You're an entry-level professional. How can you develop the most important analytical skills?
Analytical skills are the ability to collect, process, and interpret data, solve problems, and make decisions based on evidence and logic. They are essential for any entry-level professional who wants to succeed in today's fast-paced and competitive world. But how can you develop and improve your analytical skills? Here are some tips and strategies to help you.
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James EwenDirector, IT for Small Molecule Drug Discovery at Bristol Myers Squibb
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Bonnie RocheTop Data and Analytics Voice | Platform Impact @ Unseen | SaaS Analytics Product Management | Decision Intelligence…
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Davis RodriguesRecrutador | Headhunter | Consultor | Carreira | Currículo | RH | R&S | Administrador | Psicologia Organizacional |…
Before you start working on your analytical skills, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and why. What are the specific skills that are relevant and useful for your role, industry, or field? How will they help you perform better, advance your career, or solve a challenge? Setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals will help you focus your efforts and track your progress.
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In accounting firms analytical skills are crucial for all service either accounting, tax or audit that being said in my opinion the most skills needed is that 1- To be flexible on how to get your required output. 2- Studying of course one the main factors skills either study as in materials or study the case you are analyzing. 3- Understand your tools and what it can do and what it can’t.
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By being more curious and asking more questions. Key for being analytical is being a constant learner. Analytics is more to do with reasoning to understand the problem most of the times.
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I would discover what analytical tools the company uses, and see about training your self on those. Determine if the company has set guidelines on how an analysis needs to be performed, and learn those guidelines. Review past analytical reports/tools, see what has worked, or not worked in the past. Discuss with the individuals involved, how they arrived at the results, and if personal decisions were involved, learn why they made the decisions they did. Have coffee chats with other analysts in the same company/same industry to learn best practices. Above all, perform effective challenges along the way, learn why decisions were made/tools used/guidelines set. Think out side the lines to see if there are other ways to analyze.
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Identifique seus objetivos: Determine claramente o que você deseja alcançar ao desenvolver habilidades analíticas. Defina metas específicas e mensuráveis para orientar seu progresso e manter o foco em áreas relevantes para sua carreira ou interesses pessoais.
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Skills, tools and techniques just matter if you solve a problem. In my opinion, the main goal here is to identify and state the problem, with it in mind than you can match correct "toolbox" to get a good result.
One of the best ways to develop your analytical skills is to learn from people who have them. Seek feedback, guidance, and mentoring from your managers, colleagues, or experts in your field. Observe how they approach problems, analyze data, and communicate their findings. Ask questions, listen actively, and take notes. You can also join online communities, forums, or courses where you can exchange ideas, insights, and best practices with other learners.
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Early in my career journey, I learned that often the experts sitting right next to you offer the best lessons in becoming a higher performing analyst. Your colleagues have been through the journey you're looking to take. Even as technology advances and challenges become more complex - those around you have the core experience that have built their resilience and intuition. While many lessons need to be learned first hand, being an active and attentive listener to those you want to emulate is an accelerate to achieving your own goals. Being part of an organization means being part of a team and we're stronger together. Seek to "stand on the shoulder of giants", so someday someone can stand on yours, and you can reach new heights together.
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Pour ma part, identifiez clairement les personnes dans votre entourage professionnel ou au sein de votre réseau qui excellent dans l'analyse. Ces individus deviennent vos points de référence, vos mentors non officiels. N'hésitez pas à leur demander des éclaircissements ou des explications sur leur processus de réflexion et d'analyse. Cette interaction directe est une mine d'or pour votre développement personnel, car elle vous permet d'assimiler des stratégies éprouvées et de comprendre les subtilités qui sous-tendent une analyse efficace.
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Aprenda com os outros: Busque oportunidades para aprender com profissionais experientes ou especialistas em análise de dados. Participe de cursos online, workshops, palestras ou grupos de estudo onde você possa interagir e absorver conhecimento prático. Além disso, aproveite recursos gratuitos, como tutoriais online, artigos e comunidades online, para expandir seu conhecimento e obter insights valiosos sobre as melhores práticas e ferramentas de análise de dados.
