{"id":2449,"date":"2021-05-10T07:48:16","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T07:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cn7w3i4565-staging.onrocket.site\/?p=2449"},"modified":"2021-05-10T07:48:16","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T07:48:16","slug":"analytical-skills-how-to-use-them-in-your-job-hunt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/analytical-skills-how-to-use-them-in-your-job-hunt\/","title":{"rendered":"Analytical Skills: How to Use Them in Your Job Hunt"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Skills are super crucial for anyone looking for a new job. And you probably know that you need a good mix of hard skills, soft skills, and some tech skills to get recognised by potential employers. But a skill set that many of us overlook is analytical skills.<\/p>\n<p>As a matter of fact, many of us believe these skills are only relevant for people employed in roles that involve math. But that\u2019s actually not the case at all. In reality, these are skills that are surprisingly useful in just about every professional&#8217;s career.<\/p>\n<p>With this in mind, here\u2019s a look at what analytical skills are. We also highlight the different types of skills that fall under this umbrella, and how you can use them to your advantage when searching for a new job!<\/p>\n<h2>Analytical Skills Defined<\/h2>\n<p>Analytical skills are abilities that help you evaluate information and solve problems. Skills related to logical and critical thinking, research, and problem-solving are analytical. This means that if you\u2019ve ever studied data and made recommendations based on that, you\u2019ve used these skills.<\/p>\n<p>These skills are essential for jobs in math, financial services, IT, engineering, and sciences, but they\u2019re also great for any role that requires researching and assessing information.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/statistics-3411473_1920.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2452\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/statistics-3411473_1920.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/statistics-3411473_1920.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/statistics-3411473_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/statistics-3411473_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/statistics-3411473_1920-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Different Types of Analytical Skills<\/h2>\n<p>Analytical skills generally fall into one of six buckets which include data analysis, critical thinking, research, software, creativity, and communication. Here\u2019s what each sub-class entails.<\/p>\n<h4>Data Analysis<\/h4>\n<p>Whether you analyse data sets or quantitative information, these skills focus on your ability to used tried and accurate analysis methods. Examples of data analysis include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Auditing<\/li>\n<li>Big data analysis<\/li>\n<li>Credit analysis<\/li>\n<li>Financial analysis<\/li>\n<li>Interpreting survey results<\/li>\n<li>Market analysis<\/li>\n<li>Statistical tests<\/li>\n<li>SWOT analysis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#x1f525; Find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/search?q=data%20analysis\">data analysis roles<\/a> on Adzuna.<\/p>\n<h4>Critical Thinking<\/h4>\n<p>These skills refer to your ability to take what you\u2019ve observed and use it to develop solutions to existing problems. Typical examples of critical thinking skills include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Budget allocation<\/li>\n<li>Inductive reasoning<\/li>\n<li>Setting KPIs and objectives and key results<\/li>\n<li>Solution creation<\/li>\n<li>Strategy implementation<\/li>\n<li>Time management<\/li>\n<li>Troubleshooting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#x1f525; Find roles dependent on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/search?q=critical%20thinking&amp;w=South%20Africa\">critical thinking<\/a> skills on Adzuna.<\/p>\n<h4>Research<\/h4>\n<p>Analytic skills under this category highlight your ability to identify the information you need and where to find it. Examples of this skill include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A\/B testing<\/li>\n<li>Audience research<\/li>\n<li>Competitor research<\/li>\n<li>Data collection<\/li>\n<li>Forecasting<\/li>\n<li>Market research<\/li>\n<li>SEO research<\/li>\n<li>Surveying or interviewing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#x1f525; Find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/search?q=research&amp;w=South%20Africa\">research roles<\/a> on Adzuna.<\/p>\n<h4>Software<\/h4>\n<p>The software you use to perform analysis varies depending on which industry you\u2019re in. Here are a few examples of analytic software you might be familiar with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>IBM Cognos Impromptu<\/li>\n<li>Google Analytics<\/li>\n<li>Microsoft Excel<\/li>\n<li>QuickBooks<\/li>\n<li>Tableau<\/li>\n<li>SEMrush<\/li>\n<li>Facebook Analytics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#x1f525; Find roles dependent on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/search?q=analytic%20software&amp;w=South%20Africa\">analytic software competency<\/a> on Adzuna.<\/p>\n<h4>Creativity<\/h4>\n<p>Analytics seems like a field that resides within the proverbial box, leaving no room for creativity. But coming up with new, creative solutions is a critical element of an analyst\u2019s role. Here are some examples of creative analysis skills:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Brainstorming<\/li>\n<li>Data selection<\/li>\n<li>Data visualization<\/li>\n<li>Process creation<\/li>\n<li>Pattern spotting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#x1f525; Find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/search?cat=9&amp;loc=111145&amp;q=analytics\">creative analytical roles<\/a> on Adzuna.