New year, new you and new opportunities. If you were ever thinking about starting a career as a data analyst, either as a fresh first-time job seeker, career changer or if you want to upskill. There are loads of resources out there to help you meet your goals and all they’ll cost you is your time and effort. So no excuses, in a few weeks you could be completing that analytics project or starting that new dream job.
Simplilearn
Simplilearn is an online learning platform that has a wide variety of courses for business learners including partnerships with universities, certification trainings and bootcamps. They even offer master’s and post graduate programs. I checked out the free data analytics course on Youtube, but there are options to dive deeper into more specialized topics if you have some money to spend. The free program goes over the basics of data collection, cleaning, analysis, and visualization with typical data analytics tools like R, Python, Excel, and Tableau. The full course contains a little over ten hours of easy-to-follow content with helpful use cases so you can start using your new skills on the job immediately.
What I liked: This program has a good overview of Python, R and Excel which are going to be a any data analyst’s bread and butter. Simplilearn covers a lot of ground in this course giving beginners opportunity to see which topics they want to dig into deeper. The video is useful for brand new learners and career changers who are exploring the option of becoming a data analyst. I appreciated the love given to examples in R; it’s a perfect option for applying statistical methods to your data.
What I didn’t like: I’m going to be honest; I feel like we need more SQL and Excel. Those aren’t the flashiest skills, but they are going to get you through more projects than I’d like to admit. Most of your data is probably going to be in a database somewhere or multiple. In my experience strong SQL skills are going are a must. Excel is a lifesaver, I don’t know how many times someone’s asked me to just provide numbers in a spreadsheet after pulling together what I thought was a brilliant dashboard, or analysis in Python.
Highlights: This program was filled with practical examples that are going to get a beginner data analyst or someone who wants to become a data analyst moving in that direction right away. You can pause and follow along and everything is accessible to someone who is learning at home. The breadth of the content was excellent and really gives an inside view to what your day-to-day work could look like.
Alex the Analyst Data Analytics Bootcamp
Alex the Analyst is a content creator and working analytics manager making educational content for folks looking start their careers in data. His website and socials include lots of tips for getting into the field and his tone is conversational and friendly. The best part about his offerings is that you can gain a lot of knowledge completely free. Check out his Youtube page for lots of useful tutorials across a broad range of data analytics topics. The Data Analytics Bootcamp is set up as a playlist with a lot of bite sized lessons that are easy to refer to. The program includes lessons on SQL, Excel, Python, Power BI and tips for resume writing and landing your first role.
What I liked: I love the layout of the course. The format makes it easy for intermediate learners to jump to key skills they want to work. It also makes the course a good reference tool for when you want to revisit something you’ve learned or you need to do it on the job. I’m really happy with the granular focus on Excel and SQL because I promise they will be work horse tools for any analyst. I was also pleasantly surprised with the way topics like Python were covered. I don’t foresee anyone getting lost or confused using this content. Also, plenty of bonus tips for resume writing and job-hunting tips!
What I didn’t like: There wasn’t much to dislike here. This program is probably not for the current analyst looking to upskill, but that isn’t what it’s meant for.
Highlights: A big plus for me is the focus on making the content hands on. Once you go through this program you should be able to create a portfolio project to get noticed. I love the resume writing tips because you’re trying to start something new, and that means applying to new positions.
Edureka
Edureka is another online learning platform with a wide variety of business and IT courses aimed at helping professionals looking to gain new skills. These courses run from certification programs to collaborations with brick-and-mortar universities. Again, in this case evaluated the free courseware offered on Youtube: Data Analytics with Python 2024. This course is 12 hours of content geared toward beginners and a useful video playlist. This is definitely a teaser for many of their more in-depth for pay courses, but it is an excellent place to start.
What I liked: I appreciate the logistics of this course. There are links to help you jump to various subjects throughout the video and makes good use of chapters. Edureka also adds in helpful information on what a data analyst does and even goes on to contrast the data analyst role with that of a data scientist. Edureka’s course leans heavily toward Python, but also does an overview of SQL, statistics, and Excel. The content was easy to understand and provided examples that were easy to follow and simple to replicate at home. Interview prep was also included towards the end the course which I think is a bonus.
What I didn’t like: I know that Python gets a lot of the spotlight, but it is only one tool you’ll need in the to be a successful analyst. It pays to be flexible. This is a beginner course, but I worry that some folks will feel a little lost because some statistical topics are glossed over on too high of a level. As always, Excel and SQL, I feel are the bedrock of analytics skills in the workplace and don’t get nearly enough love.
Highlights: Again, I am a big fan of any interview and career transition help. I think it is worth watching for interview question help. Another bonus is how this course leans into statistical thinking. This could help any professional who wants to quantify their business processes and results.
Conclusion:
Each one of these free resources are full of knowledge and tips that will help beginners, career transitioners or those wanting to move up a level. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be good at every skilled covered in these courses to make the move into data analytics. Keep practicing, keep learning and keep reaching for your goals.
The Scrappy Analyst 