![[Video thumbnail] Tips to master data analytics](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/2zLZPBhzoaRjEq4QmCoWHc/04116dcca35fc4330abdbd51e6b271ee/Tips_to_Master__Data_Analytics.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
Status: Featured
Is Data Analytics Really That Hard? Tips for Rising to the Challenge
This video is here to tell you - learning data analytics IS achievable, and we'll show you how!
January 30, 2025
Article
Start Your Data Analyst Career
As an entry-level data analyst, you’ll be gleaning insights from data to answer questions and solve problems that inform business decisions. Get started on this career path with the resources below.
![[Featured image] A business person who has earned analytics certification points to charts and graphs on a screen while explaining the data to their colleagues.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3ONrpkabCK4D8u1rWnaPGh/4b470dbbf538f8f068d748d3788c558c/GettyImages-1221866514.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A hiring manager reviews the data visualization resume of a candidate for an open position.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/7kOVmjeu645Qe8V5gVSYZn/13f44527db6394273394e7b8cd3b2731/GettyImages-2188177298.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] Three data analysts review data on several report sheets in a large white room with two other analysts in the background](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/6BtKlH0qNq5BCZMu1zUVrh/290e7f0d4e07615f247cc8a1c4997ea8/GettyImages-528309862__3_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: A person wearing an orange dress is sitting in front of two computer screens as they work as an entry-level data analyst.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3LjO8mBEkdYJ7sbzRln26J/a99f68577ec8b0ed277e51bbb08605fd/GettyImages-1338373232__4_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] Woman in yellow dual-screen reviewing data analysis](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3Z0opa9tMlModMNk65jmuv/ced51a1dda4b0ce95b3d916138cc544f/GettyImages-1338373232__2_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
Learn the basics of data analysis
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Wrangling, Data Presentation, Big Data, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Analysis, Statistical Visualization, Data Cleansing, Apache Hadoop, Statistical Analysis, Data Visualization, Data Import/Export, Apache Hive, Data Mart, Data Processing, Data Warehousing, Data Transformation, Apache Spark, Data Science, Microsoft Excel
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Rmarkdown, Data Visualization, Data Presentation, Data Ethics, Data Cleansing, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Validation, Ggplot2, R (Software), Sampling (Statistics), Spreadsheet Software, Data Analysis, Stakeholder Communications, LinkedIn, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), File Management, Web Presence, Data Structures, Interviewing Skills
Microsoft
Skills you'll gain: Dashboard Creation, Power BI, Microsoft Excel, Data Analysis, Data Integrity, Data Visualization, Data Storage, Microsoft Power Platform, Data Collection, Data Quality, Business Intelligence, Business Analytics, Advanced Analytics, Data Analysis Software, Statistical Reporting, Analytical Skills, Data Integration, Timelines, Model Optimization, SQL
![[Featured image] A smiling professional happily shakes the hand of their new employer after getting their first job.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/bh6dP0hGyYLdxZbGnBp7v/f9aa1924e02deefe826a143cf11d33e5/GettyImages-2212050416.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A data analyst sits at their laptop smiling at the camera with a group of coworkers in the background.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3ExgLa4vYLV16Sb2IQdGux/89dd587604298f6f591195bb596787ef/GettyImages-2082769903.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A person sits outside at a wooden table reading a data analytics book on their tablet device.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1tuD23OSyAD9QKu2wkLsSG/dec2d8cb99e31902168a76a26bdbe17a/data_analyst_books.png?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A person sits on a couch, holding a white mug, as they type a data analyst cover letter on their laptop.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3tdNGcMHC2yhh9OrFhyRc4/cea9732cbcb970cda129f7612d865b38/Data_analyst_cover_letter.png?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A data analytics degree student works on his laptop in a university library.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1XR2cF08DJY1W2zv44848G/d9c1624fae91dbba0a559288a5f5f40b/Data_analytics_degree.png?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A data analyst sits on an outdoor patio with their laptop in their lap, working on their portfolio.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/6n65wQIVMiBvUJG7u9rVtJ/265c1093d089f528e7f52c238d583fd3/data_analyst_portfolio.png?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A business analyst interviews an employee. Both of them have their laptops in front of them.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/5vfQELyaDvsspcLpsigHEy/ec1810ecd32ac851a47d952a4f5d1e5d/dat_analyst_vs_business_analyst.png?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image]: Two small business owners are sitting at a table, surrounded by products as they analyze data charts provided by a data analyst.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/2rrfhvDFp0diA9IdjsAWZk/d2fd1f1c2bceb87d8c1febc40021d30e/GettyImages-2225071096.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
Data analysts collect, clean, and interpret data sets to drive better business decisions. They can work in many industries, including business, technology, finance, science, medicine, and government.
As an entry-level data analyst, you’ll be expected to know the basics of data collection, modeling, analysis, and visualization. You’ll need to know how to use software tools like Microsoft Excel, SQL, or Tableau to pull data sets and organize them before synthesizing the insights for a business use case and presenting them to stakeholders.
Similar roles include data scientist, business analyst, market research analyst, and business intelligence analyst.
Read more about entry-level data analyst careers and tips:
Find your career track: Data Science Career Paths: Explore Roles & Specializations
Watch on YouTube: 7 Steps to Become a Data Analyst
Ready to start learning? Explore our catalog of data analysis courses or accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses.
