If you're like most people with interest in data science, you may have tried to google, “what do I need to learn to become a data scientist?” Well, good luck with that.

I'm sure that one search dashed your hope or at least dampened your initial excitement. The list of all the things you need to learn to become a data scientist would get even the most determined individual doubtful. The list of prerequisite knowledge goes something like this:

Probability and Statistical Analysis
Programming knowledge, preferably Python or R
Linear algebra – emphasis on vectors and matrices
Calculus – both differential and integral
SQL
Excel
Machine Learning
Deep Learning
Then the technologies


The breadth of knowledge is just so overwhelming you're probably thinking, boy which year am I going to finish learning all these, before I start scouting for job.


Honestly speaking you don't need all of what you saw up there to get started as a data analyst, at least not in Nigeria. I'll show you the three most important things you need to know and you can learn them in just 4 months to become a data analyst. Forget about all the fancy words and the fluffs, let's focus for once on what the employer wants from you.


In Nigeria, the duty of a junior data analyst doesn't require that you're able to write some fancy high tech machine learning and deep learning algorithms. No, you don't need that. Most employers in Nigeria don't have a need for that and in any case, companies who would need such algorithm already have senior data analysts who are paid above #500,000 that could handle such task. You, on the other hand just want a beginner position with pay range between #150,000 - #250,000, why should anyone labour you with a PhD level task?.



What Employers Want From You:

First, potential employers would want that you're able to collect and clean up data. Here I'm not talking of data mining, that's above you. You just need to be able to gather the different internally generated data by your employer, format them properly, and feed them into your employer's preferred data analytics tool.


To learn this important skills, you only need to become proficient in Microsoft Excel and SQL. Well, you can't be seriously looking for job as a data analyst without a good knowledge of Microsoft Excel.

But again, the good news is if you are serious, you can learn enough of Excel to gain confidence in 3-weeks. Once you get the hang of the software, it becomes easy. You can always google your way through any challenging task. That, by the way, is a life-skills to acquire. The solution to virtually every challenge you'll encounter as a junior data analyst, is somewhere on the internet. You just have to learn to use the internet and Google properly.

If you are into MOOC, Edx.org has some great excel tutorials. Just google : “edx excel courses”.



Of the three skills you will need to learn to land a beginner job as a data analyst, SQL is probably the most challenging.

Just to give you an idea of how difficult it is, any serious person can learn SQL in 2 months, take it or leave it. I learnt MySQL in less than 2-month. To deepen my understanding, I spent the next one month solving task on leetcode.com and hackerrank. Whatever path you take, I really recommend you spend some time on hackerrank. They have an amazing collection of challenges that will force you to take your SQL skills to the next level.


There are lots of free resources online that can teach you SQL like:
w3schools.com
tutorialspoint.com

You should also check out MikeDane's free mysql course on mikedane.com. I totally recommend that. His course gave me the easy and quick introduction I needed to get started with SQL.


Your second task as a data analyst, is developing the ability to draw up insight from data.

As a data analyst, you need to have a problem-solving mentality. That's why you're being paid. Your employer hopes to see some flashes of brilliance occasionally from you.

You play with data, you spot trends that could help cut cost, improve sales or management efficiency, then you become indispensable.


The only way you can effectively pull out meaningful insights from data is when you are genuinely interested in your employer's business.

As a data analyst, you're not an outsider in the company, you're a part of the strategic decision making. So, you're always thinking of the customer, always thinking of the product, and management efficiency.


And to be able to play with data and spot trends, you only need to learn Excel, Mysql and Tableau. Later when you secure a job as a junior data analyst, you can learn SAS and Hadoop for big data analysis. That brings us to the third skills you need to have to be job ready.



The third skills you need is the ability to communicate your findings in a visually appealing and orally compelling manner. Your superior is probably non techy and certainly don't have time to waste, so your data visualization skills have to be good, and the good news is you can learn that in under 3 weeks.
Companies want someone who can help them present data in a fancy way, just like you see with BudgIT.