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Understanding the basics of analytical concepts and techniques is key. Once we have this basic understanding, finding mentorship can propel us to where we want to be. Seek several mentors and learn from each one as they will have different methods of analysing but ultimately, we find our own way of doing things by applying what we learn in real-world scenarios.
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While there’s no need to “recreate the wheel”, recreating the analysis can be a valuable way to grow your analytical skills. Find an analysis you are interested in, done by a colleague you admire, and work to recreate it. Pay special attention to the data building in checks throughout the process to ensure you are picking up everything as intended. You can learn a great deal about the process along the way and have your colleague as a guide if you get stuck.
Like any other skill, analytical skills require constant practice and application. Look for opportunities to use your analytical skills in your daily tasks, projects, or assignments. For example, you can collect and organize data, identify patterns and trends, create charts and graphs, evaluate alternatives, and propose solutions. You can also challenge yourself with puzzles, games, or quizzes that test your logic, reasoning, and creativity.
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Se você é um profissional em início de carreira, faça trabalho voluntário, ofereça alguns serviços grátis para pessoas de baixa renda, é importante cultivar possíveis leads e ao mesmo tempo demonstra responsabilidade social, e desta mesma forma estará engajado nas práticas mais atuais de mercado na prestação de serviço relacionado.
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Start by becoming a "nerd" in the tools you regularly use, that are relevant to your field, whether it's Excel, Python, or other analytical software. Delve deep into their functionalities, shortcuts, and advanced features. Online tutorials, official documentation, and community forums can be invaluable resources in this endeavor. If you find yourself lacking real-world practice opportunities at work, don't despair. Analyze your household financials or any personal data sets you can access.
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Consistent practice is key to honing your analytical skills. Integrate them into your daily tasks by collecting and organizing data, spotting patterns, and proposing solutions. Challenge yourself with puzzles or games to strengthen your logical thinking and creativity. Remember, practice makes perfect!
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Geozell Nadine G.(edited)
Analytical skills come from a certain level of familiarity as well. Ensure that you are practicing what you learn. While practicing, crunch the data! Look out for the inconsistencies and bottle necks on the data or process itself. Always evaluate. Check for the steps which can be deemed unnecessary at the end of the day due to it being repetitive or has nothing to contribute on the overall product. Challenge yourself on thinking up other ways to streamline the process and be prepared to present to the stakeholders.
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Um dos melhores exemplos é a prática constante, seja na sua principal fonte de renda quanto na sua renda extra, busque e trabalhe suas habilidades para aprimorar.
Another important step to improve your analytical skills is to review your work and learn from your mistakes. After you complete a task or project that involves analytical skills, ask yourself some questions: What did you do well? What could you have done better? How accurate and reliable were your data and methods? How clear and convincing were your arguments and conclusions? How did you handle feedback or criticism? How can you apply your learnings to future situations?
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Reveja cada passo seu, busque por feedback, muitas vezes alguns processos passam despercebidos, e enxergar os processos por outros ângulos é importante, já que a cada momento podemos ter novas percepções em diversos aspectos. Rever trabalhos já finalizados, é importante também para a nossa percepção de evolução o que nos traz extrema satisfação.
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Don't forget to review your work to enhance your analytical prowess. Reflect on what went well and what could've been improved. Assess the accuracy and reliability of your data and methods. Evaluate the clarity and persuasiveness of your arguments. Consider how you handled feedback and criticism. Use these insights to refine your approach for future tasks and projects.
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Most analytical work requires at least some understanding and work with data. Numbers can be your friend but also your enemy: When you are for 100 percent sure that your numbers are correct, you can present them proudly and with no doubt, as numbers don’t lie. But – if you have made a mistake collecting your data or when analyzing them, then your whole analysis can go wrong just because of not being accurate enough. Therefore, it is important, especially when you are lacking experience, to be patient and double check your data. The reward comes very quickly when you find a mistake before somebody else does, because then there is no harm done. Quite the opposite: it is an instant learning and you (hopefully) wont make the same mistake twice.