<\/p>\n<h4>Communication<\/h4>\n<p>When we refer to communicative analysis skills, it\u2019s about the ability to absorb and interpret information. Some examples of this skillset include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Active listening<\/li>\n<li>Analytical writing<\/li>\n<li>Translating technical information for a wider audience<\/li>\n<li>Reporting on findings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#x1f525; Find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/search?cat=9&amp;loc=111145&amp;q=analytical\">analytics roles based on strong communication skills<\/a> on Adzuna.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/online-3539412_1920.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2453\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/online-3539412_1920.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/online-3539412_1920.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/online-3539412_1920-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/online-3539412_1920-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/online-3539412_1920-1024x683.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>How Analytical Skills Can Help You Land a Job<\/h2>\n<p>Whenever you\u2019re looking for a new job, it\u2019s essential to identify the kind of skills the employer is looking for so you can highlight the correct type of skills on your application. Instead of telling potential employers about your research skills, always narrow things down to clarify the exact skills and experience you bring to the table. Besides listing your skills on a resume, you can also highlight them in your cover letter and mention them in the interview process. In case you&#8217;re not sure how to do this, here&#8217;s some help:<\/p>\n<h4>Highlight Your Skills on a Resume<\/h4>\n<p>List your most important skills in the skills section and reiterate them under bullet points as part of your past experience on your resume. List all the skills you possess as mentioned in the job description if you have experience with them. You can also include any other relevant skills that\u2019ll help you perform the role\u2019s responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve got a plethora of skills to list, especially if the role is analysis-heavy, consider creating a sub-section specifically for your analytical skills. Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Communication Skills:<\/em><\/strong><em> Technical Writing, Social Media Copywriting<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Analytical Skills:<\/em><\/strong><em> A\/B Testing, Data Visualization (Microsoft Excel), Google Analytics, Google AdWords. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>Showcase it On a Cover Letter<\/h4>\n<p>Your cover letter is a great place to draw attention to specific skills critical to the role you\u2019re applying for. While you need to highlight your skills, it is important to put down the most compelling evidence. Don\u2019t just put down \u2018analytical skills\u2019. Go ahead and tell a story about how you used them and the results you got by using them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s an example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>In my last position at Gold Inc, I conducted a budget analysis for the marketing department and found inefficiencies in spending. Many funds were spent on software that was rarely used or underused. My analysis and recommendations resulted in a 30% quarterly spending decrease, allowing the department to avoid retrenchments. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>Mention Them in the Interview<\/h4>\n<p>Consider ways of working your analytical skills into potential interview question answers. Be prepared for the interview, and make sure you\u2019re ready to share stories of how and when you\u2019ve used your skills in the past.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s a typical example of an answer to \u201cWhat\u2019s your greatest strength?\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>One of my greatest strengths is my problem-solving skills. At my previous job, for example, the marketing department had trouble meeting deadlines. I realized that the main factor slowing them down was the back-and-forth tweaks that were made to campaigns. To cut down on this, I came up with a comprehensive checklist for each campaign stage, which identifies any possible roadblocks before the campaign kicks off. Of course, this hasn\u2019t eliminated the problem. Still, it has dramatically reduced the time it takes to conceptualize a campaign through to the rollout, with almost 95% of campaigns now being completed within the original timeline. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/planning-4077086_1920.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/planning-4077086_1920.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/planning-4077086_1920.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/planning-4077086_1920-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/planning-4077086_1920-768x495.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/planning-4077086_1920-1024x660.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>In Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>As you can see, although analytical skills are critical for data scientists and math geniuses, they\u2019re helpful (and critical) for just about any role. So, if you\u2019ve ever worked with data before, you probably already have these skills in the bag. Now that you know how to showcase them, you can start browsing <a href=\"http:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/\">Adzuna\u2019s listings<\/a> right away!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Skills are super crucial for anyone looking for a new job. And you probably know that you need a good mix of hard skills, soft skills, and some tech skills to get recognised by potential employers. But a skill set that many of us overlook is analytical skills. As a matter of fact, many of<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/analytical-skills-how-to-use-them-in-your-job-hunt\/\"> Continued \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":2454,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[231,109,286],"tags":[471],"class_list":["post-2449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover-letter","category-cv","category-job-search","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}