Data Analyst Job Description for Creating a Resume

Your resume is the headliner of your job application, and as such, it needs to readily show your qualifications for the position. Increasingly, proper resume presentation includes the content that goes into it so your document makes it through the applicant tracking system and into the hiring manager’s hands.

Study our data analyst job description for creating a resume and learn how to use our writing guidelines specifically for this position. Learn what types of information to include in your resume so it is relevant to the job you desire. When you submit a flawless professional document, you increase your chance to get the position.

Using a Data Analyst Job Description for a Resume

Although there is a variety of career paths, experiences, and specialties in the data analyst profession, there are certain duties, skill sets, and certifications that are standard to this position. Employers will expect to see evidence of these common attributes on your resume.

Data Analyst Summary

The summary section of your resume is your chance to grab the hiring manager’s attention and impress from the very start. Make sure your list focuses on your most notable accomplishments in your most recent positions. Use metrics to show how your employer benefited from your efforts and use terms common to the data analyst profession to raise your relevance right away.

Data Analyst Education & Certification

The educational requirement for a data analyst is at least a baccalaureate degree in an analytical discipline such as computer science, information management, or statistics. Some jobs also want candidates to have education in advanced mathematics, economics, or finance. Make sure to not list your GPA, but feel free to mention any awards you received or relevant group memberships.

Having certifications in one or more database application language can really set you apart from the pack. Listing your certifications such as MongoDB Certified Developer Associate or SAS Certified Big Data Professional quickly establishes your technical mastery.

Data Analyst Duties & Responsibilities

Data analysts do more than just crunch numbers. They are responsible for the system design, implementation, and support of vast stores of data. The challenge is to keep all the data in order and accessible so its extraction and the creation of customized reports goes off without a hitch.

This involves programming software code to customize data flow processes in meaningful sequences. Another large responsibility is the creation of supporting documentation of the data processes and entity relationships.

Sourcing data, batch loading, and adhering to data warehouse process protocols are relevant associate roles in the data analyst profession. Another data analyst niche is testing, which includes planning, building, and execution of database tests.

Data Analyst Skills

It takes a unique set of skills to be a data analyst. Inherent in its name, robust analytical skills are mandatory for this career. Expectations of an increase in knowledge of a wide array of software languages continue as a data analyst moves up the ladder in his or her field. Basic support skills are important, especially at the beginning of a data analyst’s career, then the analyst learns file backup and data reporting skills. Examples of software include Veritas NetBackup, SAP Crystal Reports, and Apache Hive.

More advanced data analyst skills include database management with Oracle PL/SQL, document management with, for example, Teradata FastExport, and architecture such as Microsoft.NET Framework and Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript.

Assistant Manager Resume

How To Get Your Data Analyst Resume Past an ATS

To economize the amount of time it takes to sort through large numbers of resumes, companies increasingly use an automated pre-screening tool called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to narrow down the field of applicants. The ATS rates resumes for relevancy to the position via a scoring algorithm. It does this by searching for the keywords the employer predetermines are relevant for the position. Since these keywords and phrases are usually in the job description itself, it is imperative to use those same words and phrases in your resume.

Use the data analyst job description to create a resume that scores high with the ATS. You can do this by being strategic and consistent in your use of standard industry terms and words from the job description to increase the chances your resume will make it to the next round. Our resume sample is a great example of a professional document that uses relevant industry terms in a meaningful way to optimize its ATS score.

Review the data analyst resume example and search out what standard industry terms there are as well as find keywords for the data analyst position. Note how these words and phrases occur logically without looking like they got stuffed into the copy. The document includes the relevant software used in the positions along with keywords such as database architecture, batch loading, packaged reports, and development lifecycle. Management roles get mentioned in the most senior position held.

In addition to making sure your resume content is on point, remember to use a standard font in your document, such as Courier, as more decorative fonts are harder for ATS systems to read. Keep a simple strategy with your document headings, and use common ones such as professional summary and work experience so it is clear to the ATS what each section is about. Check your document multiple times to ensure you spelled everything correctly, as the ATS will not recognize an incorrectly spelled keyword.