How To Develop An Impressive Data Analyst Portfolio That Will Get You Hired?
You have eventually decided to pursue a career in data analytics. But, before you can start developing your data analytics talents and pushing yourself to do things you never thought will be possible, you need to grasp a critical initial stage in the job transfer process i.e, establishing a data analytics portfolio while learning analytic skills on the fly. This is the first and most important step for any effective data analyst.
The qualifications and degrees work very well, but building a portfolio will help you stand out and set yourself as a highbrow data analyst. You will need an analytics portfolio if you want to secure a fulfilling data analytics job and advance your career.
👉 Why is a data analytics portfolio important?
In a hands-on industry like data analytics, telling companies what you can do isn’t enough; they want proof. A portfolio, unlike a resumé, demonstrates your skills in action, making it an important resource when applying for jobs.
A data analytics portfolio, to put it simply, is a website that tells companies or employers about you and links to projects you have worked on. As a result, determining where to host your portfolio is the first step. You can either design something from scratch or utilize a pre-built template, depending on how engaged you want to be in a building and modifying your portfolio website. If you choose the latter option, Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace are the best options to bid on.
Let’s look at some of the major variables that today’s businesses examine when recruiting data analysts before we get into the specifics of a data analytics portfolio.
👉 What your employers are looking for in your portfolio?
During the recruitment process, employers usually look for people who can enrich their businesses. As a data analyst, you will bang for the buck in one of the undermentioned ways:
- Experience in preparing data using Google Sheets or MS Excel
- Sound knowledge of database languages such as R, SQL
- Developing systems that directly add value to the end customer or others in the firm.
- Sharing your knowledge with others in the company.
Foreseeably, employers search for persons who can do one or more of the tasks listed above (some of them depend on the firm and role). You must demonstrate some combination of the following talents to show that you can assist a business in the four categories stated above:
- Collaboration and teamwork skills
- Communication skills
- Technical know-how
- Motivation and the ability to take initiatives
A versatile portfolio should demonstrate your abilities in each of the aforementioned areas while also being relatively simple to scan — each portfolio item should be thoroughly documented and explained so that a hiring manager can swiftly assess your portfolio.
Take a peek at what Hayem has to say about his experience in building a data science portfolio.
Hayem – Data Analyst at LantenView
“When I first started looking for a job as a data analyst, I didn’t have the necessary statistical background. I learned a lot about constructing portfolios and gaining certifications online in just a few weeks, which helped me land a job much sooner than I expected. It takes sheer hard work and intellectual capacity to properly record all of my accomplishments and certifications, and it is one of the best investments I have made in my data analyst career.”
👉 Vital aspects that your data analytics portfolio must have
There are three vital tips to keep in mind, your portfolio site should be:
- Simple
- Easy to access
- Pleasant to the eye
The attached portfolio above is an example of a good and pleasant the eye profile of a data scientist, ‘Jessie-Raye Bauer’ at Apple. The portfolio is an intriguing example of where a career in data analytics might take you. She emphasizes her abilities while also injecting individuality. Her portfolio, on the other hand, has a scholarly feel to it. You would opine that she would flaunt her skills more. She does not have to, though. She is at a place in her career where her experience mainly speaks for itself.
Now that you have had the idea of what a proper portfolio should look like, you should include the following major categories on your portfolio website.
👉An impressive portfolio homepage
While you are on a journey to become a data analyst, it is vital to have an impressive portfolio homepage. When potential employers visit your portfolio website, this is where they will initially go, so make a solid first impression. Things must be kept brief, yet informative; the audience should be able to see who you are and what you do at a look. It is recommended to attach a photo of yourself on the site, as well as a strong opening statement and a few paragraphs describing your professional experience.
For instance, you might have an opening statement like this: “Hi, I’m Kate! I’m a data analytics graduate based in New York. I believe in applying data to address benevolent issues and work toward building a progressive world.” You can walk through the following portfolios to seek some inspiration for yours!
1. Harrison Jansma is a US-based data process manager at Capital One
Why is this portfolio superior to others?
Harrison’s data analytics portfolio is an amazing illustration of how to use a portfolio to highlight your unique personality. While he offers some examples of his work, he also puts a lot of effort into developing a sense of his self-image, which he does by employing amusing images, clever language, and a taste of his passions.
2. Naledi — a freelance consulting analyst and social researcher based in the UK
What is different in this portfolio?
