"Data is the new oil" or why the future belongs to data analytics

The volume of information generated by humans is increasing every year. By 2025, the volume of stored data will increase to 400 zettabytes (1 ZB ~ 1 billion GB). And all this data can and should be managed.Since the pandemic period hit small and medium-sized businesses, companies need to see a clear current situation and find ways to improve it. This is one of the main reasons why data analytics has become one of the most in-demand IT professions. According to labor market research on analysts, the demand for data analytics professionals significantly exceeds the supply.We learned about what the profession of the future looks like from an expert who, along with his team, processes up to 70 terabytes of information.Rashid TanirbergenIT entrepreneur, data analystAbout the professionData analysis dates back to Ancient Egypt. With the advent of writing, Egyptians analyzed numerical data to determine which day of the year to expect the flooding of the Nile and much more. This means that thousands of years ago, people learned to benefit from data analytics.And nowadays, a data analyst is someone who brings clarity. Every company has a large amount of data that lies dormant. On the one hand, a data analyst allows you to find "treasures" among these data deposits that will be useful for business. On the other hand, data analytics shows a holistic picture of the company, as interesting trends or problematic areas that were previously invisible are often hidden behind faceless numbers. It is very important that a company uses all its data as efficiently as possible.Areas of application and necessary skillsIt is difficult to find a field where the profession of data analytics is not applied. It is necessary for the financial sector, marketing, medicine, and many other areas. For example, the situation with coronavirus – how to assess how effective treatment or vaccination is? Data analysts analyze huge volumes of information to evaluate how much each of the new vaccines reduces the risk of illness and severe disease course.Immediately, the thought arises that perhaps this is a very complex area to study. The main difficulty for a data analyst is that he must be able to fully immerse himself in the field where he needs to analyze data and literally "be in the shoes" of specialists in that field, whether they are doctors, insurance agents, or marketers. Because the goal is not the data itself, but correctly identified, reasonable conclusions, for which expertise is needed.But above all, you need to have a clear mind. Because everyone sees numbers, but not everyone understands what lies behind them. It is precisely a clear mind, openness, and an unprejudiced view that help reveal the meaning of numbers and indicators. Of course, a successful data analyst must have an excellent mathematical background and understand how modern technologies work that allow working with such volumes of information.Platforms usedWe have a wide range of tools for working with data. In some cases, we use Oracle, and in others, the Postgres database. We also use MongoDB as a NoSQL database.I want to boast that our guys in the team successfully cope with a gigantic amount of information. In one of our projects, the size of data exceeds 70 terabytes, and all of this is text. In my opinion, this is one of the largest databases in Kazakhstan. And at the same time, this data does not lie dormant; it is actively and efficiently used in the daily lives of our clients and the entire country as a whole.About prospects

"Data is the new oil," which means "Data is the new oil."

And I think that says it all, because now the industrial era is coming to an end and a new era of data is beginning, where data analytics covers not only professional spheres but also everyday life. For example, fitness trackers that count the number of steps, calories burned by arm movement, they also analyze a large amount of data to display indicators. And there are many such examples; big data constantly surrounds us, it is everywhere.About further skill developmentI remember the rule of the Black Queen from the book "Through the Looking-Glass," which goes like this:

"It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. And if you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast!"

Data analytics is precisely the field where you need to run with all your might just to stay in place. And naturally, both I and my entire team devote a huge amount of time to self-development. Because if you stop for a short time, you are already behind all modern trends.I will devote my further development to improving hard skills, that is, developing competencies that allow studying modern tools for analyzing even larger amounts of data at a higher speed. Similar plans concern expanding expertise in adjacent fields: in finance, marketing, so that big data tools can be applied in various life situations, and so that these tools could bring maximum benefit to all people.If you already possess key IT skills and want to work on large projects in a cutting-edge company, we invite you to our cool team.You can look forward to constant development, tasks for professional growth, an advanced team, and many other perks.Check out the current vacancies; perhaps we are waiting for you! IT Analyst.NET Developer