Role

Data Analyst

Turns raw data into clear insights using analysis, dashboards, and reporting.

15 chaptersAbout 6 months15–30 min a day15 skills2 projects
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Chapter 1 is free. No card needed.

Day 1 on the Data Analyst path.

What a Data Analyst does

Help teams make better decisions by cleaning, analyzing, and explaining data in reports and dashboards.

  • Collect data from spreadsheets, databases, and apps, and check it for errors
  • Clean and combine data so it is ready for analysis and reporting
  • Analyze trends and drivers to answer business questions with evidence
  • Build dashboards and recurring reports for key metrics and goals
  • Write clear notes that explain definitions, assumptions, and limits
  • Work with stakeholders to clarify questions and success measures
  • Monitor data quality and flag unusual changes in important metrics

A day in the life

  1. Review dashboard alerts and investigate any sudden metric changes
  2. Meet with a team to confirm the question, timeline, and data needed
  3. Pull data with SQL, clean it, and run checks before analysis
  4. Build charts or a dashboard view, then write a short summary of findings
  5. Share results, collect feedback, and log follow-up questions for next steps

Tools you will use

Spreadsheets: Excel, Google SheetsDatabases: SQLBI tools: Tableau, Power BI, LookerProgramming: Python, RNotebooks: JupyterVersion control: Git

Your plan

Chapter by chapter.

1~2 wks

See the work of a Data Analyst

StartFree
2~2 wks

Data prep and coding

Skills
3~2 wks

Writing SQL queries

Skills
4~2 wks

Sales dashboard with 5 KPIs and weekly trends

Proof
5~2 wks

Turn numbers into charts people read

Skills
6~2 wks

Framing the right question

Skills
7~2 wks

Making sense of numbers

Skills
81–2 wks

Meet people doing the work

People
9~2 wks

Communicating and collaborating

Skills
10~2 wks

Data storytelling and documentation

Skills
11~2 wks

Responsible data use

Skills
12~2 wks

App funnel metric dictionary with drop-off analysis

Proof
131–2 wks

Prepare for Data Analyst interviews

Interview
141–2 wks

Choose your route into Data Analyst work

Decide
15on your timeline

Apply for Data Analyst roles

Apply

By the last chapter

This is what you can show.

Things you've made

Sales dashboard with 5 KPIs and weekly trends and App funnel metric dictionary with drop-off analysis

Skills you can prove

15 skills, each rated on work you actually did.

People you've talked to

4 people who do the job, with a message ready for each.

Questions you can answer

20 interview questions and a mock interview, with feedback.

Credentials

7 credentials compared, so you can pick one, or decide you don't need one. None is required.

Ways in

There is more than one route.

Ways to study

  • Bachelors degree in data analytics, statistics, economics, computer science, or business
  • Diploma or certificate in analytics, business intelligence, or database basics
  • Online courses or bootcamps focused on SQL, dashboards, and practical projects
  • Self-taught path with a portfolio plus short credentials in analytics tools

How people get their first job

  • Apply for data analyst internships or reporting internships
  • Start in a reporting or operations role and take on analytics tasks
  • Build a portfolio with 2 to 4 projects using real public datasets
  • Earn a practical SQL certificate and a dashboard tool certificate
  • Volunteer to analyze data for a student club or local nonprofit

Life skills on this path: Networking · Job interviews · Job search

How the work is changing

What AI is doing to this role

How AI is changing this role · one of 6 tasks we track

Clean and join messy datasets

Sped up a lot

What AI does

AI scripts handle deduplication, type casting, and column matching.

Still yours

You decide what a bad row means and whether to drop or fix it.

Reviewed September 2026

In the app · Premium

The rest is in the app

  • How AI affects the other 5 tasks
  • Whether this job is growing or shrinking
  • How hard the first job is to get
  • Similar roles that are easier to get into
  • Updated every month, with sources
See it in the app →

How we rate a job →

Already working

Already a Data Analyst?

Plan your move to Senior Data Analyst: 10 chapters that end with a strong case for your next review.

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Questions

Questions about this path

How long does it take to become a data analyst with Welica?

The path is 15 chapters, 6 months at 15 to 30 minutes a day. You can go faster or slower; the plan moves with you.

Do I need a degree?

Not always. Common routes are bachelors degree in data analytics, statistics, economics, computer science, or business, diploma or certificate in analytics, business intelligence, or database basics, online courses or bootcamps focused on SQL, dashboards, and practical projects, or self-taught path with a portfolio plus short credentials in analytics tools.

What is free?

Chapter 1, See the work of a Data Analyst, is free for good. Premium unlocks the rest of the path.

Start the Data Analyst path.

Chapter 1 free. About 15 to 30 minutes a day.

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