Guides

How to Tailor Your Resume for a Data Analyst Job

A resume written for the specific data analyst posting is easier for a recruiter to say yes to than one written for every job. Here's how to tailor yours, honestly.

Words that often show up in Data Analyst postings

Every posting is different, so start with the one you're applying to. These terms come up a lot for this job; use the ones that are true for you, in the posting's exact wording.

• SQL
• Excel
• Tableau / Power BI
• Python or R
• dashboards
• data cleaning
• A/B testing
• presenting to stakeholders

Turn duties into proof

Recruiters skim. A bullet that says what you did, how much, and with what tools is easier to say yes to than a vague duty.

What to put first

Name the tools in your bullets, then who used your work and what decision it helped. Then reorder the bullets under each job so the ones that match this posting come first.

Don't stretch the truth

Only use a keyword where it's true. If the posting asks for something you don't have, leave it off and mention in your cover letter how you're building it. Claims that fall apart in an interview cost more than a missing keyword.

Interview questions to prepare for

• Tell me about an analysis that changed a decision.
• How do you explain a finding to someone non-technical?
• What do you do when the data looks wrong?

Answer with a short story: the situation, what you did, and what changed because of it.