Make the Leap to Data Analysis: Key Insights with Jess Ramos
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In this episode Jess Ramos, MSBA Ramos discussed her background and how she first got interested in data analytics during her undergrad studies. She took an information systems class as a business elective and learned basics like Tableau, R, and data cleaning.(1:31)
From there, she got more experience through an on-campus job and decided to pursue a master's degree in business analytics. She then interned at a fintech company as a data analyst before working her way up to senior data analyst at her current company.
?"Being a data analyst, you're a...reporter of data, and you're also a translator of data."
I asked Jess to [define what data analysis is and what a data analyst's day-to-day work involves (4:27) Jess explained that data analysts serve as interpreters between stakeholder questions and data insights. Their role involves preparing data for analysis to derive insights, then translating those back to recommendations for business stakeholders.
Next Episode: The AI Paradox
Exploring practical implementation of AI and data-driven strategies in business with insights?from Priya Ranjani Mohan, a KPMG Management Consultant and recognized data leader.
Skills for Data Analysts
We talked about the hard and soft skills needed to thrive as a data analyst. Jess said math skills are important for things like A/B testing and handling outliers(13:27). Knowledge of programming languages like SQL, Python and R is also key.
?"You don't have to know programming on a Python level just to start out in analytics...it really doesn't matter what domain you come from."
Strong communication skills are vital for understanding business needs and explaining insights to stakeholders from various departments. Problem-solving abilities are crucial for the constant challenges faced in the job.
Jess emphasized that passion and willingness to consistently work on skills matter more than one's background (19:14). She highlighted the need to "learn how to present yourself" confidently as a data analyst in interviews.
Communicating Uncertainty
We discussed how data analysts handle situations when they can't provide definitive answers to stakeholders' questions. Jess emphasized being transparent about assumptions, limitations of the data, and not implying causation when there's only correlation (9:09).
?"I think the biggest thing is just being transparent and being really careful with the verbiage that you use with stakeholders."
More of The Future in Tech
Portfolios and Non-Traditional Education
Jess and Ray talked about building a portfolio to showcase skills, even without formal education. She said passion and consistent effort to build skills matter more than one's background. Jess highlighted the importance of aligning projects with the target industry (25:24).
?"Make yourself stand out. I think depending on what type of role you want to go into, make sure that your projects align with that role."
Impact of AI on Data Analyst Jobs
We discussed the implications of AI tools like ChatGPT on data analyst roles. Jess didn't think AI would replace analysts due to the need for business context, stakeholder communication and subjective decision making (29:39).
She raised ethical concerns about uploading private data. Jess said AI could assist with basic tasks but noted the risks if non-technical stakeholders directly use its code output without guidance.
I showed Jess?OpenAI's Code Interpreter?tool and highlighted some newer ChatGPT features like uploading data and generating graphs.33:40?We talked about its usefulness for tasks like faster SQL query drafting. But agreed outputs shouldn't be used without human oversight because AI doesn't understand nuances of data and business needs.
Jess emphasized the need to judiciously utilize AI as a tool without overly relying on or trusting its outputs.
Episode Index
Sr. Data Analyst @ Crunchbase | Founder @ Big Data Energy?? | LinkedIn [in]structor | Empowering career growth in data | Remote Work, Productivity, Entrepreneurship
1 年Awesome summary of our chat ??