Data Analyst Resume Sample—20+ Examples and Writing Tips

Here’s a fact:

A data analyst resume is googled about 8,000 times a month in the US.

You’ve got some competition.

But—

The demand for data-focused professionals is booming. It will grow 28% by 2020.

Want to land the best data analyst job?

Make your resume count.

This guide will show you:

• Best data analyst resume examples that get jobs.
• How to ace your data analyst job description on a resume.
• How to write resumes for data analysts that get the interview.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing data analyst jobs.

Data Analyst Resume—Sample

1. Choose the Best Data Analyst Resume Format

A recruiter spends 7 seconds scanning a data analyst resume.

If yours comes across as jumbled, it will be purged from the database.

To avoid this—

Build a perfect resume for a data analyst. Follow these rules:

• Choose the reverse-chronological resume format for your data analyst resume. This way you’ll prioritize your experience and key achievements.
• Stick to good resume fonts. Aim for the range between 10 to 14pt. Write simple headings, avoid clutter, and make the most of white space.
• Try to make your resume length fit into one page. That’s unless your experience is comparable to a big data set.
• Start off with a data analyst resume summary or objective. Move on to the data analyst job description and follow it with the education section.
• Put your key data analyst skills in a separate section, list your certifications and interests.

Expert Hint: Always save your data analyst resume as a PDF file. Its formatting will stay untouched and the ATS will read it without a problem.

2. Start with a Data Analyst Resume Summary That Turns Heads

Here’s the deal:

Your data analyst resume summary must show the recruiter the value you bring.

And—

Tease them into learning more about you.

This surefire structure works every time:

1. An adjective
2. Job title
3. Years of experience
4. What you can offer and how it will help
5. Your biggest achievement

Summary for Data Analyst—Resume Example

What If You’ve Got No Experience?

So—

You’d like to become a data analyst with no experience.

Seriously?

What about your education? Internships? Kaggle projects? This is your experience.

Now—

Work it into your data analyst resume objective.

The career objective aims to show the recruiter that you’re a perfect match. But it focuses on your achievements rather than strictly professional experience. And that’s how it differs from a resume summary.

When writing your data analyst resume objective you can follow the same formula as presented above. Just skip no. 3.

Resume Objective for Data Analyst—Sample

Expert Hint: Write your entry-level resume objective or summary once your entire resume is ready. This way it will be much easier for you to cherry-pick the best bits.

3. Write the Best Data Analyst Job Description and Skills Sections

Did you know?

76% of job postings for data analyst positions require previous experience.

So—

Follow these three steps to write the best data analyst resume job description:

1. Analyze the job posting.
2. Extract the data analyst skills and duties the employer seeks.
3. Present your data analyst experience in the language of the job ad.

This is what your data analyst resume job description may look like:

Data Analyst Job Description for Resume—Example

Let’s break it down.

First off—

To write the perfect data analyst resume you must reply to a specific job ad.

Why?

Before reaching the hiring manager, your resume will be screened by the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

The ATS pre-selects data analyst resumes that meet the employer’s criteria. In short, the ATS looks for data analyst resume keywords.

Good news?

All the keywords for your data analyst resume appear in the job ad.

And that’s exactly why the data analyst job description on your resume must use the language of the job ad.

It doesn’t end there, though.

Once it’s past the ATS stage—

Your data analyst resume must impress the recruiter.

Here’s the secret:

Don’t list your responsibilities. Show off your accomplishments instead.

Your data analyst accomplishments are your responsibilities and skills backed up with numbers.

Example of Data Analyst Resume—Achievements

Use numbers and percentages whenever you can.

It doesn’t mean, though, that all your data analyst resume bullets must be quantified.

Select one or two accomplishments you’re proud of.

Then, list them on your data analyst resume in a separate key achievements subsection.

And one more thing.

Your resume must highlight your data analyst and data scientist skills.

If your data analyst resume job description is done right, you’ve already included the most important skills the employer is after.

Now give them more exposure.

Look at the job posting again to see if the data analyst skills the employer requires are mentioned by name.

Make a separate key skills section on your resume. Fill the section with your skills.

Mind you—

It’s not a good idea to list every single data analyst skill you have. Identify up to top ten data analytical skills and show them off.

You can further subdivide your skills into hard and soft skills.

Data Analyst Resume—Skills

• Problem-solving
• Adaptability
• Time management
• Organization
• Written and oral communication
• Use-case analysis
• Data modeling
• Python, R
• Data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI)
• SQL/MySQL/Postgres
• SAS
• Descriptive analyses (incl. frequencies, cross-tabs, standard deviation)

And here’s a little bonus. These are the fastest growing analytical skills for a variety of DSA positions according to Quant Crunch.

Fastest Growing Analytical Skills

• Data Science
• Machine Learning
• Tableau
• Big Data
• Data Visualization
• R
• Apache Hive
• Predictive Analytics
• Apache Hadoop
• Pivot Tables

Expert Hint: Don’t paraphrase too much. If a job offer lists collaboration as a sought-after skill, stick to it rather than describe yourself as a team player. ATSs are smart, but not too smart.

4. Turn Boring Education Into a Reason to Hire You

According to the Quant Crunch report, many data analyst jobs have high education requirements.

So—

To land the best one, the education section of your resume must deliver. Especially when applying for entry-level data analyst jobs.

List the relevant courses you took and show off your GPA if it’s higher than 3.5. Consider adding relevant extracurricular activities or membership in student societies.

Entry-Level Data Analyst Resume Sample—Education

Expert Hint: In general, a data analyst resume for freshers will have a more detailed education section. As you become more experienced, the focus shifts to your professional experience.

5. Light Up Your Data Analyst Resume

Maximize the impact of your data analyst resume.

A strategic mash-up of your unique knowledge, extra skills, certifications, and interests is the way to go.

Choose the best data analyst resume template and populate the following resume sections.

Certifications

• Cloudera CCA Data Analyst—Certificate
• Data Scientist Associate v2 (DECA-DS) Certification

Associations

• Digital Analytics Association (DAA)—Member
• Kaggle—Active member since 2012

Conferences

• TDWI Leadership Summit—2017
• ACM International Web Search and Data Mining—2017

Interests

• Cyberpunk literature
• Sound engineering

Languages

• Spanish (Advanced)
• German (Conversational)

Expert Hint: Your chances of landing a job may double if you write a data analyst cover letter. Less than 50% of applicants attach one but more than 50% of the recruiters expect to see it.

Key Points

This is how to make a data analyst resume:

• Pick the right data analyst resume template. A senior data analyst resume needs a larger job description section than a junior data analyst resume.
• Use the best data analyst resume format. Make it one-page long, list only relevant information, save it as a PDF, and make good use of white space.
• Tailor it to a job offer. Your skills and experience have to mirror the employer’s requirements. Double-check the job posting against your resume to be sure it has the appropriate data analyst resume keywords.
• Make the most of your education. Pay attention to this section of your resume especially if you’re making a data analyst resume for freshers.
• Enhance it with extras. Show you’re a fully-rounded candidate by adding some extras. Certifications, conferences, interests, and knowledge of languages all add up to your value as a professional.

Questions on how to write the best data analyst resume? Do you have useful advice on writing resumes for various data analyst positions (clinical data analyst resume or financial data analyst resume)? We’d love to hear from you. Leave your comment below.