Why you should NOT be a Data Analyst

[@LukeBarousse]

Data Nerds! What's your biggest issue with working as a data analyst? (or even learning to be one?)

[@noahsanchez9236]

Knowing what skills to develop to stay current.

[@HoosierHorn]

Getting my organization to make the necessary investments to implement better data solutions. Since they won’t, now it’s building out the skill set to go somewhere that will.

[@ivankatalinic2881]

@@HoosierHorn Yeah, me too. Stuck using Google Sheets cause even Excel seems to be too complex to share within organization. Made an education plan for myself, gonna try and learn Power BI to start with and start pushing that withing organization. If nothing, off I go to try and find greener pastures.

[@ivankatalinic2881]

For me, definitely getting quality feedback. I work with Marketing & Sales teams a lot, even though there's some Riskmanagement involved there too (iGaming industry) and within my organization we barely have any meetings. So it's basically expected of me to either make really short video presentations or somehow make the Dashboard or Report to be super simple. Of course, more often than not I either don't get any feedback whatsoever apart from a thumbs-up on Slack or "please make it shorter" --- Without even describing which aspect may have been useful and which one not. Boss is happy, and basically the only person that will give feedback but.... It's driving me crazy. I find it impossible to improve or get greater insight into problems with this company culture.

[@LukeBarousse]

@@ivankatalinic2881 When of the pains... and joys... of working for a larger company. Ugh I feel your pain all too well, Ivan!

[@Jaybearno]

Data analytics is a great career. It has its a share of downsides, but those can be mitigated by joining the right company/team. One thing I'd like to tell aspiring analysts- be aware of letting the 'analyst mindset' creep in to your personal life. It happens slowly over years.. Soon you will be making spreadsheets and trying to quantify everything. While thinking like that has its benefits, there are many downsides.

[@LukeBarousse]

Such a very true point, Jonathan! Thanks for sharing this! 🙌🏼

[@ryezheld]

Huh? Everything can be quantified. Everyone has value, some are just higher than other and the numbers would be different from people to people because everyone has their own standards. But what matters is how much you value yourself.

[@sunshine1004]

What are the downsides?

[@Jaybearno]

@@sunshine1004 IMO, although it’s the nature of it, can at times be extremely tedious. Some companies do not have a great data culture, and it can lead to many hours of work just to be able to begin work on a project. It can be very frustrating to chase down a bug in poorly written code or to discover fundamental flaws in the data preventing you from answering a question.

[@devrimaras6864]

Wait, I already do that. Does that mean data analytics is my calling, or will this just make things worse?

[@serddel2168]

There’s always a temptation to build something great and beautiful but you need to be prepared that your management often doesn’t need it. Working with data is like an art.

[@LukeBarousse]

Very much agree!! So much like an Art when it comes to building solutions. Thanks for this Serhii!!

[@csoham96]

in every software development this is the case

[@akin242002]

Nothing is more frustrating than coming up with a working solution and management kills the idea.

[@LukeBarousse]

@@akin242002 So very true!

[@ryezheld]

@@akin242002 Just grab some popcorn and watch as everything crash and burn, then laugh at management's face when the dust settles.

[@zachmanifold]

6:18 speaking on the anxiety portion, back in 2018 (when I got my first analyst role) I had extreme anxiety to the point where I was completely uncomfortable talking to people on the phone. However, over the years talking with a bunch of people in different teams it has significantly improved my social anxiety. That's not to say that it's completely gone, but I no longer fear (as much) talking to people these days. Nowadays in 2022 I manage the data behind our finance team's labor plan so I have to have weekly meetings with finance stakeholders and usually executives 1-2 times per year, so I've gotten much more comfortable.

[@LukeBarousse]

Zach, thanks for sharing this! It's awesome to hear how you worked on this over the years and tthat you've seen an improvement in being more comfortable with controlling social anxiety! This was motivating to read, so thank you!

[@SeattleDataGuy]

Wow, I was rewatching this and trying to see how I can improve my content and I realized that you included me! Thank you so much

[@LukeBarousse]

🤣😂 haha! Just added a card in this video for your video! 🙌🏼

[@Clever_viper]

This video represents my work haha. I have been through many of those. Rejection wasn’t easy, I must admit. I love the job so the lesson is to continue improving to create better value and to be able to prove it to management in words they understand (and also learning that management can be right about their decisions even if it hurts our pride). I am believer that the most fundamental skills for a data nerd are social skills and constant learning. As Luke says, we need to communicate to find out what the team and the business needs and we then need to communicate our solution in words that the team and management understand and those usually aren’t the tech words we all know and love.

[@LukeBarousse]

So very much agree with this, José!! Loved your perspective on this. Communication skills and learning is such an imperative part of this process and when you can talk in a manner that your teammates understand, success happens! Thanks again!

[@ryezheld]

Isn't any job requires you to provide values to the company? Otherwise you're nothing but a walking and breathing waste of space and oxygen that is asking for the pink slip.

[@Thuvu5]

Haha the intro is so hilarious! Very well done! 👍Actually Ken is a very nice boss who even told you what you were getting into LOL. Definitely relate to all the points you mentioned, Luke. I'd like to add one more point here from my experience that a lot of time in my life has been dedicated to waiting for data to run as well haha.. just a reality of working in big data projects.

[@LukeBarousse]

Hey Thu Vu!! 👋🏼 Love your channel!! Agree on Ken being a very nice boss, I'm actually very much lucky to have him! Or at least he tells me that.. 🤣 jk Also great point on the running data pipelines!! So true!

