If data is the new oil or soil or whatever the latest description is, then this book is the receptacle to collect that oil, observe it and then pour it somewhere useful and get great value from it.

I just wish when I stumbled into my data career, from my original golden choice of an actuarial career, I could have had a comprehensive view of what I was letting myself in for. After all, data is a journey not a destination!

Who knew that massively open online courses (MOOCs) would become a thing and actually could be vital for your progression in the data and analytics profession? You will read all about it in Chapter 5 of this book.

The world needs data analysts, to work with business people to better define problems and to deliver insight – not just a bunch of spreadsheets with no explanation. Whilst I have often thought we analysts were numbers people, this book has made me realise we also need to be words people too.

Perhaps you’ve completed a bit of data analysis at university but almost certainly with a small, clean data set with no outliers and a receptive audience ready for your nuggets of insight. Well, make sure you read to the end of Chapter 6 and you’ll realise what life as a data analyst is really like. Not the bed of roses you may have thought, but trust me it will be rewarding.

Graeme McDermott,
Chief Data Officer, Addison Lee