Breaking into tech as a data analyst isn’t easy. However, free versions of data tools like SQL, Tableau, Power BI, etc. make learning data analytics accessible for all.
Below you will find links to download free versions of the tools data analysts use every day.
In my opinion, SQL is the most important tool that data analysts must learn and get good at. SQLiteStudio is a great free database management software you can use to practice your SQL skills and do projects.
MySQL is a relational database management system developed by Oracle. Similar to SQLiteStudio, MySQL is another great open-source software you can download to hone your SQL skills.
Another important skill that data analysts need to learn is data visualization. Data visualization is the practice of representing data visually in the form of interactive charts, graphs, and animations.
Two of the most popular data visualization tools are Tableau and Power BI. When first learning data analytics, you can start with either tool you’d like.
Tableau (owned by Salesforce) is a great tool to visualize data and tell stories. Additionally, I often recommend Tableau to new analysts because of how easy it is to build and maintain a public portfolio with Tableau Public.
Similar to Tableau, Power BI (owned by Microsoft) is a widespread tool used for data visualization. In fact, it is what I use for my current data analyst job.
One of the perks of Power BI is how well it integrates with other Microsoft applications. Plus, if you have used other Microsoft products like Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, you’ll be familiar with the Microsoft look and feel.
R is a widely used statistical analysis tool employed in data science and advanced data analytics. R is open source so anyone can download.
While R isn’t essential to land your first data job, it can be a great tool to add to your toolbelt. R and its uses are more complicated than the tools previously mentioned, but with hard work and YouTube, you can learn to use it.
Python is another wide used statistical analysis tool employed in data science and advanced data analytics. Unlike R, Python is a programming language with many uses outside of data science. Anaconda (linked above) is the popular version of Python designed solely for data analytics and data science.
Thanks for reading!
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