For those who want to get serious about data analytics, a freelance job as a data analyst may seem like a natural career choice. After all, many of the factors that determine a person’s future are outside their control; therefore, it makes sense that they’d want to control which aspects of their lives they’re able to influence.
To develop further on this topic, we must take into account the fact that there are more than 1 million jobs open for data analysts in Canada and the United States alone. Though your odds of finding one are not very high, you can benefit from thinking about how you would go about finding work as a freelancer if you do not have any formal experience in the field.
If you want to become a data analyst, it takes time and effort. Here are some steps you can take to get started.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Develop strong analytical skills |
| 2. Acquire knowledge in data analysis tools and programming languages |
| 3. Build a portfolio showcasing your expertise |
| 4. Network with potential clients and industry professionals |
| 5. Determine your niche and target market |
| 6. Stay updated with industry trends and advancements |
| 7. Set competitive rates based on your skills and experience |
| 8. Market yourself through online platforms and professional networks |
| 9. Deliver high-quality work and meet deadlines |
| 10. Communicate effectively with clients to understand their requirements |
| 11. Continuously learn and improve your skills |
1. Build Your Tech Stack
First: ask yourself what kind of data analysis you want to do. Are you a numbers person with a mind for interpreting statistics? Or are you more of a computer programmer who enjoys the process of coding, and wants to build their visualizations?.
What you answer will determine the software that you’ll need (and later on, how much it will cost). For example, if you’re the kind of person who likes working with Excel and making charts from data, then buying Tableau (a software program) is probably overkill. On the other hand, if your eyes light up at the thought of building an algorithm from scratch in Python or R, then having access to SPSS might be a great career asset.
Both approaches are valuable but which one is more valuable will depend on what opportunities are available in your area. If your goal is to join an analytics team at Google or Facebook or another high-paying corporation, then having experience with Tableau may be key. But if you plan to freelance as an independent consultant or work through an agency doing freelance work for small businesses and startups, having experience with SPSS might be more useful because it’s widely used in business analytics but not as well known by software engineers.
Either way, find out what companies in your area use before making any long-term investments in software licenses: just make sure they’re using something like Excel before deciding that they’re using something like SPSS (or vice versa!).
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2. Develop An Online Presence
If you’re ready to leap from a full-time job to a freelance data analyst position, here are some important steps you’ll have to take.
First and foremost, you should develop an online presence. This can include having a website, maintaining a blog, and participating in social media such as LinkedIn or Twitter. Having your website is not essential, but it can help land a business. If you don’t have your website yet, setting up one is free and easy (try WordPress or Wix). That said, there are many freelancing platforms these days that incorporate websites into their service offerings; they may be worth investigating if you want to get started right away without worrying about being technologically savvy.
Additionally, dedicating time to maintaining a blog where people can learn more about what you do is also an excellent way to start building your brand as a freelancer; just make sure that your posts are clear and teach people something new. For example: for my freelance work I set up my website through Squarespace.
It’s easy to use with beautiful templates and most of the work can be done by choosing from templates or adding pictures from Google Images/Flickr. The rest of the content (blog posts) I do directly through WordPress using Squarespace’s import tool which brings over all my pictures and basic information onto the blog. My Twitter account has been inactive since January 2015 so I created an Instagram account instead because it’s easier than tweeting in my opinion (I’m too lazy).
3. Start Networking
How can you grow as a data analyst? That’s the question that popped into my mind as our company was downsizing, and I was having trouble finding new work. It wasn’t an easy situation, but it didn’t have to be strained if we took the right steps.
First thing’s first: stay in touch with your contacts in the industry by attending conferences and networking events where they are likely to be. Look up all of your former colleagues it is worth it. Professional relationships are a crucial part of being successful as a data analyst.
Next, consider following all of those professionals on social media platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn so that you can keep in touch and make connections at events and other professional gatherings. Don’t get too distracted by some of the younger professionals on social media, though; focus on the people who have been around for decades and have developed great relationships with clients over time.
You’ll find that these professionals are often interested in sharing their knowledge about specific areas within their field (like healthcare), so take advantage of that!
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4. Learn Some Management Skills
Being a freelancer is hard enough, but being a successful freelancer is even harder. Freelancing can be fun and liberating, but once you have to start managing your time and maintaining steady clients, the stress can begin. If you’re seeking advice on how to manage the logistics of becoming a full-time freelance data analyst (or any type of freelancer), one of the most important things you need to learn is project management skills.
What are they?
In some ways, project management is an extension of good time management skills that most people use in their day-to-day lives. Managing projects can help you plan out what needs to be done better and more efficiently than just trying to keep everything in your head which usually ends up being way more stressful than it needs to be. To start learning project management skills: Here are some examples from essays written by students who passed the AP English Language and Composition exam last year:
I don’t know about you guys, but I think those essays sound pretty good! It’s possible for everyone who takes this class to do the same thing: write good AP essays that pass the grading rubric. I hope this guide helps you get your best score yet on this year’s AP essay exam.