[@Thuvu5]

​@@LukeBarousse Hey Luke, thanks for checking out my channel! I'm so glad you liked it 😄. Agreed, I can imagine you two would work together very well haha. Ken definitely reminds me of one of those smart and perfect colleagues at my work 🤓

[@robdog114]

Data Analyst is like being an artist with one key difference. As a data analyst, non data people don't care about your work, but you make a good living. As an artist, people admire artwork as magic and talent, but its hard to make a living

[@LukeBarousse]

Interesting perspective!

[@benjamincarter6095]

If you can find a business partner who fully buys in to becoming data driven, with your assistance their area will outperform and the cause will be noticable. This tends to make other business partners request your assistance. Focus on what you can measure that they have the power to improve.

[@robdog114]

Yea I'm lucky to work for a data driven company where my work is valued. I was more so referring to the general public . I make art too and all my friends and fam love seeing and talking about my art , but get nausea when I bring up my enthusiasm for data lol

[@hitthemark3569]

As an aspiring data analyst with every odd stacked against him, I appreciate this video very much. I'm still not deterred from my mission 🙏 Good shit Bro

[@Benjamin-z3h6h]

Currently I am almost midway to my Data Analytics course. Watching this video confirmed some of the things I am anticipating to encounter when I finally start working. And no I'm not discourage. And I seemed to look forward to it. As always, great video Luke! Thank you!!!

[@justpaolostar]

thanks so much for this!! as someone who is looking to make a career swap this was super insightful and even encouraging! made me realize what I value in a career and data analysis is looking really great right now!

[@saikigamestation]

I totally relate to this! Thru the course of time, I developed the skill to create a story and nonstop patience in observation to backup my claims to make sure my proposed solution will be used. Not to mention the empathy, making sure we are connected to our stakeholders emotionally for them to fully trust your work because they know that you understood their challenges. Most importantly, make sure that if our stakeholders find it hard to understand what you are saying, we need to level down our vocabulary to a level that they would comprehend so it would make sense. Happy analyzing folks! This is a great content!

[@LukeBarousse]

Thanks for sharing this!

[@nathanbrown4417]

Great video. I'm starting to learn SQL and I see a number of options: T-SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL etc what are the differences and which will you recommend I learn?

[@pteppig]

Tsql is only used with Microsoft SQL. MySQL and Postgre, are more widely used and have lots of integrations and tools. PostgreSQL has more options for large databases, some similar to Oracle SQL, without the licensing and old software garbage. I would recommend getting a course with Postgre and test building a few projects with it, then comparing it to MySQL. The next step would probably be mongodb (nosql) or influx (time series)

[@petersilie9702]

In my opinion, it does not matter which System you are learning on. The basic commands are always very similar. I like prostgres but i learned SQL on sqlite and Microsoft SQL. The gap is not that big and IT should not prevent you from start learning. Good luck

[@LukeBarousse]

Hey Nathan, It looks like there are great answers above from @username & @Peter_Silie. I agree with the fact that it doesn't matter as much about the database management system you pick (Microsoft SQL, MySQL, POstgreSQL), but instead it matters more that you know how to write SQL syntax (which is basically the same in all these different database management systems). I would focus on learning SQL syntax. From there pick a common database management system and start building!

[@aimenyaugba6892]

@@LukeBarousse Thanks for your response and others. I am also in the same situation. Learning PostgreSQL and wondering if my learning is comprehensive. Now I understand better. Thanks👍

[@LukeBarousse]

@@aimenyaugba6892 Heck yeah! Glad we could help here in the comments!!

[@Alfados85]

Thank you four your insights!! I'm working as an economist at an university, but I'm considering more and more (for many different reasons) to change my career path towards data science

[@LukeBarousse]

No problem at all! Glad I could provide a view into this field for you!

[@mamneo2]

That's cool, I've always been interested into economy. Even thought about changing my career path towards economy. There are two famous latin american economists called Axel Kaiser and Javier Milei. I think they are good exponents of latin american economic thought and are making the youth interested in economy.

[@LukeBarousse]

@@mamneo2 Thanks for sharing this!

[@pro-on6wq]

Economists are very welcome in data science, because they are known to be good with statistics

[@LukeBarousse]

@@pro-on6wq Thanks for sharing this!! This is great to know

[@Cappurnikus]

As someone who has been a data analyst at a corporation for almost a decade, I feel you hit the nail on the head with most of this video. Nice work giving people insight into the job!

[@LukeBarousse]

Thanks so much for this!! Hopefully we can convince more people to become data analysts! 🙌🏼

[@jordanmartinetti8224]

Haha I feel that too much. The most difficult part I've encountered is changing metrics. I spent two months just gathering requirements, literally no building, because they kept changing what they wanted.

[@LukeBarousse]

Ugh, I can unfortunately relate all to well with your pain, Jordan! But that's what keeps this job interesting!

[@johnflood6508]

Hi Luke, another fine video. Excellent perspective. I can't wait to start my career as a data analyst. I mean really Luke, it's all so immensely fascinating. Thanks again man for posting such good content.

[@LukeBarousse]

Heck yeah!! So glad you enjoyed this one John! Good luck in your journey!! 🙌🏼

[@johnflood6508]

Hi Luke, I also like that you have a sense of humour. Everyone knows that data is serious stuff. But you find a way to not take yourself super serious. And when you are serious, we get that. Keep on man. It's very helpful.

[@TravisTraps]

An honest look at being a DA. I know the intro was in good jest, but it was always painfully accurate too haha. Surprised to see that I came in at the upper end of DA salary on my first job in the field. But Luke isn't lying, I have to show up and fight for my job every day, and provide value. I also think your bit on Python is true, as much as I would love to learn it right now, for the first three years or so, I need to focus purely on the tools I use every day: Tableau, Excel, and a little SQL. This was the honest hard truth some needed to hear.

