Skills required for Data Analyst jobs in Singapore

The Data Analyst is responsible for helping to distill an organisation's technical data in a way that is meaningful to business decision makers.

The Data Analyst job in a company is essential for a variety of reasons, making it a strong career choice in Singapore if you have the required skill set. In addition, firms in just about every industry in Singapore need a Data Analyst's expertise.

A Data Analyst (or business analyst, as the position is sometimes called) appears to have solid job opportunities over the next decade.

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Skills required for a Data Analyst job in Singapore

If you are thinking about exploring an analyst career, here are some of the qualifications that a potential employer in Singapore will be looking for in any industry:

• Several years of experience working with major database platforms, such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and IBM DB2
• Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving abilities
• A thorough knowledge of relational database theory and practice
• A bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems or a related field
• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively with data systems teams
• Strong verbal and written communication, analytical and problem-solving skills

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An ideal candidate for the Data Analyst job will have an average of five years of experience with accounting or financials.

For students seeking a data analysis career, obtaining a degree in computer science or statistics, and taking courses in math, data integrity and data modelling.

For aspiring Data Analysts already on the hunt for entry level positions, candidates should look for opportunities doing data analysis with databases such as Microsoft SQL Server to get the key skills needed for their CV.

What does a Data Analyst in Singapore do?

Data Analysts are responsible for data analysis of complex data systems and documenting data elements, data flow, relationships, and dependencies at a company.

In addition, they are often tasked with developing automated and reusable routines for extracting requested information from database systems.

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Data Analysts also will usually work in partnership with business analysts, data architects, data scientists and database developers to build data transaction and warehousing systems. Compiling detailed reports using data reporting tools such as Crystal Reports is another typical responsibility of the Data Analyst.

Related: How to apply for Data Scientist jobs in Singapore

Candidates need to be skilled in the tools used to retrieve and manipulate data. An understanding of the Microsoft stack of technologies and the Microsoft .NET development system can be helpful.

Experience with Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or IBM DB2 is also important for Data Analysts because these types of tools are essential for management of the data.

While the Data Analyst job description is like that of the business intelligence analyst, Data Analysts do not typically play a part in making business decisions — although management may ask them to make recommendations based on their findings.

Also important for this role: excellent communication skills.

It is one thing to be able to analyse data effectively, but written and verbal communications skills are key for any analyst because they will need to clearly explain their findings to senior executives, as well as counterparts in marketing, accounting, etc.

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