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Al reflexionar sobre tu desempeño, puedes aumentar tu confianza y habilidad para adaptarte a los comentarios y críticas de manera constructiva. Esta práctica te ayuda a mantener la relevancia y competencia en un entorno profesional cambiante, preparándote para abordar futuros proyectos con mayor eficacia y seguridad.
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Reviewing your work involves critically evaluating your approach, methods, and outcomes to identify areas for improvement and reinforce learning. Start by assessing the accuracy and completeness of your analysis, ensuring that all relevant factors were considered and properly accounted for. Reflect on the effectiveness of your problem-solving strategies and decision-making processes, noting any successes or challenges encountered along the way. Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or supervisors to gain additional perspectives and insights. Analyze any mistakes or shortcomings objectively, using them as opportunities for growth and learning.
Finally, to develop your analytical skills, you need to keep up with the latest trends, tools, and techniques in your field or industry. Analytical skills are constantly evolving and changing as new technologies, data sources, and challenges emerge. You need to stay curious, flexible, and adaptable to keep your skills relevant and valuable. You can update your knowledge by reading books, articles, blogs, podcasts, or reports, attending webinars, workshops, or conferences, or enrolling in online courses, certifications, or programs.
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Mettez l'accent sur l'application pratique de vos nouvelles connaissances. Ne vous limitez pas à l'acquisition théorique ; cherchez des moyens de mettre en œuvre concrètement ce que vous apprenez. Cela pourrait signifier entreprendre des projets personnels, collaborer avec des collègues sur des initiatives innovantes ou appliquer de nouvelles techniques à vos tâches actuelles. L'application pratique renforce l'apprentissage et solidifie votre compréhension des concepts analytiques, tout en vous permettant de démontrer de manière tangible la valeur de votre expertise renouvelée.
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Stay ahead of the curve by continuously updating your knowledge. Keep abreast of the latest trends, tools, and techniques in your field. Stay curious and flexible to adapt to new technologies and challenges. Engage with various learning resources like books, articles, webinars, and courses to stay relevant and valuable in your domain.
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Grandes formas de atualizar o seu conhecimento não ficando preso somente a cursos e treinamentos, temos por exemplo o Network conheça outras pessoas da área, busque uma mentoria, participe de eventos, palestras e conferências pertinentes a sua área de atuação.
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Reuniões de benchmark e participação em grupos de discussão são uma ótima fonte de atualização. O Linkedin é uma ótima ferramente para isto.
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In my experience, updating your knowledge is a must, particularly in I.T. where changes evolve rapidly. I find using books and taking advantage of on-line courses helps achieve this objective.
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Find some case study online with a small data set that allow you to solve a problem end to end and land on a solution/approach/answer. Its sometimes hard in a new job to build skills in project phases that you havent experienced and doing case studies can help to build future skills and also help to develop a "portfolio" of your work for future jobs
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Humility is a virtue. Admitting that you are a beginner and that you have come to learn would be the beginning of your learning process. Attending every meeting of your team is a sine qua non. Listening carefully and actively participating in the deliberations without inhibitions are necessary. Try and adsorb the information. After attending at least a few meetings and understanding the problem would help in learning further. A beginner is learner.
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Hacer una revisión de los aprendido, las etapas satisfechas y los retos puede ser un buen ejercicio para hacerse consciente del proceso de aprendizaje.
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Praticar a comunicação clara é importante, ser capaz de expressar suas análises de forma clara e concisa é crucial. Pratique escrevendo relatórios ou apresentando suas descobertas verbalmente.
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Uma ótima dica para desenvolvimento da capacidade analítica é a convivência com profissionais que desenvolvem o mesmo trabalho e/ou atuam no seu ramo de atividade. Trocar experiências e verificar como em outras áreas é feito o mesmo processo. Além disso, é inegociável que acompanhe a evolução das ferramentas de auxílio na gestão de indicadores, que podem facilitar e tornar mais prático as análises de performance e consequentemente as tomadas de decisões.
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