[@LukeBarousse]

Ken may have made the interview feel a little 'too real'. 😂🤣 And thanks for sharing this perspective, Travis!! Glad you can confirm the Python portion and that I'm not alone on this claim. I am a little worried about the backlash from the python and r lovers tho... 😂

[@TravisTraps]

@@LukeBarousse some had to say it :) Don't shoot the messenger

[@LukeBarousse]

@@TravisTraps 🤣🙌🏼

[@benjamincarter6095]

Three years may be a stretch. It should take a couple of weeks to learn to write SQL queries reasonably well, same for the basics of a BI tool. Excel takes a few months. For all tools, your proficiency will continue to increase the more use cases you apply them to. I tend to push new analysts fresh from academia to start learning Python after 3-6 months, and support them taking time each week to learn and practice. Data Camp is a great introduction, and you can start learning for free. I like that it has hands on coding examples that you can actually run to see the results. Only a browser is required, not a python install. Start by learning the Pandas library. It is like a mix of SQL and Excel, and many other packages work well with dataframes. Best of luck!

[@TravisTraps]

@@benjamincarter6095 I appreciate the dialogue and challenging me to push my timeline forward. I'll accelerate my path a bit: I should be able to come better than proficient in Tableau / Excel / SQL within this calendar year. I appreciate the tips on Python too, and like your roadmap on skills/python/timeline too, thank you for helping

[@sskylark_]

Thank you Luke! I very much enjoy the seemingly doomy videos like these, as they show me the real and sometimes painful aspects of the job. Although you list some discouraging things on this list, I feel like it makes me even more motivated to make the most out of it and pursue my dreams!

[@kathycrc]

Reinforcing the minds and the reality. Thank you. It was soothing to hear. I did want to avoid the problems you mention as an mfg engineer but it's good to learn that I will encounter them in every job and that it's ok. Dont get frustrated there will be better days.

[@LukeBarousse]

There will always be better days!! Very much agree with this!! 🙌🏼

[@Nameshouldbehereplz]

I find a lot of what may deter someone is actually positive and can strengthen a person's character instead. It's part of the reason why I'm pursuing a data analyst role and teaching myself technical skills right now. However, I am curious about maintaining a healthy work-life balance or just not getting too burnt out. I would love your input on this. I'm like you where job satisfaction is very important, and I actually was planning on just using this career to build up my actual passion on the side. Basically having a fair income while trying to not be a literal starving artist lol

[@LukeBarousse]

Yeah, I feel your pain, I struggle with this healthy work-life balance and not being burnt out as well. Unfortunately, I don't have a winning answer to this and instead, this is a struggle that many of us are trying to figure out.

[@benjamincarter6095]

Company culture is everything when it comes to work life balance. Remember that you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Ask questions about the culture and work life balance. If you meet individual contributors at the company, ask what their average workday is like and what they enjoy most about their job and their company. If possible, either before or after the interview, talk to a person in the lowest level position your can identify and approach. How a company treats easily replaceable employees, and what those employees think of their company,speaks volumes to the quality of the culture.

[@titongoma4680]

Your videos have so much value that every time I watch them, I get one thing to study in order to make better decisions in my daily work with data. Thanks, @Luke.

[@LukeBarousse]

Heck yeah! Thanks for the kind words Tito!

[@0o_KASHIII_o0]

In regard to "what tool we are working with or learning" poll. Programming has the highest score probably because it's the hardest among other tools to learn and thus has the highest priority. Anyways, thanks for another great video as always!

[@Rice0987]

As introvert to introvert i'm absolutely agree with you, so thank you for sharing and confirming my thoughts.☺

[@LukeBarousse]

🙌🏼

[@ShashankData]

Great video! I agree with basically everything here. I’ve found that if you know SQL then that can be an easy why to up your initial salary a bit. As far as stakeholders having strong opinions on which charts you should use (looking at you finance people 😅), I generally create the exact dashboard the stakeholder asks for and then add my ideas. When I present the dashboard, I start off with what they asked for, make they’re they’re satisfied with that, then say something like “I put something together last night that I think might help” and show them the extras. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t haha

[@LukeBarousse]

Shashank!! My dude! Thanks for checking this video out! Also, I very much like your perspective on how you deliver a dashboard: 1) you give them what they want and 2) you provide them with a little something extra 😉. This is definitely a more viable approach for delivering your solutions 🙌🏼 If anybody wants another perspective on becoming a data analyst check out Shashank's video on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3LFcqBqqZl5j7M

[@tonepoet]

The intro gave me anxiety. Haha! Great video, there's some really good insight here and some valuable takeaway of the commitment needed to be a data analyst.

[@LukeBarousse]

Oh hech yeah!! And sorry the interview gave you anxiety, I promise it isn't that bad! 🤣 That Ken Jee!!

[@jingthethief]

thank you this was really informative. im doing the google analytics career certificate right now.

[@rudroroy1054]

Could you make a video comparing data analyst with business analytics? Most universities have programs like MS in Business analytics but the curriculum is pretty much that of a data analyst.

[@LukeBarousse]

Let me see what I can do about this as I think this is a very important topic! Thanks for sharing this!

[@fergusoh5092]

I am currently doing an MSc in business analytics and applying for graduate data analyst roles. From what we've learnt, it's exactly what the data analyst role asks for

[@rudroroy1054]

@@fergusoh5092 which university are you enrolled in?

