Data Specialist Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for a data specialist job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a data specialist. Feel free to use our data specialist job description template to produce your own data specialist job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a data specialist.
Who is a Data Specialist?
A data specialist is someone who collects and analyzes data to produce quantitative reports for a company or organization.
An individual who collects information electronically arranges it, accurately translates it into a usable format, and then conveys these conclusions to business stakeholders is known as a data specialist.
To make sure that the necessary information is available when needed, data specialists commonly employ databases, spreadsheets, and other digital tools.
As a data specialist, you serve as the clients’ technical support system, performing data analysis and validation as well as formatting and reporting the data in a more comprehensible manner.
More so, a data specialist needs to integrate a variety of technical abilities in order to extract, process, and analyze data effectively. Additionally, they need to be effective communicators and business people to succeed in this career path.
All types of data, including internet and transactional data, are used by data professionals.
Before putting data into a more user-friendly format, such as a database, producing reports, and providing technical help to your clients, it is your obligation as a data specialist to examine and verify its accuracy.
The two main aspects of a data specialist job are data analysis and processing.
Furthermore, Data specialists are vital to a business and are needed across a wide range of sectors. Despite being considered entry-level, a data specialist role is a wonderful way to enhance your data analysis career.
Data professionals will be needed as data and analytics are used in corporate operations increasingly regularly. Massive amounts of data need to be organized, cleaned and analyzed so that organizations may make decisions based on facts rather than emotions.
Data Specialist Job Description
What is a data specialist job description? A data specialist job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of a data specialist in an organization. Below are the data specialist job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a data specialist job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties of a data expert vary depending on the kind of company one works for. However, the following tasks are expected of a data specialist:
- Gathering information in reports, presenting it at board meetings, and distributing it to high management TO help in decision-making.
- Ensuring that data is verified for accuracy and completeness before being used.
- Keeping track of the tapes, disks, and CDs that are used for data storage and replacing any that are damaged.
- Analyzing the data with tools, looking for patterns and trends, and collaborating with other data professionals to extract data figures.
- Ensuring data is gathered, arranged, and maintained using databases, spreadsheets, and other electronic formats.
- Ensuring that platforms for data storage and staff training on document retrieval techniques.
- Designing and implementing backup solutions for computer systems.
- Keeping delicate tools and materials physically secure and preventing data loss by specifying the characteristics of the data, the relationships between the data parts, and the rules for data manipulation.
- Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and gathering and verifying data from diverse sources to assess the success of business projects I participate in client meetings to understand their needs and offer suggestions.
- Working on information processing alongside a team of analysts and other coworkers.
Qualifications
To pursue this career route, the following qualifications are necessary:
- A bachelor’s degree in information management, data analytics, computer science, or a similar subject.
- 3+ years of experience as a data professional.
- The ability to read, understand and verify data in a variety of formats.
- Thorough knowledge of data storage and retrieval methods.
- The ability to manage initiatives on one’s own.
- knowledge of computer accessories and hardware.
- competent to use Microsoft Office or equivalent software.
- Excellent communication and report-writing abilities.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Understanding of end-user training and support.
- The ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
- Using a computer for extended periods of time while seated at a desk.
- Occasionally, the ability to lift up to 15 pounds is required.
Essential Skills
Data professionals need to be knowledgeable and skilled in many different areas.
In order to correctly comprehend different layers of data inputs, a data expert must have particular technical and analytical skills that have been demonstrated. These include the following:
- Data Evaluation Skills:
The practice of looking at data to spot trends and draw conclusions is known as data analysis. Data specialists utilize their knowledge of data structures and formats to interpret data and find relevant information. Data specialists determine which data is most important and how to use it to progress the industry using their knowledge of that sector. A Data specialist frequently works with more technically skilled data scientists to locate and understand data.
- Attention to detail:
Analysis of data is a very creative expression. Examining little details can reveal larger-scale solutions, including the granular interpretation of data and the inference of possible future patterns and outcomes from the results.
- Data input proficiency
This involves adding data to the system of the company. Participants in the task must frequently verify the accuracy of the data entered.
- Database management expertise:
Data experts typically utilize database management software to store and arrange vast amounts of data. If they are experienced with database management systems, they can use the program to its utmost extent and traverse it with ease. They might employ technologies like SQL or MySQL to build and manage databases.
- Technical Proficiency:
The essential abilities of data analysis include the ability to read statistics and data, arrange datasets in tools like Excel, do statistical analysis, and reliably navigate databases and SQL. A data analyst needs technical skills to be able to discharge these duties.
- Communication Skill:
Since they frequently work with other team members, data specialists need to be effective communicators.
A data specialist must deliver information that is clear and simple to understand so that clients may act quickly and wisely.