In Naledi’s portfolio, there is a clear desire to find clients. With this in mind, Naledi emphasizes her ability to perform all of the essential functions of a data analyst (processing, collecting, and visualizing data). She then jumps right in with a quick overview and some project examples.
First, Naledi explains what she is capable of. She then goes on to demonstrate it with a few projects that showcase those abilities, adding a new layer to the story. She keeps it professional while giving us a taste of her passions.
3. Julia Nikulski — Product Manager New Mobility bei INVERS GmbH
What’s unique?
This portfolio is a wonderful example of a multimedia one. Rather than blasting us with a list of her previous projects, she’s used several approaches to give us a flavor of her interests and abilities. This includes a mix of humor, articles, technical applications, and videos that explain and demonstrate what she does.
👉 An “About Me” section is a must
Curious browsers and potential employers should be able to get to your “About Me” page from the homepage. This is where you may explain what you do, who you are, and what are your passions in greater depth. It is also vital to include your contact information and links to any other online accounts beneath your “About Me” brief such as LinkedIn, GitHub, Twitter, and FaceBook.
Here is an example:
- LinkedIn: Adding, updating, and removing work from your LinkedIn page, which can also serve as an online portfolio, is quite simple. You can upload and share a variety of content types because the platform supports a variety of formats. You can include projects in your Education, Featured, or Experience areas on LinkedIn.
- GitHub: This is an open-source community of 56 million developers, it is another popular alternative for hosting your portfolio for free. Once an account is created, you can begin contributing data initiatives or projects to a public repository, where you can display items such as code and Jupyter Notebooks.
👉 Blogging
When looking through the portfolios of data analysts you will discover that many of them have a blog. Although it may appear to conflict with the big data world, blogging may be a highly valuable technique for displaying your data analyst skills. When recruiting a data analyst, one essential quality that companies will look for is the ability to express difficult discoveries in a clear, succinct, and easily understandable manner — something you may demonstrate in a blog post.
Consider producing a few short articles to explain a particular idea. This not only shows your ability to convey and describe your work in a user-friendly manner, but it also demonstrates your enthusiasm for what you do and that you’ve put a deal of time and resources into your portfolio.
👉 Projects and data analyst certifications
📍Projects
From locating data sources to cleaning and processing data, data analytics projects demonstrate the analytics process. If you’re looking for work in this industry, projects will give you hands-on exposure to a variety of data analytics tools and approaches. You should include a separate “Projects” section that lists all of the projects you’ve worked on. You have several options for presenting your work: you can place your portfolio and open up opportunities on your website, or you can provide a summary of your work with a link to the actual project, which is stored elsewhere (on GitHub, for example). It all depends on the size and sophistication of the project, including your choice; many data analysts’ portfolios combine both methods.
Let’s talk through some project ideas that you can work on:
- Stock Market Prediction
- Astronomical Visualization
- Instagram Post Data Analysis
- Forest Fire Prediction
- Twitter Sentiment Analysis
- Sentiment Analysis
- Recommendation Systems
- Speech Recognition Through Emotions
- Disease Diagnosis
- Color Detection Project
- Gender and age detection
- Analyzing the impact of climate change on food supply
📍Data analyst certifications
Data analyst certifications are a valuable addition to your resume because they demonstrate your knowledge of data analytics. There are several professionals out there who have excuses to avoid earning one. Some of them you usually come across would be:
- It would be a waste of energy and time
- I am submerged in deadlines (I have a lot of work to do)
- I already know a lot!
All these are mere excuses that do not have any heft. Getting the right training and data analyst skills in the field of analytics means you will be able to transform data into gold for your potential organization, grabbing the employer’s attention. Therefore, it is vital to include your courses and certifications related to data analytics in your portfolio.
👉 Seeking feedback and reiterating
Others’ opinions on your portfolio will assist you to figure out what other people found fascinating and where they went astray. Make notes on what is good and what is confusing in your portfolio as you iterate. Stopping to change a portfolio is the worst blunder. An analytics portfolio, like your analytics abilities, should be upgraded and improved regularly to keep you moving forward. This is why a portfolio is considered to be a living document that you may add to as you gain experience and develop.
The final word…
A good data analyst portfolio will demonstrate to employers that you can use data to solve problems and discover new opportunities. A visually engaging presentation that emphasizes the importance of your study to a corporation might propel you to the top of their priority list.
