well taken care of. data analysis is an integral part of any company looking to expand. It takes a great deal of work to possess the necessary skills, but companies recognize the importance of the analysis and treat the analyst accordingly.

The data analyst make good money in a company as their job is quite important. Plus, with hard work, they are bound to move up in the hierarchy of the company. However, the task is not easy and one may even have to put in long hours of work. They have to work with a lot of numbers; hence, they should possess good mathematical skills and the love for numbers. They should also be competent in using computers and the all latest programs. Although, there are quite a few data analysis programs out there, you will need to know the one used by your company thoroughly. These are just a few of things that are required for the job of a data analyst. Read the data analyst job description given in detail to understand more about this job Duties and responsibilities of a data analyst y y y y y y y y y y Evaluating the data that comes in from each department Making reports that compile the data into simple and understandable format for the management Collect data on a daily basis Coordinate with all the other departments of the company Make use of the statistics and the programs provided by the company Work closely with the senior management and help them make decisions Designing efficient data collection techniques specifically for the company Preparing reports in the stipulated time Check and recheck the data as any mistake on your behalf could magnify even a small mistake reat ability with number as you will have to deal with not just simple calculations, but also with complicated algorithms

Qualifications required for the job of a data analyst y y Bachelor's degree in mathematics, accounting or economics, a master's degree would be an added advantage Knowledge of the latest data programs

Career Advancement The post of seniors and departmental heads are up for grabs, and the 'working closely with management' will help you get into high-level management in the company

Data Analyst Job Profile and Descriptions

A Data Analyst is the one who analyze the date effectively for the data management regard to clients requests and also develops the rules and methodologies. He or she basically provides strategic and tactical support to the organization by analyzing and interpreting the data to provide creative solutions. He, as a data interpretation expert, should have knowledge of data analysis tools and computer systems technology to do the data management.

Duties and Responsibilities There are the following duties and responsibilities which have to be fulfilled by a data analyst:


ASSURING THE DATA PROCESS: He or she will have to assure about the integrity of project data, including data extraction, storage, manipulation, processing and finally the data analysis properly.

  

COLLECTING THE DATA: He or she has to collect and collate the appropriate data for usage in databases CONDUCT THE RESEARCH: He or she has to conduct the related research from the data effectively. CONSULTING WITH THE STAFF: It will be the duty to consult with the staff discussing up on the business intelligence needs or information with external clients and internal staff for the data management.

   

BASIC WORK RELATED TO DATA: He or she will be responsible for administration, database design, security, and maintenance and will have to take care about that. CODING: It will be also the duty to encoding the variables accurately from original information or data and completing statistical analyses as required so should be able to do that. PREPARE THE PRESENTATIONS: It will be also the duty of data analyst to prepare the presentations time to time related to the data. MONITOR THE DATABASE SYSTEMS: He or she has to monitor the systems effectively and will also have to maintain the quality nature of database systems as will have to work up on that.

ANALYZING THE DATA WITH DIFFERENT METHODS: He or she has to analyze the data with different methods by using the procedures like standard statistical methods, interpreting the results, and providing written summary of data analyses.

PROVIDING TRAINNING TO THE STAFF: He or she has to share the knowledge and information of analysis techniques and data coding with other staff and will also train them if needed.

WORK WITH THE SCIENTISTS: He or she will have to work with the scientists also to design and develop statistical analyses, which will be very helpful in addressing the projected research questions.

PRTICIPATE IN THE DECISIONS: It will be the duty to actively participate in ongoing decisions concerning data collections, study design, methodology, and data analysis, encoding and making the presentations effectively.

Skills and Specifications A data analyst has to perform a wide range of tasks so should have the following required skills and specifications with the attributes:


KNOWLEDGE OF THE TECHNIQUES: The candidate should have the knowledge of statistical methodologies and techniques as well as the process used in the database management.

  

BUSINESS AWARENESS: the candidate should be aware of the latest business trends and the organization he or she is working in. NUMERICAL ABILITY: The candidate will have the numerical ability to work with the numbers. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: The candidate should have excellent communication skills both verbally and written so that will be able to communicate with the clients and discuss up on the business matters.

  

FOLLOW THE PRINCIPLES: the candidate should have the willingness to adhere to all principles of confidentiality. VALUE THE MANAGEMENT: He or she should be able to value operating in a collaborative and cooperative environment and management OTHER QUALITIES: He or she should be able to show initiative, good judgment in the required field, and resourcefulness sometimes as well.

Education and Qualifications

 

The candidate desiring for the job should at least have a Bachelors degree in Business Administration, Statistics, Marketing, or any related field from an accredited institution. It also needed some past working experience in Business Administration related activities.