[@fergusoh5092]

@@rudroroy1054 I don't want to say exactly for privacy reasons but it's a top 10 uni in UK on complete university ranking

[@benjamincarter6095]

The job descriptions are synonymous. Business analyst may imply a focus on a specific business function (department) rather than an organizational focus. Always ask about the scope of the position early if it is not clear from reading the JD.

[@0x007A]

While Microsoft Excel might be the most demanded skill for data analysts. from the perspective of users of the data analysis that is, it creates a nightmare in terms of "one source of truth." Each person can modify the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or workbook. Eventually, nobody can agree on the outcomes produced by the various modified versions , each held by a single individual. An interactive dashboard, with clearly defined functionality and restricted ways to "tamper with the outcome," in my opinion, is a superior way to let users "play" with the data.

[@LukeBarousse]

Very much agree with your pains! I've experienced such similar issues in my job, it can be soooo frustrating. I actually made a whole video on this topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYWlqIxqi89_jpo

[@Jaybearno]

Strongly recommend that all analysts don't rely on excel for this reason, and use jupyter notebooks instead. They are deterministic/reproducible, and can be checked in to version control.

[@LukeBarousse]

@@Jaybearno Yeah I can very much agree with this. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to use the same tools that our teammates use. #Excel 😭

[@benjamincarter6095]

Excel should not be the primary source for any key data. If there are any data silos, integration should occur using appropriate tools. Work to develop the data maturity of your company, including data governance appropriate for your size and complexity.

[@0x007A]

@@benjamincarter6095 fortunately I am not an employee of any company so their disasters are on them. I can only offer fact-based advice; any client is free to ignore it at their peril. As to Microsoft Excel, my comment was focused on end-users adding formulae and/or calculation cells (row-wise or column-wise), and playing "what-if" games with the data which was intended to be static...that is, no connection back to the data source(s). Dashboards can and should directly connect to the source data albeit non-operational, non-line-of-business databases, APIs, etc. that could adversely impact the production environment.

[@steveetches6013]

Really interesting video. I’m trying to change careers at 41 and think that data analyst is a likely entry level position to get my foot in the door with.

[@LukeBarousse]

I think it's a great choice as well, I transitioned in my 30's so I think it's viable at any age!

[@ABHITECHNOCRAT]

@@LukeBarousse hey Luke... How did was your experience when you transitioned? You must have had a lot of experience in some other tech and becoming sort of a fresher again and competing to those younger professionals who has already been working in that field, how did you manage that? Did you ever have doubts that all those years of experience would go to waste and did starting something new at that point of career by leaving a path where you are already well settled gave you anxiety or self doubts?

[@steveetches6013]

@@ABHITECHNOCRAT - Luke has got quite a few other videos that cover some i that. I’d recommend a look there.

[@LukeBarousse]

@@ABHITECHNOCRAT Yeah I actually made a video on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXLSY3mMZtdoY5o But to answer your question more specifically, I had A TON of doubts of starting in this career. Mainly I had spent 7 years of my life in another unrelated career and was afraid it would go to waste. BUT I figured out how to take advantage of this experience instead and apply it in my new role. Hope this helps shed some light on this!

[@ek3252]

@@LukeBarousse I'm a new subscriber and haven't noticed this video. Thank you for linking it! I'm an introvert as well and in my 30s trying to transition to data, so it was very motivating!

[@gospelsong2016]

Thank you for sharing the info

[@LukeBarousse]

No problem at all!! 🙌🏼

[@diegorodrigues3019]

I’m really considering becoming a data analyst, as maths and calculations were never my strength. I have a degree in psychology and main transferable skills was statistics, but when I hear people from economics and computer background commenting I feel so intimidated 😅

[@ak18singh]

Love ur job, always keep on learning, improving and analyzing ur work (any work) with INTEGRITY and every job will be fun

[@LukeBarousse]

Heck yeah it will!! Thanks for sharing this 🙌🏼

[@benjamincarter6095]

Well said

[@bdb5678]

Thanks so much for the content guys.

[@HOMAM4U]

Your content creation skills is also amazing , i subed directly , good luck

[@devowra]

Don't expect to start by showing something new that will revolutionise the company. Expect to show management what they already know, but give them a little understanding why. Then after years of doing that, they will trust you enough to show them something new. Also its ok that some projects don't go anywhere. It's great to confirm that the company is sailing the right course and no action is required opposed to costly knee jerk reactions.

[@LukeBarousse]

I liked these insights, Daniel! Very much agree about with your first statement and like how you use Buy-in to get management to adapt to your ideas. Thankks for this!

[@benjamincarter6095]

You have to walk before you run. Depends on the level of data literacy and maturity of the company as to what they will expect and accept. Trust is paramount, never let it slip.

[@LukeBarousse]

@@benjamincarter6095 I can really appreciate this!

[@charlesroberts9675]

Very good video and advice, thank you.

[@pedroewert143]

Interesting - im considering switching from psychology to data analysis. in psychology i got comfy with R and we got a nice overview of statistical approaches for testing distributions, compare group, data prediction with regressions and principal component analysis. What i actually would like to do is: use my psych background to gather insights based upon already proven scientific concepts, but im a bit afraid that as a data analyst actually i would maybe even work below some mba or psychogy-person who then just gives me the task while all my conceptual knowledge in the field wouldnt count much and i maybe would even earn less? (i guess the manager of the data scientist earns more?)

