Creating a Career in Analytics?
Connect — Learn — Engage
The discipline of analytics has been around for thousands of years. The secret to creating a great career in analytics haven’t changed much in that time. What was true in the days of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle is still true today. If you want to excel at analysis — do three things. Warning — none of these are as easy as they should be, but we’ll add a few links to get you started.
Connect
We live in a connected society. The internet, social media, Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon (yeah, that is so last century now), and the IoT are all examples of just how connected we have all become.
The advancement of society is based on this ever increasing connection. Even the existence of data itself owes much to this process. Without the printing press, nothing would have changed from those days in Ancient Greece.
Steve Jobs even claimed it was the basis for all creativity:
Unfortunately, we may be at a point of connection overload. It is no longer just about plugging in, but what you plug in to.
So where can an aspiring analyst turn? That is not an easy question. It is in fact a problem so large, I’ve founded a handful of companies including Corsair's Publishing to fix it. But one nice choice has emerged, Career in Analytics, a LinkedIN group that focuses on aspiring analysts looking to connect.
Learn
What should an aspiring analyst learn? How about everything? No seriously. The days of the polymath didn’t end with Renaissance Italy. Analysts with broad knowledge and insight have a distinct advantage over most specialists beyond certain nuisance tasks.
It helps to read. This is unfortunate as not all people with great analyst potential were made to read. Content should be available in multiple formats and use multiple modalities. While great improvements have been made, things are still lagging. So for now, you can start with a video but you are likely going to need to read the book as well.
How do you know what to read? There are plenty of options and lists available across the web. I stop short of recommending any of them… sorry. There is one option I would tell you to check out. It is one in which I am investing. I think is has great potential, but it is only getting started. SAILS, which stands for Store And Interactive Library Site, is part of the Corsair’s Network. It is a work in progress, but every book on their list is excellent.
Engage
Application is critical to learning. Nothing beats a great internship or hands-on experience. However, it goes beyond application. You need to illicit feedback, to elevate your connections. You need to engage yourself and others. To quote Allen Iverson — We’re talkin’ about practice!
How do you find great ways to practice? Don’t you need experience to get an internship? How do you get feedback on your analytic skills. Sadly, I don’t have great answers… yet! But I do have some decent options.
Writing can enhance your communication and synthesis skills and there is plenty of opportunity for feedback. Recently, Corsair’s Institute hosted a visualization challenge. Events like this allow you to practice and receive feedback as well. There are plenty of free and inexpensive courses available online. A small number allow you some degree of hand-on application.
Finally, ask questions! This is probably the single biggest skill for an analyst. Career in Analytics hosts forums with senior analysts and experienced data scientists. What better way to practice asking great questions in a connected environment with an opportunity to learn?
Career in Analytics is a forum dedicated to connecting beginning analysts with experienced and veteran mentors. Our topics cover a variety of interests in the area of analytics and professional career development.
