Skills to Take You from Beginner to Advanced Analyst

From basics to making an impact

Today, we’re going to cover how to become a data analyst that drives impact.

It’s easy to become complacent. We learn the minimum amount of skills required, learn to do alright in our role, and coast there.

As a result, we lack impact, we plateau, and we stay stuck.

Or we can’t land a better opportunity because we never challenged ourselves to do more in the first place.

Progressing in this way means being intentional about your development.

The problem is most analysts plateau and keep from advancing.

Advancement doesn’t just happen. It takes work.

There are a few key areas that will help you either advance within your current role or company, or get hired for a more advanced role.

Here are those areas:

• Understanding the Data Ecosystem.

• Developing key business metrics.

• Leading projects and engaging with stakeholders.

• Mentoring and guiding others.

Let’s cover each of these one at a time.

1. Understanding the Data Ecosystem

When I first started as a data analyst, I didn’t really understand how different tools fit together.

I’d learned how to use all sorts of tools, but didn’t really know how they fit together.

That takes time and exposure.

But it makes a big difference once it clicks.

Get to know the data flow of your organization. The data sources, the way data is stored, and how it’s retrieved.

Start paying attention to how different tools fit together.

Learn ETL processes and tools to understand how data is extracted from data sources, transformed to be analysis-ready, and loaded into data warehouses.

This knowledge takes you beyond standalone tasks and into the bigger picture.

Dylan Anderson has an entire newsletter devoted to this topic, (conveniently titled “The Data Ecosystem”). There’s a lot to learn, but even a high-level understanding of this topic will help you tremendously.

2. Developing Key Business Metrics

This is high-level thinking.

You don’t want to just be a SQL or dashboard monkey. You want to understand the bigger picture of your company’s or departments goals and help the organization work towards those.

Always connect your analysis to business goals.

Identify the KPI’s your stakeholders actually care about.

Measure and track their impact.

Prioritize high-impact work.

Discovering these may take some effort, so ask lots of questions and take initiative.

You can see that even the great and powerful Zach Wilson supports the idea of developing key business metrics as a next-level data analyst skill.

3. Leading Projects and Engaging With Stakeholders

Take ownership of end-to-end projects.

This includes the initial scoping and interviewing to find out what stakeholders are actually looking for (this also ties in to step 2).

It’s true that stakeholders often need a lot of guidance in this area. They may say they know what they want, but they often don’t. Or at the very least they don’t often understand the implications of what they’re requesting.

And this includes iteration of your final product.

You may also find some hiccups in the data along the way.

Illicit feedback and be proactive in managing the scope and timeline of the project.

Even if you’re a junior-level employee, you want to manage like a senior-level one. Take the lead.

4. Mentor and Guide Others

“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” - Phil Collins, Tarzan

This may be a quote from a Tarzan song, but it’s true.

Mentoring others shows leadership, but you will also learn a lot in doing so.

When I teach things to others, it pushes my understanding of that concept. I have to actually think through it and explain it in a way that makes sense.

In terms of leadership, guiding others will earn the trust of your co-workers and set yourself apart.

You’re creating impact in a less tangible way.

Someone new just joined the team? Take them under your wing.

Someone asking for your for help? Embrace the opportunity.

Someone on another team wants to shadow you? Gladly do so.

Conclusion

Leveling up takes work.

The hardest part is often pushing through complacency and routine.

But if you want to go from a beginner or mid-level analyst to an advanced one, these are some great areas to focus on.

Thanks for reading.

See you next time ✌️

---

PS - Looking for some extra help?

1. Book a 1:1 call with me: In 60-90 minutes, we’ll develop a personally tailored roadmap to help you land your next job in data and answer any questions you have. I’ll send you a detailed Notion doc following the call outlining your plan. Click here