The data analytics field involves drawing information from data to make assessments, predict future events or behaviors, and prescribe solutions. Among the disciplines data analytics professionals must master are statistics, mathematics, programming, and machine learning. Data analytics pros can hold many different positions, with titles like the following:

  • Data Analyst
  • Digital Analyst
  • Business Intelligence Analyst
  • Marketing Analyst
  • Operations Analyst
  • Quantitative Analyst

Depending on the industry or sector, these roles can differ dramatically, from studying an organization’s productivity to recommending major changes in operations. What they all have in common is raw data analysis.

Data analytics pros use a variety of resources in their work. These include well-known programs like Microsoft Excel and popular visualization tools like Microsoft Power BI and Tableau. If you’re interested in a career in data analysis or statistical analysis, you’ll need to get targeted training for the right position.

Data Analytics as a Career

As the data analytics field has grown, the employment outlook for data pros has gotten increasingly brighter. Glassdoor’s 50 Best Jobs in America for 2022 report, for example, includes both Data Analyst and Business Analyst as top positions. And IT Business Edge lists Data Analyst and Business Intelligence Developer among its top six big data and data analytics jobs for 2022.

Most students launching careers in data science or data analytics need to learn the difference between the two. Some study data science with an eye toward an analysis career—a logical choice, since professionals in these fields use many of the same tools.

For those who know they want to focus on analytics, a bootcamp or certificate program can be the ideal way to prepare. Consider the following options from Noble Desktop:

  • Noble’s Data Analytics Certificate is perfect for students who want to jumpstart their analysis careers. This program can be completed in five weeks full-time or four months part-time, and includes in-depth training in topics like:
    • Python 
    • Tableau
    • Excel
    • SQL
    • Machine learning (ML)

As you can see, this high-level program emphasizes Python, which is one of the most important programming languages for data analysis and data science. Individual Python bootcamps within this certificate curriculum include Python for Data Science, Python Machine Learning, and Python for Automation. Students should also have Excel fundamentals mastered prior to enrollment. Check the course description for more details.

  • The Data Science Certificate offers another attractive alternative for learning data analytics, as it is open to beginners. The program covers some of the same topics, since there’s considerable overlap between the tools Data Scientists and Data Analysts require. Both the Data Analytics Certificate and Data Science Certificate include the following bootcamps:
    • Python for Data Science
    • Python Machine Learning
    • Python for Automation
    • SQL Bootcamp
  • Noble Desktop hosts a separate Data Analytics Technologies Bootcamp, which is open to beginners as well. This program combines beginner, intermediate, and advanced training in Excel and SQL with beginner and intermediate Tableau training.
  • The Python for Data Science Bootcamp is also offered as a separate module. It’s a great way to get started, but you can save by taking this program as part of the Data Analytics Certificate or Data Science Certificate.
  • Another option is Noble’s Data Analytics with R Bootcamp. 

Alternatively, you might not be currently able to commit to a full-scale bootcamp or certificate program. In cases like this, you can begin with a shorter Excel Bootcamp, Tableau Bootcamp, or SQL Bootcamp. These courses won’t provide an in-depth data analytics education, but they can help you prepare for a comprehensive certificate.

The Bootcamp Model Vs. Other Options

Bootcamps aren’t for everyone, but they offer significant benefits for many students and high-tech professionals. When you first begin to research data analytics training options, consider the following:

  • Bootcamps and certificate programs provide education in an immersive environment, either in-person or virtually. The condensed time frame of a program like Noble’s Data Analytics Certificate makes it possible to learn and apply skills in a matter of months or weeks, not years.
  • Programs of this type help you prepare for a career or transition to a different role. Beginners can learn both fundamentals and more advanced skills, whereas data professionals already working in the field get training that provides more value to employers.
  • Bootcamps are goal-oriented. When you enroll in a course like the Data Analytics Certificate or Data Science Certificate, you’ll graduate with a professional-level portfolio. While a university graduate’s work may only be reviewed by an academic adviser, a bootcamp graduate’s portfolio gets reviewed by an expert with industry experience.
  • Course curricula are up-to-date and subject to change. Although certain materials stand the test of time, technology is constantly improving or becoming obsolete. Bootcamp instructors offer hands-on training in the skills and tools most in demand in today’s market.
  • Many bootcamps and certificate programs can be taken again for up to a year at no additional charge. You might or might not be allowed to audit a college or university course, but Noble Desktop offers free retakes of its programs—including the Data Analytics Certificate and Data Science Certificate. Reviewing and practicing all the skills and tools you’ve learned can be priceless.

Bootcamp Graduate Testimonials

Tech bootcamps continue to grow in popularity. In fact, when Course Report presented its alumni outcomes for 2020 report, they noted that 79% of graduates gained appropriate employment, even during the height of the pandemic.

Alumni reviews bear out students’ high level of satisfaction. One Data Analytics Certificate grad describes Noble Desktop instructors as “professional, supportive, and engaging”, while a graduate from Noble’s Excel Bootcamp describes the course content as “well-organized, with appropriate progression from easy to more complex examples.”

Noble Desktop’s Tableau and SQL training receive high marks, too, with one alum calling the SQL Bootcamp “a great introduction to SQL, [with] a top-notch professor and great learning materials.”

Finally, a graduate from the Python for Data Science Bootcamp raves, “Excellent class! We went through the material quickly, but I always knew the teacher was eager about helping me succeed in understanding it.”

For more information on data analytics, check out Noble’s featured courses here.