Want to become an analyst?

If you're thinking about becoming a data analyst, you're entering one of the fastest-growing and most rewarding career paths today. Companies in every industry rely on data-driven decisions.

But with so many tools, courses, and tutorials online, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or unsure where to start. I know because I’ve been there. I did not come from a computer science background. I had to figure out what actually matters, what doesn’t, and what gets you hired.

Let’s begin.

1. What Data Analysts Actually Do 

In real companies (like Amazon, where I’ve worked as both a BI Engineer and a Senior TPM), a data analyst does much more than run SQL queries or build dashboards.

Here’s the real workflow:

1. Understand the business problem

2. Gather and explore data

3. Clean and prepare data

4. Analyze trends, patterns, and root causes

5. Communicate insights that drive decisions

A strong analyst doesn’t just show charts.
They explain what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what action the business should take.

2. Skills You Actually Need 

SQL

This is the #1 required skill. SQL is how you access, filter, and transform data in real databases.

Data Visualization (Tableau, Power BI, etc)

Your job is to tell a clear story, not just build pretty charts.

Business Thinking

This is the secret that sets great analysts apart:
you need to understand why the data matters and how it connects to key metrics, KPIs, and business goals.

Communication

You must be able to explain your findings to non-technical stakeholders.

3. A Simple Beginner Roadmap 

Step 1: Learn SQL fundamentals 

Joins, filtering, grouping, window functions.

Step 2: Learn one data visualization tool

Pick one: Power BI, Tableau, or Looker.

Step 3: Build one strong business-focused project

This is more valuable than 10 random dashboards.
A project that solves a real business problem will help you stand out.

Step 4: Create a clean, professional portfolio

GitHub + a simple write-up of your business problem, metrics, insights, and recommendations.

Step 5: Start applying + networking

Networking isn’t optional — it significantly increases your chances.

4. Your Next Step

To go deeper, watch my full video:
“My honest advice for someone who wants to become a data analyst”
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWrg19Dc_uY

You've Got This,

Agatha