Below, you’ll find 10 questions which will help you understand whether you would enjoy the job of a Data Analyst and be good at it. This is a self-evaluation, strictly for your own purposes. We won’t ask you to share the results with us or anybody else. Therefore, be as honest as possible when answering the questions.
Points assigned to each question are as follows:
- 5 points = strong yes
- 3 points = yes
- 1 point = not no
- 0 = no
1. Do you like Math?
- Were you quite good at Math in high-school or in college?
- You will be working with numbers, graphs, and using some Math formulas.
- You don’t need to love Math, but you should be friends with it.
My score: ____
2. Do you like using Computers and Computer Software?
- A Data Analyst works with a computer about 90% of the time, the remaining 10% being used for project discussions, presentation of results and such.
- You should be comfortable using computers and computer software, beyond just writing emails and browsing the web. For example, being fluent in Excel is a big plus.
My score: ___
3. Are you a Doer?
- You will encounter various challenges on the job, ranging from technical difficulties with software to vague task descriptions.
- You will even fail sometimes (everybody does). Do you have what it takes to persevere and get the task done, as opposed to becoming frustrated and giving up easily?
My score: ___
4. Are you Detail-Oriented?
- When you do something, are you willing to go the extra mile to make sure that the result is perfect, or at least really good?
- Do you like to exceed peoples’ expectations?
My score: ___
5. Are you Creative?
- There’s always more than one way to solve a problem.
- Do you have the ability to think outside the box, when inside the box is a dead end?
My score: ___
6. Are you a Self-Starter?
- Most of the time you will not be told what to do. Instead, people will expect you to tell them what is going on, or what to do, based on the data you were given.
- Sometimes, you will even be expected to find the data yourself, either from the Web, from the company database, etc.
My score: ___
7. Are you a good Communicator?
- Data Analysts hardly work alone. Usually they are part of a Team.
- Are you willing to ask for help as part of solving a problem?
- Are you good at explaining things to people?
My score: ___
8. Are you a Hard Worker?
- Some projects will have urgency and may require a large number of extra hours.
My score: ___
9. Are you Flexible?
- Some tasks require a very precise analysis.
- But sometimes, rough approximations can be good enough too.
- It’s important to understand project objectives, and choose a level of detail which is required to get the task done.
My score: ___
10. Are you a Self-Learner?
- The field is constantly changing and you will need to keep learning new things. Nobody will teach you; you will need to teach yourself.
- You may need to learn how to use new software, new ways to access data, and sometimes even new Data Analytic methods.
My score: ___
TOTAL SCORE:
How to interpret your total score:
- If you have more than 40 points, then you are a natural-born Data Analyst!
- If you have between 30 and 40 points, then you will probably enjoy being a Data Analyst, and successful at it, especially if you’ll work hard.
- If you have between 20 and 30 points, then you may become a successful Data Analyst by being determined and working extremely hard.
- If you have between 10 and 20 points, then you probably won’t enjoy being a Data Analyst.
- If you have less than 10 points, then this would not work and we recommend that you look for a different Career.