According to BlueVenn, around 72 percent of marketers said data analysis is crucial if you’re looking to thrive in the competitive business landscape.

While every success can be analyzed using data analysis, it has now become one of the major areas every business can use during their market research. This could be done whenever the company is likely to launch its products or services in the market.

As a result, the need for a big data analyst is on the rise.

With the ongoing challenge the industry is facing, you might be wondering what the industry would be like for someone looking to get into the big data field? Will these professionals remain in demand? How likely has the COVID-19 affected the market demand?

The global big data market will be worth USD 229.4 billion by 2025, says MarketsandMarkets.

The demand for such professionals will never cease. Every industry out there is seeking to hire professionals from the field. More importantly, data scientists and data analysts were positioned to be one among the topmost emerging roles by 2022 by the 2018 Future of Jobs Report.

As big data continues to rule the business world, tech professionals can also start looking for opportunities in job roles like – database administrators, chief data officers, data architects, BI analysts, data analysts, or business analysts.

However, there are certain learning skills you need to acquire before making a head start.  

For someone looking to start a data, analyst career must be able to analyze relevant skills and career path before deciding.

Below are the core skills a data analyst needs to start learning today. We will cover both major areas, technical and soft skills to land a job in the big data field.

Technical Skills

• Programing languages: Every aspiring applicant needs to have basic skills in programming. They should be able to use more than one programming language and be proficient in using database tools etc. – JavaScript, Python, R, SQL, Hadoop, and SAS.

Python-statistical programming is often used in data analytics. This will help you gain better insights in areas like web scraping, how you can develop web applications using Python, and data gathering. Having an added advantage in these skills might draw you closer to landing your first job.

R is great in conducting analysis on an ad hoc basis and exploring multiple data sets while Python is ideal in performing predictive analysis and performing advanced analyses.

• Data visualization: How do you think big data analysts present their data to the stakeholders? This is where data visualization plays a significant role. As a big data analyst, you need to have the skill of visualizing data. For this, utilizing tools like Tableau, ggplot2, and FusionCharts is a must-have.
• Machine learning: Machine learning is considered one of the most important toolkits of a data analyst. However, every data analyst doesn't need to work with machine learning but knowing the core concepts is definitely an add-on advantage.
• Structured Query Language (SQL): If you’re looking to land a job in the data field, then learning SQL is a must-have. From Uber to Airbnb and Amazon, they’ve all used SQL. According to Indeed, SQL is one of the major skills every employer is seeking from job applicants. Also, most of the entry-level jobs require a candidate with SQL.
  Soft skills

Besides technical skills the candidate is also required to have soft skills:

• Communication: Communication is the key to making business stakeholders understand the data they’re presenting.
•  Analytical: The candidate must be able to observe and gather information using their analytical skills. The major reason for having an analytical skillset is to improve processes to boost productivity leading to organizational success.
• Critical thinking: A data analyst must be able to take a look at multiple databases of different companies, analyze trends, identify the latest trend, and then jump to conclusions. It makes them better at making business decisions.

A career in the big data field can always begin with obtaining knowledge and skills using the data analyst certification program. Not only will these certifications provide the necessary skillset but also the latest knowledge every organization is looking to hire.

Below are multiple areas where you can grow your big data career:

• Business intelligence analyst
  
• Data architect
  
• Big data engineer
  
• Data scientist
  
• Data modeler
  
• Database developer
  
• Database manager
  

However, if you’re looking to shift careers and bring a change in your present job role, you might want to consider looking at these new data analyst careers:

• Data analytics consultant
  
• Healthcare data analyst
  
• Transportation logistics specialist
  
• Quantitative analyst
  

A big data engineer is currently the most sought-after job role in the data realm. The average salary is around USD 150,000 per annum. But to get lucrative compensation, you still need to constantly upgrade your skills.

Now might be an ideal time to start a career in the big data realm.