Data Analyst
Turns messy information into clear answers that help people decide.
Why it may fit you
- Included to widen the options you have seen
Your evidence for this career
Based only on the experiences and strengths you have entered. Add more in My Evidence.
Strong evidence
Nothing here yet — two experiences showing the same skill will move it here.
Some evidence
Nothing here yet.
Evidence to build
- Communication
- Presenting
- Listening
- Working with data
- Numeracy
- Analysis
- Digital skills
- Attention to detail
- Planning
- Commercial awareness
What you may need to develop
Communication
Why it matters: Named in almost every job advert, and usually tested at interview.
Your current evidence: Limited evidence identified so far.
Ways to build this
- • Ask for written feedback after a presentation or piece of writing
- • Write a short summary of something technical for a general reader
Presenting
Why it matters: Being able to explain your work clearly is often what gets it noticed.
Your current evidence: Limited evidence identified so far.
Ways to build this
- • Volunteer to present your group's work
- • Record yourself explaining your project in two minutes and keep the notes
- • Join a society that involves speaking to a group
Listening
Why it matters: Underrated, and central to advisory, care and client roles.
Your current evidence: Limited evidence identified so far.
Ways to build this
- • Volunteer in a support, buddy or peer-mentoring scheme
- • Interview someone about their career and write three notes from it
Working with data
Why it matters: Most roles now involve reading data and explaining what it means to other people.
Your current evidence: Limited evidence identified so far.
Ways to build this
- • Complete a free spreadsheet or data basics course
- • Take a public dataset and build one simple chart that answers a question
- • Offer to keep the numbers for a society, team or campaign
What they do
Data analysts gather numbers from different places, check they make sense, look for patterns and explain what they found in plain language.
What your day could involve
- Pulling data together from a couple of systems
- Cleaning and checking it for mistakes
- Building a chart or dashboard
- Explaining a trend to a manager
- Answering a 'why did this change?' question
Skills employers often look for
People skills
- • Communication
- • Presenting
- • Listening
Technical skills
- • Working with data
- • Numeracy
- • Analysis
- • Digital skills
Professional skills
- • Attention to detail
- • Planning
- • Commercial awareness
Qualifications
There is usually more than one way in. A degree is one route — not the only one.
Typical degree routes
- • Maths
- • Statistics
- • Economics
- • Computer science
- • Any degree with a data project
Apprenticeships
- • Level 4 data analyst apprenticeship
Other routes in
- • Internal moves from admin or operations roles
- • Self-built dashboard portfolio
Certifications worth exploring
Only worth doing if it helps you. Experience and evidence usually matter more than collecting certificates.
Useful now
- Spreadsheet skills (formulas, pivot tables)
Still the most-used analysis tool in most organisations. - Free intro to SQL
SQL appears in almost every data analyst job advert.
Useful later
- Power BI or Tableau
Lets you turn analysis into something a team will actually use. - Python for data analysis
Useful once you handle larger or repeated tasks.
Optional specialist
- Cloud data certifications
For roles working with large data platforms.
Organisations to Put on Your Radar
Examples to explore — illustrative, not job adverts or endorsements
Large employers
A national retailer or bank
Retail / Finance
Roles to look for: Graduate analyst, apprentice
Why explore it: Lots of data and structured training.
Specialist organisations
An analytics consultancy
Consulting
Roles to look for: Junior analyst
Why explore it: Exposure to several industries quickly.
Public sector
An NHS trust or government department
Public sector
Roles to look for: Information analyst
Why explore it: Analysis that affects services directly.
Charities and NGOs
A national charity
Third sector
Roles to look for: Impact and insight assistant
Why explore it: Measuring social outcomes.
Start-ups and growing companies
A growing tech company
Technology
Roles to look for: Data analyst
Why explore it: Broad scope and quick progression.
Organisations in my region
A large local employer
Varies by region
Roles to look for: Apprenticeships, junior analyst
Why explore it: Try searching local council and hospital vacancies.
What should I look for on an employer's website?
- Graduate programmes — Structured schemes with training, usually opening a year before they start.
- Apprenticeships — Earn while you learn. Look for the level — Level 2 or 3 up to degree level.
- Internships — Paid experience over summer or a placement year. Often the main route into graduate roles.
- Insight days — One-day or one-week introductions, often for Year 12, 13 or first-year students.
- Volunteering — Many employers run volunteering days or support local projects you could join.
- Work experience — Short placements or shadowing. Ask directly — many are never advertised.
- Entry-level roles — Assistant, coordinator or support job titles are real doors into a career.