Guest Contribution by Ethan Andrews

Preparation and practice both play an essential role in acing a data analytics interview. While your technical abilities and essential skills will be tested during the interview, managers will utilize the opportunity to ask questions to gain a more thorough understanding of your abilities and how you approach a problem.

Questions are most often centered on giving the interviewer a more thorough understanding and cognitive perception of the applicant’s skills.

The Groundwork

Knowing the company and understanding the fundamental questions you may be asked is a critical part of your groundwork. It is most likely that the interview questions will be centered on current, real-world issues that will typically affect the company.

Therefore, having knowledge of the company is vitally important. Information like their business model, direct & potential competitors and the challenges they face will provide you a firm foundation on which to base your interview preparation.

Taking time to prepare, presents the opportunity to practice your skills, which should include responding to potential questions and solving problems, much the same as preparing for a consulting case interview.

Center your practice around a real interview scenario, for example, solving problems in a limited amount of time. Choose problems that will allow you to apply your skills and practice solving real case data analytics interview questions. It is equally significant to stay informed of any industry changes and challenges.

( Also Read: How to Use Data Analytics In Recruitment )

Here are a few of the data analytics interview questions you can expect and the reasons they are asked to help get you started with your preparation.

1. How many X is purchased in Y …………?

   Problem-solving questions that require you to estimate extensive, multi-variable quantities of data are ordinary interview questions and give insight into your ability to approach complex problems, identify variables, and communicate your thinking and attention to detail.

2. What is your approach to working with messy data?

   The data an analyst has to work with is sometimes inconsistent, lacks structure and overall difficult to work with without cleaning the data. Data cleaning can require a substantial amount of time.

   Asking this question provides the interviewer an excellent understanding of how you will handle hurdles and your potential to manage tasks and work on your own.

3. What is the role of a data analyst?

   As basic as this question may sound, it serves a vital function and helps the interviewer understand your comprehension of data analysis. The interviewer will be looking to evaluate a number of factors.

   These include coverage of each step, allowing them the opportunity to gain valuable insight into your effective communication skills and understanding the data analytics role a skilled team member plays in the company.

4. Tell me about your most difficult data analytics project.

   While this specific question provides a broad base of valuable information, it will allow the interviewer the chance to gain insight into your problem-solving skills.

   They will be typically looking to adequately assess your effective communication skills and your creative ability to efficiently manage challenges. In notable addition, it presents an excellent opportunity for the interviewer to assess your teamwork skills.

   How you solve the problem will give the interviewer a useful glimpse at your business creativity and innovative abilities.

5. What approach do you universally adopt to efficiently handle an extremely challenging project in terms of pressure and stress?

   This fundamental question will provide the interviewer insight into your competency to work under pressure. How you efficiently address a challenging task is vital to the outcome.

   Staying levelheaded means you remain concentrated on the task and continue to think about and address the issue in a productive and inventive approach.