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There have been many initiatives and goals set out by the Singapore government to transform this city-state into a Smart Nation, but what exactly makes a country a Smart Nation? Well, for starters, the country should harness technology to boost the quality of life for its citizens. When Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong set in motion the Smart Nation drive in 2014, technology start-ups were invited to use their expertise to bring Singapore to the world stage when it comes to innovation and sustainability for the future. This initiative paid off as Singapore continues to be recognised as one of the world’s top smart cities. In fact, Singapore topped the list of the 2021 Smart City Index for the third year in a row, ahead of other modern cities like Zurich, Oslo, and Taipei.
Being the top smart city in the world means that Singapore boasts a number of impressive feats, such as having a robust digital infrastructure, the world’s fastest broadband speed, and good governance. All these credentials are what make Singapore a highly attractive data centre hub, with internationally renowned companies, such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, opening availability zones for their cloud-based platforms in this city-state. Based on findings from Cushman & Wakefield, Singapore ties together with Silicon Valley as the second-best data centre market in the world in 2022.
As Singapore continues to strive to remain competitive and uphold its data centre dominance not only in Asia but also around the world, data analysts are needed for their knowledge and skills. This is apparent in the Singapore Economic Development Board’s prediction that, by the end of 2022, data analytics services will be worth roughly $37 billion.
Despite being one of the most important jobs in society, there is a shortage of data analyst professionals in Singapore. Considering that data has a role to play in almost every aspect of our lives, it is no wonder that there is a high demand for data analysts by both international and local companies, especially multinational corporations like Facebook, which has invested US $1.4 billion to open the world’s biggest data centre right here in Singapore. In order to reduce the disparity between the supply and demand for data analysts, the government aims to train about 2,500 data analysts in the workforce each year.
Now we know that the demand for data analysts has increased exponentially over the past few years. However, what exactly makes the role of data analysts so desirable in the workforce? We will be addressing the top three factors in this article.
It is practically impossible for data analysts to feel dissatisfied and unaccomplished at work as they hold a significant influence on a business’s overall performance. You can consider data analysts as problem solvers. As long as the company encounters any sort of challenges that affect the business’ revenue and efficiency, data analysts step in and provide solutions. This is because most business challenges can be overcome by gathering data information in order to gain key insights into their customers. Such information can guide a business to make smarter and more effective decisions.
For example, customer data and statistics, such as purchasing behavior, customer demographics, and marketing acquisition sources, are all visual reports that stakeholders are interested in to create marketing campaigns that reach their target audiences. If this data and insights are calculated and derived accurately, businesses can look forward to optimising their business efforts. What’s more, this allows businesses to respond quickly to any emerging trends, giving them a head start and a competitive edge over competitors. Considering how important these information helps businesses grow, this only proves that data analysts are indispensable to a company’s bottom line.
There is truly no better time than now to become a data analyst as our world undergoes a big data boom. Do you know that 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are generated every day? This number does not even represent the final amount of data, as the number of data statistics is only expected to soar from here on out, especially when people and businesses increasingly rely on data to function daily. In addition, as our society gravitates towards adopting a data-driven culture, more and more industries are utilising and applying data, not just those in the technological field. From government enterprises to the aviation sector, organisations capitalising on data analytics provide many opportunities for talented individuals to try their hand at a career in data analytics.
Since the demand for data analysts is incredibly strong, yet the supply of people with the relevant knowledge and abilities to perform this role is limited, data analysts have the privilege of commanding huge salaries and incredible employee perks, even for those at entry-level. As such, if you are looking to kick start your career in data analytics, here are some ways to do so.
The role of a data analyst is one that is extremely technical. As you will be mostly accessing computers to retrieve and analyse data, you need to be able to operate databases and perform computer programming. As a matter of fact, there are many technical steps data analysts are required to take in order to present their data and statistical findings to stakeholders. One of these steps is data cleansing and preparation. Since some data can be inconsistent and even go missing, it is up to the data analyst themselves to fix such issues to prepare these data for numerical and categorical analysis. Afterwards, data analysts can conclude and showcase their findings by creating data visualizations, be it through a graph, chart, or spreadsheet, making it easier for human beings to understand data trends and patterns. Due to the technical nature of the job, data analysts must be prepared to be technologically savvy.
Even though some jobs may not require a college degree, this does not generally apply to data analysts. If you are planning to become a data analyst for a reputable company, it would be good to obtain a degree in a relevant field to not only develop some foundational and practical knowledge but also be equipped with job-ready skills, such as the ones mentioned above.
This is where Aventis Graduate School comes in and offers a range of qualifications that can help you to enhance your resume and allow you to present yourself as a good fit for any company you apply to. For Graduate Diploma programmes, our Graduate Diploma in Business Analytics and Data Storytelling will open doors to many prosperous career opportunities, including being a data scientist, financial analyst, and portfolio manager. For those who are interested in learning a combination of data analytical skills, specifically in the business world, this programme is for you.
However, if you are up for the challenge and would like to take a step further in your education, we also offer a Master of Science in Data Analytics from London Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. This course will give you a deeper understanding of the current issues facing data and how you can utilise unique techniques to deal with and monitor these challenges. On top of that, all this knowledge is taken from and applied in real-world contexts.
Providing quality education for over 15 years, Aventis Graduate School has earned global recognition for allowing adult learners and working professionals to access the necessary platforms to improve themselves and seek better career opportunities. From our Master degree courses in Singapore to part-time MBAs in Singapore, our wide range of programmes and courses offer students the options to pursue their goals and aspirations. Find out more about our programmes here.