The Data Analyst Workflow Roadmap

As heard on The Career Contessa Podcast Episode: How to Become a Data Analyst: Salary, Skills, & More

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The only framework you need to when you’re feeling lost on the road to becoming a successful and impactful Data Analyst.

Data Analyst Workflow Roadmap

1. Decompose the Ask or the Question

2. Identify Data Sources

3. Define a Strategy and Metrics

4. Build a Data Retrieval Plan

5. Retrieve the Data

6. Assemble and Clean the Data

7. Analyze the Data - Find Trends - “Torture the Data”

8. Acknowledge Limitations and Bias

9. Make the Call - Recommendation - Build the Dashboard - Build an API

Skills Overview

• Think Like a Scientist, Calculate like a Mathematician, Execute like a Technologist, Visualize like an Artist, Communicate like an Executive

• Brush up on your Statistics Knowledge

• Learn Programming for Data Analysts

• Understand Data Schemas and Formats

• Understand How Data is Stored

• Understand How Data Moves

• Data Visualization

• Data Storytelling

• Get Updated on the Modern Data Technology Landscape

• Practice Deep Thought

Skills to Navigate the Data Analyst Roadmap in Detail

1.     Decompose the Ask or the Question

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

• Curiosity

• Logic and Creativity

2.     Identify Data Sources

• Curiosity

• Collaboration

• Research Skills

• Data Formats

  • CSV: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values

  • JSON: https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_json_intro.asp

  • Fact and Dimension Tables (STAR Schema): https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/guidance/star-schema

3.     Define a Strategy and Metrics

• Statistics

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

• Domain Knowledge (i.e. Finance, E-Commerce, Healthcare, Law)

4.     Build a Data Retrieval Plan

• Databases

  • Relational

    • Postgres: https://www.postgresql.org/

    • MySQL: https://www.mysql.com/

  • Non-Relational

    • MongoDB: https://www.mongodb.com/

    • DynamoDB: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/Introduction.html

• Data Warehouse

  • Snowflake: https://www.snowflake.com/

  • Google BigQuery: https://cloud.google.com/bigquery

  • Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse: https://www.oracle.com/autonomous-database/autonomous-data-warehouse/

  • AWS Redshift: https://aws.amazon.com/redshift/

• Object Storage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_storage

• Web Analytics:

  • Snowplow: https://snowplowanalytics.com/

  • Google Analytics: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/

  • Segment: https://segment.com/

  • Mixpanel: https://mixpanel.com/home/

  • Pendo: https://www.pendo.io/

  • Adobe Analytics: https://business.adobe.com/products/analytics/adobe-analytics.html

5.     Retrieve the Data

• ETL vs ELT: https://www.snowflake.com/guides/etl-vs-elt

• Cloud-based Data Infrastructure and Platforms

  • AWS: https://aws.amazon.com/

  • Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/

  • GCP: https://cloud.google.com/gcp

  • OCI: https://www.oracle.com/cloud/free/

  • Anaconda: https://www.anaconda.com/

• Programming Languages

  • SQL: https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-sql

  • Python: https://www.python.org/

• APIs Application Programming Interface

  • Examples

    • Twitter API: https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api

    • OpenWeather API: https://openweathermap.org/

    • Government Data APIs: https://api.nasa.gov/

    • Google Maps API: https://developers.google.com/maps/apis-by-platform

• Data Pipeline Platforms

  • Fivetran: https://www.fivetran.com/

  • Stitch: https://www.stitchdata.com/

6.     Assemble and Clean the Data

• Jupyter Notebooks: https://jupyter.org/

• Nteract: https://nteract.io/

• DBT – data build tool: https://www.getdbt.com/

• Python Libraries

  • Pandas: https://pandas.pydata.org/

7.     Analyze the Data - Find Trends - “Torture the Data”

• Statistics

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

• Agile Ways of Working - Incremental Impact

8.     Acknowledge Limitations and Bias

• Integrity

• Objectivity

9.     Make the Call - Recommendation - Build the Dashboard - Build API

• Presentation Skills (i.e. Powerpoint)

• Communication  

• Data Storytelling

• Time Management

• Data Visualization

  • Python Libraries

    • Matplolib: https://matplotlib.org/

    • Plotly: https://plotly.com/

    • Seaborn: https://seaborn.pydata.org/

  • HTML: https://www.w3schools.com/html/

  • Javascript: https://www.w3schools.com/js/

    • D3.js: https://d3js.org/

  • BI Platforms

    • Tableau: https://www.tableau.com/

    • Looker: https://www.looker.com/

    • PowerBI: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/

    • Oracle Analytics Cloud: https://www.oracle.com/business-analytics/analytics-platform/

  • API Development Platforms

    • Postman: https://www.postman.com/