Is Analytics a Good Career Path?

 

Given the buzz around analytics, you might find yourself wondering if it’s a good career path. Jobs in this field are certainly well paid and plentiful, but is it right for you?

What is Analytics?

The nuts and bolts of analytics involves collecting and interpreting data to gain new insights and make better informed decisions. Data professionals use a variety of techniques and software programmes to achieve this, interrogating datasets for interesting trends and patterns. Those with a trained eye and good business acumen can spot and extract valuable information that can help improve operations, fix problems, and drive top-level strategic decision-making.

Analytics Career Benefits

Analytics can be a good career path for several reasons:

• High Demand: It’s a data-driven world, meaning all kinds of organisations rely heavily on data analytics to make informed decisions. Demand for skilled analytics professionals is high and this shows no signs of changing any time soon.
   
• Work in an Area of Interest: Analytics has become an essential part of a wide range of industries including finance, healthcare, marketing, and e-commerce. This diversity of opportunity means that data professionals can work in areas that interest them which is a great choice to have.
   
• Strong Salary Potential: salaries in analytics are highly competitive because of the skills that are required and the value that they bring to employers.
   
• Continuous Learning: Analytics is constantly evolving which presents new challenges and opportunities for personal growth. The need to master new tools, technologies, and techniques means that data professionals are always learning something new and interesting.
   
• Measurable Impact: Because analytics professionals play such a crucial role in solving complex problems and driving business strategies, the work you do will have a measurable impact on an organisation's success which is highly rewarding.
   
• Career Growth: As you gain more experience and expertise, you can progress into more senior analytics roles such as data scientist, data analyst, and business analyst. You might even find yourself taking on the position of Chief Data Officer one day.

Analytics Career Considerations

Analytics offers plenty of opportunities for good pay, personal growth, and job satisfaction, but that’s not to say it’s a good career path for everyone. Just like any other field, analytics may not be the right fit for certain people.

However, tempting it might be, don’t be swayed by the salaries if you don’t have the right skills and mindset. In order to succeed you’ll need an aptitude for data analysis, statistics, and programming, as well as the ability to communicate findings effectively to other parts of the business. If that doesn’t sound like you, you might find analytics unfulfilling or a bit of a struggle.

Specific Analytics Roles

The other key consideration is that specific analytics roles can vary widely, so it's important to consider what aspect of analytics you’re interested in and whether it plays to your strengths. For example, you might suit a technical role like data engineering or data science rather than business analytics or data visualisation.

Conclusion

Is analytics a good career path? If you’re passionate about working with data and using it to drive meaningful insights and decisions, the answer is a resounding yes.  However, it’s important to go in prepared. Do your research, gain relevant skills, and consider what aspect of analytics aligns best with your interests.