Introduction to Data Analytics

A time comes in one's life and tough decisions have to be made. For me, this was to make a career switch and delve into Data Analytics. It is a great step and risk to take, but what is life without risks? Walk with me as I venture into this new territory and chapter of my life. Learning is a lifelong process that never ends. From my prior 'investigation', it was clear that one doesn't need prior knowledge in the field to learn data analytics to succeed, rather, determination and the hunger to upskill are all one needs.

Welcome, walk and learn with me.

Straight to the point, let's start with the basics for a newbie like myself. You are bound to interact with terminologies you're not familiar with. These include;

Data

Data Analytics

Data analysis

Data can be defined as a collection of facts or information.

Data analytics, what is it? This, in the simplest of terms, is the science of data.

Data analysis is the entire process of collecting, transforming, organising data to draw conclusions and make informed decisions.

There are various steps involved in the analysis of data. This process involves data collection, data preparation, data processing, data analysis, sharing of the data with the relevant audience and finally acting on the data to provide a solution to the problem presented.

Data Application in Real-life

There are various real-life applications of data analytics. Some of these include:

to improve processes

to launch new products into the market

to improve customers' experience and serve them better

to identify opportunities and trends

and to make decisions informed by the data available among others.

A data analyst has to possess analytical skills. These are qualities and characteristics associated with problem-solving using facts. One should be curious, have a technical mindset and be able to understand context.