What does a Data Analyst actually do?

The short version

Data analysts turn raw data into decisions — SQL queries, dashboards, and telling the business what it doesn't want to hear. It's the translator role between numbers and action.

The pitch: a real route into tech without being a programmer, demand across every industry, and the classic springboard to data science. The catch: a lot of the job is data cleaning and stakeholder politics, and routine reporting work is exactly what AI tools are eating first — the junior end is squeezing hard.

Entry routes that actually work

• Numerate degree + graduate scheme — the standard route (any quantitative subject).
• Data analysis apprenticeship — paid, employer-backed, growing in the UK.
• Portfolio route — SQL, Excel and BI-tool projects that show the work.