Job Specifications: Data-Capture Analyst Job Description: The analysis and capturing of media information according to a set of criteria, into a database. The majority of time spent involves capturing data into the database front-end. Minimum Requirements: Academic requirements: Bachelors Degree in Communication Science, Political Science, Journalism or equivalent work experience. Technical requirements: Full computer literacy with excellent knowledge of MS Office, as well as good numeric proficiency. This will be tested during the interview. Language requirements: Mandatory: Applicants MUST be fluent in both English AND Afrikaans, with the ability to comprehend, read and understand both languages. This will be tested during the interview. Advantageous: Fluency in any additional South African languages (ie Zulu, SiSwati, Ndebele, Venda, Tsonga). Other requirements: Good knowledge of the corporate environment as well as current affairs. Personality: o Hard working, loyal, trustworthy and dependable Training: o Training will be for a period of four weeks from 09h00-16h00 and will commence in early August 2011. Important: The closing date for applications is 22

nd July 2011. Applications received after this date will NOT be considered. NO telephonic correspondence will be entered into. NO faxes will be accepted. ONLY short-listed applicants will be contacted for interviews, should you not hear from us by 31 st July 2011, your application has not been successful. There is a FOUR WEEK TRAINING period for which there is a travel re-imbursement of R 1,200.00 for the duration of the training paid at the end of the four week period. The training has to be passed in order for the applicant to be considered for the position of Junior Media Analyst; however the training is NOT a guarantee of employment. The position is NOT an internship or learnership program. Details: Remuneration: R2,000 pm for the first three months (following training), thereafter R5,000pm for the following three months. In addition to this, the salary and conditions will be discussed with shortlisted candidates. Location: Ashlea Gardens (Pretoria) To apply: Download the application form from www.mediatenor.co.za/employment/mediaanalyst.doc (in Word format). Once the form has been completed, save it and email it to: employment@mediatenor.co.za

Pension Protection Fund Contract Software Developer

Objectives

Role Purpose

To work as part of the development team to work on software developments for the organisation. To help the Lead Software Developer and Software Development Manager deliver top quality applications

The Contract Software Developer will report into the Lead Software Developer.

Key Responsibilities

To take specifications from the Lead Software Developer and the Software Development Manager and turn them into solutions for the business. More specifically, to be able to work on WCF based applications developed on the Microsoft .NET platform with C#. To help unify and improve the technical architecture and technical documentation To suggest changes to the way programs are written and to help design improvements to the systems.

y y

Other

y y

Maintain any continuing professional development. Comply with all policies and procedures of the Pension Protection Fund, especially those relating to health and safety and equal opportunities. Create and update documentation as required. Knowledge share and support the Production Support team.

y y

Person Specification

Criteria

Essential

Desirable

How tested

Qualifications and experience

Graduate level or equivalent

Server side software development experience.

Experience of developing for Finance, Insurance or Pensions markets

Application Form / Interview

Good understanding of object oriented design and programming.

Design Patterns (e.g. Faade, Strategy, Repository)

Good experience of C# server side and client side development. SQL 2010 Experience of developing Winforms applications with C#, WCF, WWF

Strong experience of SQL including stored procedures, triggers and reporting.

Knowledge

Good knowledge of current software development technology

Application Form /Interview

Skills

Visual Studio .NET 2005/2008

Visual Studio 2010

Application Form /Interview

SQL Server (T SQL)

WCF, Windows Services, WWF

Excellent communication skills, written and verbal

SQL 2008

.NET 3.5 and 4

ORM (Entity Spaces / NHibernate / EF4)

Ability to be flexible and to adapt to change

HTML/Javascript

Ability to plan work,

Ability to be self managing as well as to work as part of a team

XML, XSLT (Document generation Word and PDF)

Writing Unit and Data Driven Integration Tests (VS Test/Nunit)

IOC (Castle Windsor)

Personal Attributes

Self motivated

Interview

Flexible

Committed to continuous professional development and learning

http://www.wsha.org/files/81/HIP-DataAnalyst-II-03-07.pdf Job Description The Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to our success. That contribution should not be limited by the assigned responsibilities. Therefore, this position description is designed to outline primary duties, qualifications and job scope, but not limit the employee nor WSHA to just the work identified. It is our expectation that each employee will offer his/her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of our endeavors. Job Title Data Analyst II, Health Information Program (HIP) Position Rating Exempt % FTE 100% Effective Date March 2007 Purpose of Position: This position is responsible for ongoing analysis of health care information, obtained from a variety of sources, including patient care, financial, and demographic data. It involves development and preparation of information products for association staff and members. It requires the ability to analyze health care data from conceptualization through presentation of the data. It requires proficiency with analytical tools (SAS, Excel), knowledge of data analysis methodology, use of presentation software, strong communication skills and a strong commitment to and affinity for delivering the highest level of customer service. Essential Job Functions and Accountabilities % of time Function Goal Outcomes 35% Perform complex data analysis in support of

ad-hoc and standing customer requests. Delivery of sophisticated analysis products. Accurate and appropriate interpretation of data. Develop useful and insightful information from a variety of data sources. Works with customers to develop and understand product specifications. Delivers data products in report/ presentation format, or verbally, to customer specifications and timelines. Thoughtful evaluation of data. Communicates results effectively to customers. 35% Develop programs, methodologies, and files for analyzing and presenting data. Well-organized, documented, and maintained data files. Well written, accurate programs to analyze and extract healthcare

information. Works with customers to develop and understand product specifications. Develops appropriate methodologies for collecting, analyzing, and presenting data products. Delivers data products in report/ presentation format, or verbally, to customer specifications and timelines.