[@LukeBarousse]

Hey Predro! 👋🏼 It sounds like you want to provide data analytics in a psych-type role. Which I think you can totally do. Data analytics (and data science in general) is needed in so many fields to start digging into the data and gain insights. I wouldn't focus too much on finding a role titled "Data Analyst". What you are looking for may not always be called that so I would more look for Psych-roles that match your interest in data analytics. Regarding whether you'll be working below somebody is really up to what job you choose. I think in your case you just need to be creative in looking for these types of jobs and opportunities and making sure that the job itself relates to your background.

[@benjamincarter6095]

Want a job? I need someone familiar with behavioral psychology, statistics and some basic coding experience. Working on projects to improve our understanding of customer preferences and life journeys, with the goal of personalizing user experiences and predicting major life events. Training and access to a seasoned team will catch you up on any areas you feel deficient. Always interested in recruiting new talent with a wide array of skills and experiences! Let me know if you are interested and we'll figure out a way to talk.

[@AdityaSYT]

I am planning to do my Masters in Business Analytics in the US to get into the field of Data analytics/science. I want to ensure that I get a great job at a decent firm in the US. I will be starting my master's in Fall 22. What do you suggest I do or divert my focus to for a better chance of landing jobs once I'm in my master's degree? I have experience as a data analyst for 3 years.

[@LukeBarousse]

I'd start with building up your portfolio and also your online presence in the data analytics community. It's great to have a degree, but can showcase experience to an employer (through a portfolio) I found that you can have the most success!

[@SmashedHatProject]

I actually got to practice some python at work this week, nothing has come of it yet but it satisfied my itch of starting to solve a particular problem

[@LukeBarousse]

Awesome! Gotta start somewhere and the fact that you took the effort to start in the first place is the hardest part. Keep it up! 🙌🏼

[@aitothechamp7263]

I like data analysis, but mostly for personal use. I feel like it’s a passion of mine, but if I take on a full time corporate job where I have to solve problems I’m not interested in, I feel like it will ruin it for me. I think I just don’t like the corporate setting, corporate politics. I might go the upwork route for its flexibility and options. What do you think about this?

[@LukeBarousse]

Free lancing is def a popular option for this as well, so yeah I think this is a viable option if you have a fear of ruining your passion.

[@zahid1909]

Great video; more valuable because of its close links with the applied fields of the company management.

[@LukeBarousse]

Thanks for this, I didn't even thinking about how it links to these aspects.

[@alee658]

In terms of investigating the data for quality, how would you suggest going about doing that if you can't extract the data out of the system in your example to investigate large samples of the data? It sounds like it'd be highly manual and require looking at individual rows and columns of data directly within the system.

[@LukeBarousse]

For this scenario, I could have extracted it in smaller chunks (using the application itself) and then investigated the data further BEFORE even building the bot. Would have had a better sense at how accurate the data was and could have saw early enough that the data was bad.

[@alee658]

@@LukeBarousse Makes sense, thanks for the reply!

[@poojaenterprises4173]

@@LukeBarousse So you have to build bots also?

[@benjamincarter6095]

There is always a way to extract the data. Sometimes it requires working with your IT partners or a vendor. Other times, you may need to learn a new tool and find a creative way to collect it yourself. One step towards becoming a great analyst is moving from the mindset of, 'what data can we access,' to, 'how can we access or acquire the data necessary to solve the business need.'

[@benjamincarter6095]

@@LukeBarousse Agree with data exploration on a sample before pulling en masse for new data sources. Ideally, once you trust a data source, data engineers will develop a pipeline to enable access to the data in an easy to use and reusable format and add it to your data catalog.

[@bayerane]

thank you Luke ,i am a graduate data analyst with Coursera , what's your recommendation for the next courses i need to prepare myself . Big fan of yours Cheers.

[@LukeBarousse]

Aww thanks so much for this! Have you seen this video on courses I recommended: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6K1qY2Jp69_e8U

[@louditalian1962]

Unfortunately salary is more important than job satisfaction. Thinking like that means you are probably making more than the average salary in your area. Living in Miami the average salary is 50k but entry level analyst are making over 60k; I feel that if you are making over the average salary you are on good living conditions.

[@akin242002]

I strongly agree on the part about "A job may have different tools than the ones you prefer or have experience using". I trained for Excel, MySQL, Python, and GCP. Now I may need to know Azure and Java for work. Not a big fan of Azure as IAAS, but the job requires it.

[@LukeBarousse]

Yep, all comes down to what the job demands! Thanks for sharing your experience with this, very helpful for others to understand!

[@theDynamicSkunk]

I guess I must be the exception. I just landed my first data analyst position. There were two rounds of interviews and in both I had to complete technical tasks in Python.

[@LukeBarousse]

Interesting, thanks for sharing this! I do think that Python is a popular tool for Data Analysts, but yeah from my research it appears that SQL and Excel are more popular. Either way... YOU GOT THE JOB!! Congrats my dude!!

[@theDynamicSkunk]

@@LukeBarousse Thank you!! And thanks for the video, it made me even more excited about this new role!

[@benjamincarter6095]

Congrats! Best of luck!

[@SixSigmaData]

Do you ever use python for data analysis at work? I ask because I mostly use it for data cleaning and ETL. Coming into the field, I realized it's not used much for analysis at least where I work

[@LukeBarousse]

Interesting to hear how you are using Python for your job! So I've been in a few roles and only my most recent one did I actually use Python. Mainly I found that I needed to use the same tools that my team was using so that way my work would live on after I left. Not sure if you saw this video but I talk about this more here; kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJTcXoF6lJmsmrM

[@benjamincarter6095]

I manage a data analytics team. Python, SQL, Excel and Power BI are all wonderful tools. Each tool has strengths and weaknesses. Use the right tool to get the job done. Research and learn additional tools and skills based on need to solve business problems.

