4 tasks I do as a Data Analyst that have nothing to do with data

Aspiring data analysts spend a lot of time trying to hone their technical skills. Little do they know that working as a Data Analyst is more than analysing data…

Here are 4 tasks that I do almost every day working as a Data Analyst in a consultancy company that have nothing to do with data:

1) I negotiate deliverables and deadlines

As a Data Analyst, you don’t analyse data in isolation with all the time in the world to do it. Someone will be expecting your analysis. And that person won’t always realise how much work and time you need to put into what they are asking for.

Data Analysts negotiating with stakeholders isn’t too dissimilar to this. Photo by Michael G on Unsplash

Negotiating is a big part of being a Data Analyst in the corporate world. You need to communicate well how much time you need to deliver what is being required of you whilst still keeping in mind that people won’t always be able to give you all the time you need.

Setting expectations on what can and cannot be delivered is also a big part of the job. Sometimes, people will come to you with questions that you just cannot answer with the data you have.

2) I manage a million projects at the same time

If you work for a fast-paced business (are any businesses slow-paced these days?) you’ll likely have to be an excellent multi-tasker.

Keeping track of all my projects, briefs, revisions, and presentations is something I need to do every day at work. Not only that, but I also need to communicate these to my managers and give them the confidence that I am on track with everything. This is especially important when you work remotely.

3) I lead groups of analysts

In my role, I don’t lead any teams. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need leading skills in my job.

When I’m responsible for a global project, I need to coordinate everything with the analysts in charge of the regional parts of the project. And in most Data Analysis jobs, there will be a similar dynamic. As I mentioned, you rarely do your work in isolation.

This means making sure everyone has everything they need to perform their analysis, assigning…