To acquire all you need to do great data visualization, you need to learn Tableau – it's the no.1 data visualization software, and it is free. 90% of tableau is quite intuitive and easy to understand. And that 90% is what you need to master, to do great visuals. If you can put in 5-hour everyday for one months, that's all you need. Master that software and you're ready for job.




So, may be you just graduated university or you're thinking of switching profession, instead of spending the next one to two years trying to acquire the backlog of skills needed to be a Kaggle level data scientist, spend the next 3 to 4 months, acquire these three skills, change your resume and get a job as a data analyst.

Once you are in the job, you can spend your free time learning programming, mathematics, statistics and other technologies needed for senior level data analytics.


Contact me for a complete Data Analytics course and hands-on coaching.

Go from scratch to mastery in 3 months.

Price very affordable.
08180905003

This is the best break down of an entry level data scientist requirements that I've seen online. How can I do this, I am in Lokoja

Kkings11:
This is the best break down of an entry level data scientist requirements that I've seen online. How can I do this, I am in Lokoja

Thanks for the comment.
It's all about putting in the hours of work. Four months with total commitment.

Leave your questions and comments bellow

This is nice

bro.. i will like to have your contact.. cos i really want to learn this data stuff but i don’t know where to start from .. and i have a lot of time in my hand right now and it’s what have been longin to learn but don’t know where to start and can’t get someone to each me even if it’s offline or online... i know little stuff about computer and i taught myself web design .. html css and little knowledge in javascript.. self thought.. have been typing python programming but can get enough resources to program my codes. i have enough time for 4 month and i can spend up to 10 hours on it a day if i have required resources.. i will love to get your contacts and i want u to put me through.. please:::

Op, drop your whatsaapp number, am interested

sholamat:
bro.. i will like to have your contact.. cos i really want to learn this data stuff but i don’t know where to start from .. and i have a lot of time in my hand right now and it’s what have been longin to learn but don’t know where to start and can’t get someone to each me even if it’s offline or online... i know little stuff about computer and i taught myself web design .. html css and little knowledge in javascript.. self thought.. have been typing python programming but can get enough resources to program my codes. i have enough time for 4 month and i can spend up to 10 hours on it a day if i have required resources.. i will love to get your contacts and i want u to put me through.. please:::

If you've made it this far, you only need to be pointed to the right direction and resources.

My contact: 08180905003

princecom1:
Op, drop your whatsaapp number, am interested

Contact added

Get in and get job ready in 5 months

Rawshal:
This is nice

Thank you

sholamat:
bro.. i will like to have your contact.. cos i really want to learn this data stuff but i don’t know where to start from .. and i have a lot of time in my hand right now and it’s what have been longin to learn but don’t know where to start and can’t get someone to each me even if it’s offline or online... i know little stuff about computer and i taught myself web design .. html css and little knowledge in javascript.. self thought.. have been typing python programming but can get enough resources to program my codes. i have enough time for 4 month and i can spend up to 10 hours on it a day if i have required resources.. i will love to get your contacts and i want u to put me through.. please:::

Hello check your mention.
I know the best place to learn it

AIIyIic:

Hello check your mention.
I know the best place to learn it

How about you learn to do things the right way by creating your own thread?

justli:


How about you learn to do things the right way by creating your own thread?

Good day boss, pls I want to use sql server to learn SQL is it okay compared with mysql. And also I'm using YouTube videos to learn it, pls is powerBi desktop also okay compared to Tableau

Blessedchild24:

Good day boss, pls I want to use sql server to learn SQL is it okay compared with mysql. And also I'm using YouTube videos to learn it, pls is powerBi desktop also okay compared to Tableau

Absolutely. SQL is basically the same barring minor differences with syntax. The only reason people are particular about MySQL is because it's free.

Power I is very popular and serves very well. I think in Nigeria, most organizations lean toward powerBi than Tableau.

justli:


Absolutely. SQL is basically the same barring minor differences with syntax. The only reason people are particular about MySQL is because it's free.

Power I is very popular and serves very well. I think in Nigeria, most organizations lean toward powerBi than Tableau.

Very grateful for this

This is so informative and I am interested.Thanks sir