Data is becoming increasingly important. As a result, people who understand data are in growing demand. Let's take you on a short 'deep dive' into the data & analytics job market in the Netherlands.
This week I saw it again in my LinkedIn feed: ‘The list of the 20 fastest-growing professions’. Don’t worry, I’m not going to list them here. But what stood out to me — and didn’t surprise me — was that the majority of these jobs revolved around data & analytics. At the same time, I still notice a lot of confusion around some of these roles. So maybe I can use this blog to clarify a few things about data roles in the job market.
'10 years ago, suddenly everything was Big Data…'
Reading the LinkedIn post made me think back to when we started our company DataJobs, about 10 years ago. Everything was ‘Big Data’, and kids in primary school no longer wanted to be pilots, professional vloggers, or doctors — they wanted to become data scientists. Many employers jumped on this trend and rebranded their ‘data analyst’ and ‘business analyst’ vacancies as ‘data scientist’ roles. Some organizations even capitalized on the hype by launching data science traineeships, often retraining people from unrelated backgrounds to become... you guessed it... data scientists. It’s all about marketing.
Big Data suddenly seems to have disappeared
And Big Data? That term is much less common nowadays. After all, it just means ‘a lot of data’, right? I also remember having many discussions — especially back then — with employers and data & analytics professionals about what actually does or doesn’t define a data scientist. I would usually explain that a data scientist is a specialist in advanced statistics and A.I. Typically, these are people with a Master’s degree (or PhD) in statistics or logic. On top of that, you also need to be a good communicator and a techie.
‘Someone who barely passed statistics in college probably won’t enjoy a role as a data scientist.’
I’d also tell them that someone who scored just above passing in statistics during college and has spent the past five years as a passionate Excel hobbyist probably won’t be very happy — or successful — in a role where statistics plays a central role.
Data scientist, analyst, or maybe even a data engineer?
So what exactly is a data analyst? It’s still one of the broadest job titles in the data field. Some data analysts mainly create Excel charts, while others write queries and apply regression models. In any case, a data analyst interprets and analyzes data to extract actionable insights and support decision-making. The context of the data — what kind of data is it? — is important in this role, because they often translate the data to the business side. So this is a role for people who enjoy working with the meaning behind the data. People who also have the interest and skills to communicate those insights across the company.
'Data analysts are driven by the meaning behind the data.'
And a data engineer? They build and maintain the infrastructure to collect, store, process, and deliver data to users. In this case, the context of the data is less important. It’s all about the system architecture: the data pipeline and the data platform. This role is best suited for technically driven individuals who don’t care as much about what kind of data is being used, but who take pride in building a smooth-running data machine. And if you’ve never touched a programming or scripting language before? Then this probably isn’t the role for you. That said, the data engineer role is a great entry point into the data & analytics field. With the right skills and interest, you can transition from this role into almost any other data & analytics job.
Old wine in new bottles
Of course, there are dozens of other data & analytics roles, and new ones pop up almost daily. I won't overwhelm you with all of them right now. If you're interested, you can find a full overview here. That said, we shouldn't be too distracted by all the complex (new) job titles. Because a lot of it is just old wine in new bottles.
‘Many new data & analytics jobs aren’t really jobs — they’re roles.’
Sure, there are many new technical possibilities. But a data scientist is still basically a blend of a statistical researcher and a programmer — two professions and skillsets that have existed since the 1980s (and long before that). And many of the new data & analytics jobs are not standalone jobs at all, but roles (often part of a broader job description).
Trends in data & analytics roles
Which data & analytics roles will take the spotlight this year? Personally, I expect the topics of ‘Data Governance’ and, related to that, ‘Data Security’ to become even more important — especially in the public sector. Think of roles like data management specialist, data steward, data quality specialist, or privacy officer. Due to regulations, there’s a growing focus on data availability, storage, and security. After a decade of pragmatic analytics, it seems it’s finally time to get the foundations in order. These roles will be critical in that transition.
‘After all the pragmatic analytics of the past decade, it’s (finally!) time to get the foundations right.’
Personally, I also find the data storyteller to be a great new data & analytics profession. A storyteller translates complex data into clear and engaging narratives to support insights and decisions. They play an important role in organizations that want to communicate their data insights in a compelling and effective way. Essentially, they serve up dry, boring data in juicy, bite-sized portions. Very important — because this is often lacking in the data field.
I hope I haven’t bored you with this short ‘deep dive’ into the data & analytics job market. I personally believe it’s crucial that HR professionals and recruiters stay up to date on the fields they are hiring for. First, to be a strong conversation partner for candidates and to select the right people. And second, because — in my experience — recruiting becomes a lot more fun once you really understand the field.
This article by Raymond te Veldhuis was previously published in the Dutch recruitment and labor market magazine Werf&