They must be able to do so simply because they regularly need to communicate complex data concepts to those who aren’t data experts. They must also be able to hear what their team members are saying and incorporate it into their job.
- Critical Reasoning:
To locate the most important information, data analysts must be able to sort through a large amount of data. In order to determine the relevance and potential applications of the data they are examining, they must be able to apply critical thought to it. They can use this to determine what information should be deleted and what should be kept.
- Problem-solving Skills:
Data specialists usually work with incomplete data, therefore they must be able to identify information gaps and find solutions. If a data set is missing a month’s worth of data, the data specialist might need to devise a method to recreate the missing data. They must be able to identify the problem, come up with a practical solution, and implement the answer. A high level of problem-solving skills are required for this.
- Understanding of data visualization software:
To create a variety of business reports, a data analyst must be skilled at using a number of data visualization tools. Along with having good presentation and communication abilities, you must be adept with tools like Tableau, QlikView, and Power BI. This will help you convey your ideas to clients and other stakeholders.
- Organization Skills:
Data management experts usually have good organizing skills, which can help them manage vast amounts of data. By applying their organizing abilities, they can keep their workstation tidy and avoid information loss.
How to Become a Data Specialist
Start-up options for this professional route include attending boot camps, enrolling in online courses, or starting out as a data analyst.
Those that are interested in this career path can use the following steps:
- Education:
It’s critical to consider your educational needs while considering a career as a data professional.
Data experts often need a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, statistics, or a closely related discipline. Some employers could favor applicants who have a master’s degree in computer science or information technology.
- Training & Experience:
Data experts often receive on-the-job training when they start a new career. During this training, which could span a few weeks, the data specialist will study the specific systems and practices of the business. Additionally, the data specialist may receive instruction in how to use particular software.
- Take short courses:
For people involved in data analysis, it is crucial to comprehend changing trends and technology. The data professional who keeps up with advances is therefore the most productive. One guaranteed strategy to ensure that you stay current in the field of data analysis is to commit to continuous learning.
- Certifications & Licenses:
Potential employers may use professional certifications as proof of a professional’s skills. Data professionals can earn certifications to further their careers, show that they are knowledgeable about their job responsibilities, and enhance their professional abilities. The most common certifications for data specialists at the moment are:
- Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)
- Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
- Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP)
- Certified Instrumentation Specialist (CIS)
- Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP)
- Network with Other Data Professionals:
You should begin enlarging your professional network in the data industry because you’re aiming to break into a brand-new sector. Making a strong presence on GitHub, LinkedIn, or another network is a fantastic first step. However, you can be even more proactive by joining various data communities or Facebook groups (especially volunteering in them and responding to other people’s technical questions), participating in online and live meetup events and conferences, and corresponding with the right people on social media. Other proactive approaches include producing articles about data analysis-related issues, making comments on social media posts that relate to data, following and interacting with the appropriate individuals on social networks, etc.
- Start preparing for Data Specialist Job hunting:
Before starting the job search process, you might want to briefly assess your data specialist skills and compare them to what is required for this position in the current market.
You must also write a resume specifically targeted toward jobs as data specialists. While writing this one, it’s crucial to spend some time and work building a solid CV that appears professional and can grab the attention of recruiters. Consider including your contact details, objective, job history, projects, skills, certifications, and education on this resume.
- Start Applying for Data Specialist Job Openings:
The easiest and most straightforward method of doing this is to search through a free job listing websites. On broad job search platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, Google for Jobs, etc., data specialists can find employment openings.
You may also try contacting potential employers personally, which would take more time but be more successful, in addition to employing this way of job seeking. Before choosing this path, locate their official website, browse the home and career sections, and get their contact details.
Read up on their objectives, guiding principles, services, etc. Think about how you might be the ideal worker for this organization. Knowing more about how their organization runs, you may send them an email with a data analysis CV that has been customized for their industry to convince them that you are the best person for the job.
- Obtain a master’s degree:
To move to a senior position within a business, a data specialist could decide to pursue a master’s degree, such as an online Master’s in Business Data Analytics. The professionals who wish to learn how to become senior data specialists can benefit from this preparation.
Where to Work as a Data Specialist
At pharmaceutical enterprises, governmental organizations, corporate offices, hospitals, educational institutions, and IT companies, to mention a few, you can work as a full-time employee or as a consultant.
Additionally, as they help firms track client shopping data, data specialists might operate in the retail industry.
They might also be employed by businesses’ marketing departments, which must evaluate the success of advertising efforts. To look into market research for the introduction of new products and services, these marketing companies employ data specialists.
Data Specialist Salary Scale
Data professionals earn $54,867 a year on average. However, the range might begin at $32,000 and can go all the way to $94,000. Data specialists might make money depending on their employment and region.