[@farisherlansyah9336]

Great video and great insights! Actually this video makes me want to start pursuing a career in data even more.

[@LukeBarousse]

Aw thanks! And that may have been my ulterior motive 😈

[@farisherlansyah9336]

Ahaha yeah, those insights actually gave us some kind of guideline on how to prepare for a career start in data analytics. Thanks!

[@manoelm.m.6121]

Thank you for the lesson. I'm curious: do you stand up in front of your computer during your working day??

[@ordinaryhuman5460]

I'm just confused between doing the CompTIA trifecta and going for IT support or becoming a data analyst.. I just want a job where I can find work-life balance and avoid overwhelming stress that I'm dealing with in my current job

[@twoodcc]

great video! some valid points! thanks for sharing

[@LukeBarousse]

Glad it was helpful!

[@noahsanchez9236]

So true. Great video and information

[@LukeBarousse]

Thanks for this, Noah!!

[@Rawi888]

Both of you guys are my biggest inspirations man.

[@LukeBarousse]

Thanks you my dude!!

[@BreakinDaHabit]

since you mentioned the influence of an individual on entry level job I, i guess like in most cases,any job ..you wouldn't get to have much of opinion or influence mostly it's you do the job and learn more to develop certain skill set to go further , so yeah that doesn't apply on data analyst only anyway xD thanks for sharing your insights

[@LukeBarousse]

Thanks Sam!

[@sergioafonso892]

Great approach for the reality, thanks a lot for sharing!

[@LukeBarousse]

Heck yeah! Glad you tuned in!! 🙌🏼

[@mabrad]

I observe that a person needs to be heavy into mathematics inside of calculus and understand how to apply those skills into Excel/SQL/maybe Python as a gift from god once you reach that level -- not to mention investigative skills that drive you to dig in and find "things" bad/good, and become a gambler do the distance and then test your full blown skill sets at the Tables!

[@graczew]

Grate content. Thanx Luke 🙂

[@LukeBarousse]

Thanks so much for this! 🙌🏼

[@xavierpaquin]

Thanks for the perspective

[@LukeBarousse]

No problem, Xavier!! 🙌🏼

[@hamidomar350]

Do most data analyst not work on end to end projects ? I work from everything on python, sql to front end and data pipeline… This is my first job and I am few months into it.

[@LukeBarousse]

It really depends, at larger companies you get more specific on your roles and work on a piece of the project. Whereas in smaller companies, you typically are working on a full end to end project similar to you.

[@benjamincarter6095]

You are doing the work of a team. Not uncommon, and great experience. Do you have a mentor at work to learn from, or are you applying what you know and teaching yourself new tools and skills as needed to solve new problems? Either way, good for you!

[@hamidomar350]

@@benjamincarter6095 Hey, thanks for the positivity. The answer your question, a bit of both. While I can reach out if I get stuck, most of the times I do my best based on my intuition and skillset. I try to have someone look over my work, but in a lot of cases, I am the only one who has worked on it, so others don't have adequate context. It used to get very overwhelming and still sometimes does, but the people are nice so I survive... :)

[@neville1122]

TBF Luke. The stakeholders issue happens well, everywhere. Sometimes less is better, especially in my line of work.

[@LukeBarousse]

Yep, agree! 🙌🏼 very common issue and all comes back to those communication skills.

[@dasse1588]

he says a month of his life was wasted 6:00 because the project was rejected. He still gets paid for his work though right?

[@eramorn]

Hey Luke, I'm now to your channel. I'm currently preparing my exam for database fundamentals. Does data analyst also use EER schematic's. Also learning SQL is really fun! :)

[@LukeBarousse]

They could when exploring databases, but only just the basics. Other than that I don't have much interaction with these shematics.

[@TugaHuga]

7:32 Did this legend just open windows 10 in a macbook pro?

[@LukeBarousse]

I did... I run a virtual machine (Parallels) on my mac when I need to use Power BI

[@jerrytico1]

I have a BA in Psychology. So I was wondering if Data Science could be a nice Career change and also something that could add to my existing skills. Any body have any comments about it?

[@fernandourrutia2566]

This video is very, veeeery good. Congrats man !

[@LukeBarousse]

Heck yeah, thanks Fernando!!

[@SeattleDataGuy]

The cinematography...next level

[@LukeBarousse]

TBH I spent a little bit too much time editing... and not enough time building dashboards... probably why I encountered all these issues in the video 🤣

[@SeattleDataGuy]

@@LukeBarousse Maybe it's time to go the way of Joma. Build the Luke Cinematic Universe

[@LukeBarousse]

@@SeattleDataGuy 😜🤫

[@WhatColourIsYourBugatti_]

I keep getting ads before these videos from my statistics professor. Weird

[@myentertainment55]

It feel how important this video is Wow! Thank you!

[@LukeBarousse]

Aww thank you so much for this! Glad you thought it was important!

[@Major_Data]

Wakeup criteria: New video from Luke and Mister Ken!

[@LukeBarousse]

😂 Glad you tuned in Al!! We're gonna have to all do a skit at some point! 🙌🏼

[@Major_Data]

@@LukeBarousse you know I'm always camera ready...

[@leroysthay6692]

Very well-put-together video.

[@LukeBarousse]

Thanks for this LeRoy!!

[@BabakFiFoo]

Hi Luke. I wanted to ask a question. I am a Ph.D student in real estate economy and I am using a lot of econemtrics, statistics and spatial analysis for my research. But I do not see my self as an academic person. I want to see whether it is good for me to change to data analyst/engineer or data scientist. That you for you informative contents!

