A Longitudinal Analysis of Job Skills for Entry-Level Data Analysts

The explosive growth of the data analytics field has continued over the past decade with no signs of slowing down. Given the fast pace of technology changes and the need for IT professionals to constantly keep up with the field, it is important to analyze the job skills and knowledge required in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of information systems education 2020-09, Vol.31 (4), p.312-326
Main Authors: Dong, Tianxi, Triche, Jason
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advertising
Big Data
Business analytics
Business competition
Business intelligence
Career Change
Career development
Careers
College Curriculum
Computer industry
Computer Software
Computer software industry
Core curriculum
Data Analysis
Data mining
Data science
Decision Making
Dictionaries
Employment Opportunities
Entry Workers
Grass roots movement
Information Science Education
Information systems
Information Technology
Information technology workers
Intellectual Disciplines
Intelligence
Job Applicants
Job Skills
Labor market
Literature Reviews
Longitudinal Studies
Occupational Aspiration
Professional Training
Professionals
Programming Languages
Science programs
Skills
Technological change
Trend Analysis
Trends
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate Study
Visualization
Word Processing
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Summary:The explosive growth of the data analytics field has continued over the past decade with no signs of slowing down. Given the fast pace of technology changes and the need for IT professionals to constantly keep up with the field, it is important to analyze the job skills and knowledge required in the data analyst and business intelligence (BI) analyst job market. In this research, we examine over 9,000 job postings for entry-level data analytics jobs over five years (2014-2018). Using a text mining approach and a custom text mining dictionary, we identify a preliminary set of analytic competencies sought in practice. Further, the longitudinal data also demonstrates how these key skills have evolved over time. We find that the three biggest trends include proficiency with Python, Tableau, and R. We also find that an increasing number of jobs emphasize data visualization. Some skills, like Microsoft Access, SAP, and Cognos, declined in popularity over the time frame studied. Using the results of the study, universities can make informed curriculum decisions, and instructors can decide what skills to teach based on industry needs. Our custom text mining dictionary can be added to the growing literature and assist other researchers in this space.
ISSN:1055-3096
2574-3872