Ever wondered if taking an internship is worth your time? The short answer is yes, it is! According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers 2019 Internship and Co-op Survey Report, the average job offer rate for new grads who’ve completed an internship is a staggering 70.4%.
For industries where skilled professionals are in high demand, like big data, securing a role such as a data analyst internship can be an incredible opportunity. It’s an ideal way to gain additional experience that makes you more marketable to potential employers.
Let’s look at what you can expect when taking a data analyst internship.
Why Choose a Data Analyst Internship?
Choosing your career path is a big decision, so testing the waters with an internship is an excellent way to explore your options before committing.
Securing a data analyst internship can offer many benefits, including:
- Gaining valuable industry knowledge.
- Real-life job experience to give yourself an edge in the job market.
- Learning new skills and putting existing skills into practice.
- Building confidence.
- Networking and making contacts in your desired industry.
- Potentially transitioning into a permanent position.
Qualifications for a Data Analyst Internship
If you want to get your foot in the door with a data analyst internship, you would be on track to earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering, math, data science or a health-related discipline. Consider looking at what it takes to be an entry-level data analyst to get a better understanding of what you’ll be expected to bring to the table.
Data analyst roles require a strong understanding of statistics including how to apply the scientific method to data using algorithms and data warehouse methodologies. Working knowledge of design, development, and implementation utilizing current analytics technologies, as well as relational database concepts, will be considered an asset.
Coming into a data analyst internship right out of school, your technical skills may vary, but there are other skills that are critical for these positions including:
- Self-motivated with the ability to learn new skills quickly.
- Strong critical thinking.
- Decision-making and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- Superior organizational skills to manage multiple projects.
- Flexibility to adapt to a changing workload.
Your Role and Responsibilities
What a data analyst does specifically will vary slightly depending on the organization, but there are some core responsibilities you can expect to have under your scope during a data analyst internship.
Daily, weekly and monthly tasks may include:
- Collecting and processing data.
- Querying databases based on requests from all areas of the business (sales, procurement, production, marketing, ecommerce, accounting).
- Defining user requirements and developing new reports.
- Brainstorming to identify data required to solve business problems.
- Maintaining and updating existing reports based on routine schedules.
Secure a Data Analyst Internship to Put Your Skills to the Test
If big data is a field you’re interested in pursuing, there are so many potential roles to choose from. Pursuing a data analyst internship will provide you with both an opportunity to put your skills to the test, and some real world exposure to make an informed decision about your long-term career path.
Looking to land the data analyst internship of your dreams?
The Udacity Data Analyst Nanodegree teaches you how to use Python, SQL, and statistics to uncover insights, communicate critical findings, and create data-driven solutions to make you the ideal candidate for internships and permanent positions in the field of big data.