[@LukeBarousse]

I mean I think so, but ultimately that's for you to decide. If you're not interested in what you are currently doing it's always worth exploring new opportunities IMO. It seems like you have a lot of schooling already and have built up some domain knowledge in real estate, so you may be able to apply this as a data analyst in this field.

[@BabakFiFoo]

@@LukeBarousse thank you so much for you reply Luke! It is very helpful ☺️. Have a lovely Sunday!

[@LukeBarousse]

@@BabakFiFoo You as well!

[@danelston9317]

How much SQL do you think is needed for entry level DA roles ? Thank you!

[@LukeBarousse]

It really depends on the employer. BUT I think mastering the basics is enough to get the first job. I don't consider myself a guru at SQL, but I know enough to get the data out of the database that I need

[@اسسالرياضيات-ش9د]

I learn mathatics proppaplty statics dfrintionetion algabra I know some about progrmming and algorthm What is the way . data analsyes or data science. I am from egypt

[@LukeBarousse]

It's really up to you and your interest, both fields can use your past knowledge

[@remijamalaldin6626]

Great video😍, where can I practice the skills I learned on real data?

[@LukeBarousse]

Aww thanks so much for this!! It really depends on what tool you want to dive into! I recommend using the Google Data Analytics certificate to find out what your interest is in and then using a tool to dive in to practice skills on the data.

[@benjamincarter6095]

Data Camp is a great starting point for free. From there, many free resources exist for data sets of various sizes which you can download and use to continue learning. Ideally, if you have the resources and the patience to follow step by step instructions, setup a SQL server. Then dump multiple tables from a few source into tables in a data base. Explore this data with various tools, including SQL, Excel, Python, R, Power BI and Tableau. Get a sense of which tool works best for different use cases. I wish colleges had this environment available to all students, with use cases loaded into databases related to various subjects. You can use this setup to continue to learn and experiment even after you have a job.

[@ryansandy2433]

It looks like the salary range excludes senior data analysts. Is this because there are fewer of them and they exist only in bigger companies?

[@LukeBarousse]

These salary ranges were aimed at entry level roles.

[@ryansandy2433]

Thanks !

[@bombardboy]

I want to emphasize something that was not said in the video. Domain Knowledge. I was a Mechanical Engineering in manufacturing that switched to data analyst in health insurance. It was one of the most stressful job since I had to learn about the entire healthcare industry and its process. My supervisor told me that the analyst should be the smartest person in the room with the ability to answer all the questions management throws at you. I know that everyone's experience is different but im just saying what my transition was like. I switched to being a data engineer in manufacturing and never been more happier.

[@LukeBarousse]

Thanks for sharing this point on Domain Knowledge. Very much agree that this is a very needed skill for data analysts!

[@rosebarrett8405]

Another great video, I'm learning so much from these and from the comments section too, thank you. I wanted to ask if there are particular resources/courses or platforms that folks would recommend for excel in particular? I know I could learn it from a number of places, but I'm wondering if there are any courses or resources that have stood out to folks? Cheers.

[@rosebarrett8405]

So as I go down the Luke Barousse rabbit hole I discovered an answer to my question! kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6K1qY2Jp69_e8U Thanks Luke!

[@LukeBarousse]

Heck yeah!! Just the video I was gonna share. (Hahah love this “luke Barousse rabbit hole” 😂)

[@dorseysigncompany7773]

Off topic...what are your thoughts on the EdX Harvard Professional Certificate in Data Science? Love your insight and your videos - Cheers!

[@LukeBarousse]

I've only briefly checked it out and it seems like a good option. For data analysts though, my top recommendation is still the Google Certificate.

[@MyYTReplyNotificationsAreOff]

bro, its great that you can choose a job based off passions but most people get jobs for the money, so yeah im gonna become whatever employee that gets paid well cause the money i make will satisfy me by not being poor. Passions come outside of work hours.

[@A4Blue-m7n]

Sounds awesome. My work offers in house training for Data Analytics. Figure do that and then get a computer science degree later to get the big bucks.

[@LukeBarousse]

I like the idea of taking advantage of the in-house training. It will help you figure out if you like this field!

[@benjamincarter6095]

Sounds like you work at a great company, or at least one devoted to improving data maturity. Congrats! You will get out of the training what you put into it. Look for opportunities to apply what you learn early and often. Early on, share your work with someone in analytics and ask them to review it and offer suggestions for improvement. This will help you build confidence and take your learning to the next level while also gaining exposure to experts who are obviously interested in identifying internal talent. It will also ensure your analysis is reviewed and reduce the likelihood of errors in your finished product. Best of luck!

[@slaiyfershin]

So this diff app to extract data from is SAP?

[@Repko01]

Luke Thanks for the information; I will not pursue to be Data Analyst as I planned; I will stick with being a genitor - much better...

[@LukeBarousse]

Glad this could help with your decision!! 🙌🏼

[@hrinaldy]

Hi Luke, I'm actually a finance graduate, worked in a bank and turned photographer, then videographer and also a WordPress developer. Now that I'm 36, is it too late to start as a data analyst?

[@LukeBarousse]

Heck no it's not! I didn't transition into Data Analytics until my 30's so I think you are just fine. It's all about the value you can provide and not the age of your body.

[@hrinaldy]

@@LukeBarousse Thank you so much Luke, this answer simply exceeded my expectations, it's all about value

[@RC-fi8nn]

Never too late man! Don't worry about your age. Career changes at any stage of life are the norm now. It's very common. I'm in my 30s and looking at a few different options myself as I feel it's time for a change. I've a friend (37) who landed just his dream job in UX after years as a chef. It's all about what you can bring to a company, not how many miles are on the clock! Go for it dude!