5. Get A Mentor (Or Three)
If you’re reading this guide (and you are, aren’t you?), chances are that you’re looking for a mentor. Who isn’t? But in all honesty, I’m not sure I’d have started my journey if it weren’t for the help of a few great mentors. Without them, I would still be hovering somewhere around round one.
We’ve all heard the phrase “stuck in a rut”. It means pretty much what it sounds like: we might be stuck at a particular stage of life and career path, even though we don’t know what to do next. In our case, round one was me with my hobby project ideas and an inability to get them off the ground.
Round two was me trying to find a different idea even though I didn’t feel confident enough in my abilities to tackle anything new; round three was me being filled with anxiety about how completely unqualified I felt when talking about web development over a beer at a pub night, and yet again round four was me feeling scared of talking about code at all because most people couldn’t follow along or understand what I was doing on Twitter anyway. I guess it’s always good to keep things fresh!
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6. Contribute To The Data Science Community
As a freelancer, you’ll be a part of the data science community whether you like it or not. You’ll interact with others by sharing your work on the internet and getting feedback from peers, prospective clients, and industry leaders. The best way to do this is by blogging about your work. Blogging allows you to establish yourself as a thought leader in data science but also provides lasting value beyond working as a freelancer.
Learn how to become a better writer by reading books and writing every day – Build an audience that understands your interests – Build connections with people who share similar goals – Gain access to opportunities within data science
7. Learn To Budget (And Cost)
Data analysis is an excellent and relatively in-demand skill, but there are many steps to be taken before you can comfortably call yourself a freelance data analyst. While it’s easy enough to find work freelancing part-time as a data analyst, it takes a lot more work to leap into full-time freelance work. Here are some of the most crucial things we’ve learned along the way, with special emphasis on how to keep your costs down while staying financially afloat.
Budgeting is one of those nebulous words that everyone claims to understand, but few do. The idea behind budgeting is simple enough you have a limited amount of money coming in (your income), so you have to decide how much you can spend and allocate accordingly. But what does that mean? What if this month you want to go out for dinner twice? Or get drinks three times? How do you balance those wants with needs? You should learn exactly how much everything costs and then take into account your income level before committing any money toward something that might not be entirely necessary.
Learning how to budget doesn’t just let you skimp on lunches during the week; it lets you plan your life around financial priorities, like paying off debt or saving for retirement or other goals set by you and only you. If your financial situation gets rocky or if one of these priorities changes drastically (like receiving news about impending parenthood), taking time out for proper budget planning will help make sure nothing falls through the cracks when deciding between different purchases and responsibilities.
As important as learning budgeting principles is knowing how much things cost. With so many different prices floating around, from unit prices on items at big box stores like Costco and BJ’s up to browser extension fees for online services like Evernote or LastPass (two examples I’m intimately familiar with), being able to pinpoint exact dollar amounts spent on specific services
8. Understand Data Analysis As A Business
When it comes to data analysis, it’s important to remember that this is a business. People hire data analysts for their business and expect results. Once you understand the framework of your business, you can put a price on the tools and services that help it run smoothly.
As an example, data analysis is a service. There are a few different ways to provide this service: you can work directly with clients and charge them per hour or have the client pay you an hourly rate plus a percentage of each project’s profits (referred-based) or provide and manage software tools that people use to analyze their data.
9. Acquire Project Management Skills
Everyone knows that if you’re a freelancer, one of the most crucial skills to have is the ability to manage multiple projects at a time. Whether you’re working on ten different jobs or are in between contracts, you should always know how many jobs are lined up for your next month and how long they’ll take. This is not just a personal financial planning strategy; it’s also a professional one. The more adept you are at juggling multiple assignments and timetables, the better your portfolio of work will look to prospective clients.
Flexibility and versatility tend to be key traits among successful data analysts. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t worked with that particular client before or if they want their needs fulfilled outside of the traditional 9–5 workday: as long as their budget fits within yours, you will find a way to make things work with them. And because this is your job and not just something you do for fun in your spare time you must always take responsibility for these issues and prioritize accordingly.
