Creating the Ultimate Data Analyst Resume (Free Templates)
A step-by-step guide
Writing resumes is hard.
We’re not all marketers and we’re not all copywriters, so knowing how to “sell” yourself is difficult.
Not to mention all of the conflicting advice out there on how to do it.
Today, I’m going to give a no-fluff walkthrough on how to create a data analyst resume.
I’ll cater this to two types of individuals throughout the walkthrough.
Those targeting entry-level roles
Those in the early stages of their data career
I also have a couple of FREE templates I’d like to provide to you. Grab those here.
Here’s what the template I’ll be going through looks like
I’ll tackle this section-by-section.
Let’s dive in.
1. Info Section
Keep it simple with the basics. The main thing to make sure you include is a link to your portfolio and your LinkedIn.
If you don’t have a portfolio, I recommend watching this video when you have time. In it, I take 30 minutes to build a portfolio with you from scratch.
I don’t recommend creating a “Summary” section. I think they’re a waste of time and take up space in your resume. Then tend to all sound the same and don’t add much value.
2. Skills Section
I like to break this up into 2 categories:
Technical skills
Professional skills (basically soft skills)
Your technical skills should act as a mental checklist for the recruiter and hiring manager to make sure you have the skills they’re looking for.
Your professional skills are an opportunity to show you’re a well-rounded candidate.
Both of these are great areas for capturing key words too, which is important for getting through ATS (Application Tracking Systems) and matching your resume to the job description.
Of course, don’t list anything you don’t actually have experience with.
3. Certifications
Here, I would really only list proprietary, exam-based certifications. These are certifications with paid exams that are usually given by the company that makes the tool.
I wouldn’t take up space in your resume for certifications that you get from things like Udemy courses. Those are great for learning, but not super credible on your resume.
The 2 certifications in the screenshot are exams I’ve actually taken and passed, for Power BI and Tableau respectively.
4. Projects
If you’re an early stage data professional, you can probably skip this section.
If you’re seeking an entry-level role, you’ll definitely want to include this section.
Projects are how you cover the experience gap when applying for entry-level data roles. This is especially true if you’re coming from a non-technical background (like I did).
Take a few projects from your portfolio and list them in this section.
Treat it like your experience section, but for projects. Talk about what you did, what tools you used, and how you performed your analysis.
Bold keywords for specific skills or tools like I did in the image below.
5. Work Experience
For early stage professionals, you won’t need to rely on a portfolio as much since you already have some data experience.
I recommend something like in the screenshot below.
Some best practices:
Bold keywords or metrics, but only do so once per bullet point.
This draws attention to key points in your resume for those skimming.
Use the Google X-Y-Z resume formula for crafting your bullet points.
“Accomplished [X] by doing [Y] as measured by [Z].”
Try to limit each bullet point to 2 lines.
Try to limit the total number of bullet points per role to 5 max.
This keeps from getting too exhuastive.
Treat it like a highlight real and make sure you’re talking about what you did in terms of impact rather than just listing tasks.
For those seeking entry-level roles, you don’t need to put as much into this section since you’re covering additional ground in your Projects section.
Put 1 or 2 of your most recent roles and follow similar advice as listed in the bullet points above.
For those concerned about not having all of their work experience in their resume, you can include a note at the end like I did in the image above saying, “Additional experience can be viewed on my LinkedIn” and then hyperlink your profile.
6. Education
If you’re coming from a non-technical background like myself then this section can just go at the bottom. My degree isn’t very impressive in regards to data, especially since I only have a Bachelors.
However, if you have a degree in a technical filed like Computer Science or even a Masters, then you could consider moving this section closer to the top, around your skills section.
7. Supplemental
If you have extra room in your resume, I like to throw in a “Hobbies” section.
It injects a bit of personality into your resume and helps the reader connect with you. I’ve seen common interests help others to create connections with those they’re interviewing with which can help break the ice.
8. Additional Resources
A few resources I recommend:
ChatGPT - If you’re struggling to write something, go to ChatGPT to help you ideate. Rewrite it as your own, but this can help you get the ball rolling.
Grammarly - This will help you with your writing and for catching any grammatical errors.
Hemingway app - Another great writing tool that checks your writing for brevity and conciseness.
Word Clouds - Take a job description and throw it into a Word cloud (just Google it) to see the terms that come up the most.
Conclusion
Hope this was helpful! Feel free to use the templates provided above or reach out to me on LinkedIn if you have any questions or comments.