The easy way to become a Data Analyst with the help of IBM and Coursera

Share this post:

How do you become a Data Analyst?

Let’s look at some of the options for developing the skills to become a Data Analyst. The traditional approach has been to complete a college or university degree in this field. While you can earn a higher starting salary by getting a degree, many people are unable to follow this option for a variety of reasons – they may not have the pre-requisite academic background to enter a degree program, it might be too expensive, or you may already be working full time and not have the luxury of taking the time off.

Another option is to take online courses and certificate programs. These can cost a lot less than degree programs, can be finished in a shorter amount of time, and can be more flexible in terms of time and effort involved and when you choose to work on them.

The easy way to become a Data Analyst with the help of IBM and Coursera

IBM recently partnered with Coursera to create a self-paced, online Professional Certificate to prepare learners with job ready skills for an entry level Data Analytics position. IBM and Coursera worked with a number of industry experts to analyze the tasks performed by Data Analysts, and the skills required to be proficient in this domain, and with the help of top-notch instructors put together a step by step 8-course IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate.

“We have had a great success with IBM Data Science and AI Professional Certificates on Coursera,” said Leon Katsnelson, Director and CTO IBM Developer Skills Network. “So, when Coursera shared with us their vision for helping people without college degrees skill up for better careers, we knew we had to do it. Learners in the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate program can expect to gain real-world, hands-on skills for working with data to get ready for the next step in their careers.”

These courses cover all the major skills required by Junior or Associate Data Analysts, and take a very applied and practice-oriented approach to learning. Every module in every course except the introduction includes hands-on labs that allow you to apply the skills learned to real-world data problems. Every course includes a hands-on final project or assignment, in addition to the capstone project at the end of the program.

This is a self-paced program, which means you can choose to study on your own schedule – part-time, full-time, evenings, weekends, or whenever is convenient for you. You can finish the entire program in 3-4 months while studying 10-12 hours a week, or 7-9 months if spending 3-4 hours a week. And if life gets in the way, you can pause and come back after a few months.

And, best of all, you can try out the program for free and ensure it is the right fit for your needs and learning style before committing to it. And if you decide to pursue it, the program  costs US$39 per month – significantly less than pursuing a traditional degree.

Get started with the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate today!

This article is a subset of “How to to become a Data Analyst” by Rav Ahuja. To read the entire article and learn more about what qualities and skills are required to become a Data Analyst, go to https://cognitiveclass.ai/blog/how-to-become-a-data-analyst