Much More Than Crunching Numbers: The 101 of a Data Analyst Career in Canada

Data analytics is critical in addressing today’s complex challenges and innovating across all sectors, from helping hospitals manage patient flow and municipalities reduce waste to assisting companies in developing more customer-centric products and services. With companies increasingly recognizing its importance — 87 per cent consider using data a competitive differentiator — it’s no wonder the opportunities for a data analyst career in Canada are rising. Here’s what you need to know about this growing field and how you can make an impact.
Launch Your Career with a Data Analytics Master’s Program
Helping organizations make informed decisions requires much more than analyzing numbers and statistics. To be successful in this profession, you must know how to discover, interpret, and effectively communicate big data. Obtaining the necessary aptitude at the graduate level can help you gain a deeper understanding of the field and amass the tools to market yourself to potential employers.
Students at Northeastern University’s Data Analytics Master’s program, for example, learn how statistics and mathematics, analytics systems technology, business intelligence, business process management, analytics agility, leadership and governance, and policy and ethics all come together to inform the profession. They also explore the implications of analytics on a local, national, and global scale.
So, what differentiates this program? Its approach moves beyond theory to immerse students in the industry. This starts in the classroom, where faculty members, many of whom still work as analysts, leverage their experiences to benefit students. Experiential learning is also vital as students apply analytical principles, tools, and methods to a sponsor organization’s project. During the project, they may assist with extracting, developing, delivering, translating, and implementing analysis for tactical and/or strategic decision-making. In the process, students expand their professional networks and graduate with a portfolio of work samples.
Are Data Analysts in Demand?
Digitization across all industries is one of the main trends affecting employment in this sector. The federal government’s Job Bank reports that the importance of analytics for evidence-based decision-making will also support employment opportunities, with 29,300 new job openings expected from 2022 to 2031. Toronto’s concentration of tech companies (including Google, Microsoft and Uber), the financial sector, and telecommunications giants, for example, all offer opportunities to start a data analyst career in Canada.
According to the Adastra 2024 Data Professionals Market Survey Forecast, which surveys IT decision-makers, almost 76 per cent of Canadian respondents said they would spend more on analytics this year.
One of the most recent changes in the industry involves artificial intelligence (AI). While AI can process and analyze at an unprecedented scale, analysts are the storytellers who translate complex statistics into actionable insights that all decision-makers can easily understand. These professionals also understand the human elements behind the figures, which is imperative. As a result, AI enhances analysts’ capabilities, and they can use AI’s advanced insights as a foundation for their analysis. With their well-rounded skill set, which includes critical thinking and ethical oversight, analysts can also ensure AI-driven insights are relevant and accurate.
The Various Possibilities of a Data Analyst Career in Canada
Job titles and tasks of professionals in this field are diverse — with room to move through the corporate ranks. Some in-demand job titles include machine learning engineer, data engineer or architect, data scientist and report and visualization expert. A report and visualization expert, for example, combines tech and communication skills with graphic design to turn raw data into a visually appealing, summative, and predictive dashboard or other visual representation. These presentations help business leaders easily understand the facts and figures to make the most effective decision. A data scientist’s role, meanwhile, includes extracting data from multiple sources and using machine learning tools to organize, process, clean, and validate it. These professionals then analyze patterns to develop prediction systems, present the information, and propose solutions and strategies.
By: Izabela Shubair
Sources for 101 of a Data Analyst Career:
https://toronto.northeastern.edu/academic_program/master-of-professional-studies-in-analytics/
https://hrtechcube.com/adastra-2024-data-professionals-market-survey-forecast/
https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/17882/ca#nat-projection
https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/data-analyst-career-path
https://www.actian.com/blog/data-analytics/will-ai-take-data-analyst-jobs/
https://www.sisystems.com/resources/blog/career-data-analytics/