[@LukeBarousse]

@@RC-fi8nn Love this positive motivation! 🙌🏼

[@RC-fi8nn]

@@LukeBarousse thanks man! :)

[@nicbajito]

So, you telling me that you could have been doing a great job and show something new but still get rejected by your bosses. In that case, what is true success for you(and all) as DA? What are you looking for to end your day and feel like "i did a great job today/this week/this month"?

[@paulbunion584]

@Luke Barousse, tnx for the video. What Coursera course would you recommend someone starting from zero? Like just basic Excel understanding.. Thanks in advance!

[@LukeBarousse]

I would recommend the Google certificate for those just starting to wanting to enter this field of data analytics

[@user12345654]

👍👍 I can relate to the things you are talking about..

[@LukeBarousse]

Heck yeah! 🤙🏼

[@WVLRS]

This video was amazing don't ever stop sharing your amazing

[@LukeBarousse]

Aw thanks for this Warren!!

[@aimenyaugba6892]

Great video!

[@LukeBarousse]

Glad you enjoyed it Aimenya!!

[@Collins183]

Agreed, Excel is much more repeatable if you want to run it on the average pc without all the fancy tools!

[@LukeBarousse]

Heck yeah! 🙌🏼

[@yafethtb]

What I get from this video is, whatever the world portrayed data analyst as a cool job, it's actually the same as the other job. Keep humble is the key to strive and survive from the pressure.

[@LukeBarousse]

Boom! 🙌🏼 Very much agree!!

[@yafethtb]

I haven't being in that ground yet. But I learn to demystifying data jobs from now, so I don't put my expectation too high and become sour if it is not as I expected.

[@benjamincarter6095]

If you get stuck at a company where your job is not what you think it should be, first try to enact the change you want to see. This may take years, but if you see signs that change is possible and at least some areas are receptive to your efforts then this path can lead to a very rewarding experience and career. If you spend a year of being intentional in your efforts to lead change and all you experience is roadblocks, then there is a cultural issue that will be very challenging to overcome. In this case, develop your personal network and consider looking for another position with a new company. Share your efforts to lead change during your interview. A great data and analytics manager will appreciate your proactive approach, and may even commiserate since they likely have similar experiences.

[@LukeBarousse]

@@benjamincarter6095 Well said Benjamin!! 🙌🏼

[@nickburak9601]

How easy or difficult is it to move into a data science role after working as a data analyst for several years?

[@LukeBarousse]

Pretty common for data analysts to later switch to data scientist and data engineers role. As far as easiness it really depends on how much the employer values your past experience

[@TheKittenLover69]

Hi Luke, I am struggling to determine a future career. I am wondering if you could give me your thoughts on a potential path I might like to go down. Currently, I am working as a lab technician in a biochemistry lab, studying yeast genetics and translational machinery. However, I have always wanted to work with neuroscience and study emotion, cognition and memory. In addition, I have always loved math and wanted to become an engineer but in my undergraduate schooling I decided to go with a biochemistry degree to try and pursue a medical doctorate. Unfortunately, my ambition and drive to continue into medical school fizzled away and I never took the mCAT. So, I am currently thinking of trying to use data science or data analytics inside of a medical institution to try and explore, refine and develop neurological disease therapies or use data science or analytics to engineer therapies or technology to aid in neurological disorders. Do you have any knowledge or experience with data science/analytics in medicine? Do you know anyone with any experience in the medical field? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[@LukeBarousse]

What you are talking about using data science for here in medicine seems really viable and like an awesome way to use data in this field. I would think there are many opportunities for this, but I don't know of any personally as I don't work in medicine. So sorry for this. I highly recommend checking out linkedin and searching for jobs with some of the keywords you outlined above to see what the potential job market is like for this. If you're passionate about this than i'd pursue it! 🙌🏼

[@Pier_Py]

I'm having my technical interview for a position in data analytics tomorrow!

[@LukeBarousse]

Good luck with the interview tomorrow! Hope it goes well for you, Piergiorgio!

[@Pier_Py]

@@LukeBarousse passed! Next interview with a partner on Friday! Thankss❤️

[@LukeBarousse]

@@Pier_Py HELLZZZ YEAH!!! Congrats Piergiorgio, good luck this Friday; keep up the positivity! 🙌🏼

[@asiasowa]

Great video :) It totally does not feel that you are an introvert, though! Probably your work on your communicating skills pays off :)

[@LukeBarousse]

Aw thanks for this Joanna! Ha, if you met me in real life you would notice immediately that i'm an introvert 🤣 but yes! def have been working on my communication skills.

[@timvibes]

On a daily basis, does this career involve taking to people a lot or is it more working alone?

[@LukeBarousse]

I find it's involves a lot of communication.

[@siddheshabnave2101]

Why don't u use a totally windows laptop sir? Why rebooting it in Mac??

[@LukeBarousse]

I'm not rebooting, I use parallels as a VM to use Windows in my Mac... check out this video for more of an explanation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2XZmWV7eNF9n8U

[@siddheshabnave2101]

@@LukeBarousse ok sir

[@muhammadessam6438]

Hey Luke, you'd make a good actor man.

[@raba650]

I’m coming to this channel from an entry level developer (mern stack) perspective. Just trying to use coding somehow in a job.

[@LukeBarousse]

I think it’s possible to use your coding skills in this type of job, if you’re interested in data analytics.

[@boopathikrishana6902]

Bro I'm a non tech person with basic maths and computing. Can I choode data analyst as my carrer