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10. Invest In Your Education
Data analytics is a growing field that’s difficult to enter if you don’t have any skills or experience. If you’re already an IT professional, it might be tempting to throw yourself into the deep end and try your hand at data analysis without first preparing. But, as with anything else in life, it pays to be proactive:
If you don’t have a degree related to IT, there are still many ways to invest in your education. If you’re not interested in earning money, consider investing time and effort instead. While full-time training courses may be out of your budget (and they’re certainly not for everyone), there are plenty of ways to give yourself an edge when it comes to computer science and data analysis. For example:
Startups that hire innovative developers need people who can dive quickly into problem-solving challenges and come up with creative solutions on the spot—often before their peers do so. Take the following classes if you aspire for this type of career:
Data Science Courses: Optional course designed for students interested in becoming data analysts or developers. Available on a variety of campuses across the nation; several schools likely offer multiple versions of this course or enrollment is fully or mostly online depending on its topic.
Intro to Data Science: This free curriculum teaches basic programming as well as math skills needed for entry-level data science positions within companies like big tech firms like Google and Facebook. The parts of the curriculum relevant for today’s job market are offered online via MIT OCW courses—the university created this website specifically for those enrolled in Intro To Data Science learning materials during their studies.
Introduction To Computer Programming: Unlike data science courses which primarily teach coding through hands-on projects, Introduction To Computer Programming focuses more on theory rather than practice (although some exercises involve creating programs). Depending on which textbook you use (there are dozens), each chapter will provide a detailed lesson plan with assignments that require implementing algorithms step by step using code found
11. Consider Setting Up As A Company Rather Than An Individual
Benefits of setting up as a company; Setting up as a company requires much more paperwork and time than being an individual. Additionally, if you’re in the United States, there are some additional taxes you’ll need to pay.
The main reason to set up as a company is that it can provide certain legal protections. For companies with more than one owner, it’s easier for the business to have its assets protected from any lawsuits filed against owners individually. There are some situations where this wouldn’t be helpful, such as for a one-person freelance operation.
There are other reasons to consider setting up a company, but they may vary depending on your specific circumstances and priorities. To choose whether or not it’s right for you, visit your local government website and do some research on the procedures involved in setting up a company in your state or province.
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Final Thoughts
Following these steps will help you become a data analyst. Several people in the data modeling field are vying for a spot on the industry’s best-of-breed team. It takes a sharp eye and open mind to succeed, and many aspiring data analysts wind up frustrated because they don’t know where to start. If you’re feeling a little lost in your career path, we suggest you take a closer look at these 11 steps. We’re confident that with some careful planning and forward-thinking, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to become a top-notch member of the data modeling industry.
Good luck in your new career as a data analyst! While we’re not going to claim that you’ll be pulling in six figures by the end of this week, if you follow these steps and keep up with the learning process, there are plenty of rewards ahead.
You’ll have opportunities to work with an exciting variety of organizations, projects, and challenges. Data science is a rewarding field where skills and experience can quickly advance your career. We hope you found value in this beginner’s guide; we truly believe that anyone can get started on the path to becoming a data analyst.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for further reading on becoming a freelance data analyst:
CareerFoundry: Freelance Data Analyst
This article from CareerFoundry provides insights into the role of a freelance data analyst and offers tips for building a successful freelance career in data analytics.
ProjectPro: How to Become a Freelance Data Scientist
ProjectPro’s article offers a comprehensive guide on transitioning to a freelance data scientist, including necessary skills, project selection, and building a strong portfolio.
Lana Gerton: How to Become a Freelance Data Analyst
Lana Gerton shares her insights on becoming a freelance data analyst, covering topics such as acquiring clients, setting rates, and developing a niche.
People Also Ask
What Is The Difference Between A Data Analyst And A Business Analyst?
Business analysts normally focus on gathering requirements and specifying system features while data analysts typically focus more on results such as business performance improvement. Data analysts are more quantitative (using statistical methods) whereas business analysts tend to be more qualitative in their approach. What is the difference between a data analyst and a data scientist?
How Do I Become A Data Analyst With No Experience?
There are many paths to becoming an entry-level data analyst including completing online courses from organizations like Coursera or edX, attending college or university, leveraging your skills from other industries, or simply earning certifications such as SAS or R certification. Regardless of your current position, several paths can help you build up your skillset so that you’re ready to jump into this role!
Do I Need An Advanced Degree?
No, not at all! Most of our clients are people who want to work on the side while they’re going through school or starting their careers, and we’ve found that having an advanced degree isn’t necessary for success. Some of our most successful analysts have only graduated high school!
How Do I Find Clients?
One of the best ways to find clients is through social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also look into local networking groups (like Toastmasters). And if you’re looking for more traditional ways to find clients like Craigslist or job boards like Indeed, just make sure that you’re posting ads in places where people who want help with data analysis will see them.
Are There Any Certifications Available?
There are certifications available from organizations like the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). These will help you stand out from other applicants and give you an edge during the interview process.
What Is The Average Salary For A Data Analyst?
The average salary for a data analyst is $56,000 per year. However, this can vary depending on where you live and whether or not you have any certifications or experience working in this field before joining a new company.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.