About the job

Company Description

The Document Warehouse is Namibia’s premier archiving and document storage specialist
company. We offer electronic data management services utilizing the Intelligent Information
Management system, M-Files. Our services include archival and long-term storage of
documents and drawings, digital data storage, filing solutions, and secure destruction. We
also offer expertise in file plans, archival policies, and document storage solutions.

Role Description

This is a full-time on-site role located in Windhoek for a Data Analyst in our Digital
Solutions Department. In this role, you will work closely with the management team to
analyze data and create reports for internal and external stakeholders. You will need to have
experience and knowledge of data analysis, visualization, and programming. Additionally,
you will be responsible for creating dashboards and analytics tools that will help our team
make sound decisions.

Qualifications

 At least a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related

field.
 Experience in data analysis, data visualization, and programming.
 Proficiency in Microsoft Report Builder, PowerBI, SQL, and Excel for data analysis
and reporting.
 Understanding of database design, management, and optimization.
 Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
 Ability to work in a team-oriented and collaborative environment.
 Good time management, organization, and prioritization skills.

Data Analyst Interview

Questions and Answers
1. Can you share details about the most extensive dataset
you’ve worked with? What kind of data was included? How
many entries and variables did the dataset comprise?
How to Answer

Working with large datasets and dealing with many variables and columns
is essential for many hiring managers. You don’t need to reveal
background information about your projects or how you managed each
stage. Focus on the size and type of data.

Example Answer

The largest dataset I’ve worked with was a joint software development
project. It comprised over a million records and 600 to 700 variables. My
team and I needed to work with marketing data, which we later loaded
into an analytical tool to perform EDA.

2. Have you ever recommended switching to different

processes or tools as a data analyst? What was the result
of your recommendation?

How to Answer

Hiring managers must choose a data analyst who is knowledgeable and

confident enough to initiate a change that would improve the company’s
status quo. When discussing your recommendation, give as many details
as possible—including your reasoning. Even if your proposal was not
implemented, it demonstrates that you’re driven and strive for
improvement. This may not seem like an essential data analyst job
interview question, but the insights it reveals are vital for the prospective
employer.

Example Answer

Although data analysts typically handle data from non-technical

departments, I’ve worked for a company where colleagues who were not
on the data analysis side had access to data. This generated many cases
of misinterpreted data that caused significant damage to the overall
company strategy. I gathered examples and pointed out that working with
data dictionaries can do more harm than good. I recommended that my
co-workers depend on data analysts for data access. Once we
implemented my recommendation, the cases of misinterpreted data
dropped drastically.

3. How would you assess your writing skills? When do you

use a written form of communication in your role as a data
analyst?

How to Answer

Working with numbers is one of many aspects of a data analyst job. Data
analysts also need strong writing skills to efficiently present the results of
their analysis to management and stakeholders. If you think you could be
a better data storyteller, ensure you’re making efforts in that direction,
e.g., via additional training.

Example Answer

I can interpret data clearly and concisely. I’ve had plenty of opportunities
to enhance my writing skills through email communication with co-
workers and writing analytical project summaries for upper management.
And I’m constantly looking for further improvement in my writing skills.

4. Have you used both quantitative and qualitative data

on the same project?

How to Answer

Surveys have quantitative and qualitative questions, so merging those

two data types presents no challenge. Data analysts must use the
quantitative and qualitative data to conduct meaningful analyses. In other
cases, a data analyst must use creativity to find matching qualitative
data. When answering this data analyst interview question, discuss the
project requiring the most creative thinking.

Example Answer

I’ve performed a few analyses with qualitative survey data at my disposal.

But I realized I could enhance the validity of my recommendations by also
implementing valuable data from external survey sources. So, I used
quantitative data from our distributors for a product development project,
which yielded excellent results.

5. What is your experience in conducting presentations to

various audiences?

How to Answer

Employers are looking for candidates with brilliant analytical skills and the
confidence and eloquence to present their results to different audiences—
including upper-level management, executives, and non-technical co-
workers. Strong presentation skills are asked about even in entry-level
data analyst interview questions. When talking about the audiences
you’ve presented to, make sure you mention the following:

 Size of the audience

 Whether it included executives
 Departments and background of the audience
 Whether the presentation was in person or remote. (The latter can
be challenging.)
Example Answer

In my role as a Data Analyst, I’ve presented to various audiences made up

of co-workers and clients with different backgrounds. I’ve given
presentations to small and more significant groups. The largest so far has
been around 30 people—primarily colleagues from non-technical
departments. All these presentations were in-person, except for one
remote video conference call with senior management.

6. Have you worked in an industry similar to ours?

How to Answer

This question assesses if you have industry-specific skills and experience.

Even if you don’t, ensure you have the proper data analyst interview
preparation in advance, where you explain how you can apply your
background skills from a different field to benefit the company.

Example Answer

As a data analyst with a financial background, there are a few similarities

between this industry and healthcare. The most prominent one is data
security. Both industries utilize sensitive personal data that must be kept
secure and confidential. This leads to more restricted access to data and,
consequently, more time to complete its analysis. I’ve learned to be more
time efficient when passing through all the security. Moreover, I
understand how important it is to clearly state the reasons behind
requiring specific data for my analysis.

7. Have you earned any certifications to boost your career

opportunities as a data analyst?

How to Answer

Hiring managers appreciate candidates serious about advancing their

career options via additional qualifications. Certificates prove you’re eager
to master new skills and gain knowledge of the latest analytical tools and
subjects. While answering this question, list the credentials you’ve
acquired and briefly explain how they’ve helped you boost your data
analyst career. If you haven’t earned any certifications, mention the ones
you’d like to work towards and why.

Example Answer

I’m always looking for ways to upgrade my analytics skillset, so I recently

earned a certification in customer analytics in Python. The training and
requirements to finish it helped me sharpen my skills in analyzing
customer data and predicting the purchase behavior of clients.
Data Analyst Technical Interview Questions
A technical data analyst interview question assesses your proficiency in
analytical software, visualization tools, and scripting languages, such as
SQL and Python. You might be requested to answer more advanced
statistical questions depending on the job specifics.

1. What tools or software do you prefer using in the

various phases of data analysis and why?

How to Answer

Although you might think you need experience with as many tools as
possible to ace this question, this is not true. Each company uses specific
data analysis tools, so it’s expected that your expertise is limited to those.
Of course, if you’ve worked for many companies, you’re bound to have
exposure to a wider variety of analytical software. But the interviewer
wants to know which tools you feel comfortable with rather than how
many you’ve utilized.

Be ready to answer specific data analyst technical interview questions—

research to discover what tools are worth mentioning to the prospective
employer.

Example Answer

When it comes to data analysis tools, I’m a traditionalist. That’s why I find
Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access most useful. I feel
genuinely comfortable working with those; they’re available in almost
every company. Moreover, with the proper training, you can achieve
excellent results with them.

2. Have you created or worked with statistical models? If

so, describe how you’ve used them to solve a business
task.

How to Answer

As a data analyst, you don’t specifically need experience with statistical

models unless it’s required for the job you’re applying for. If you haven’t
been involved in building, using, or maintaining statistical models, be
open about it and mention any knowledge or partial experience you may
have.

Example Answer

I haven’t had direct experience building statistical models as a data

analyst. But I’ve helped the statistical department by ensuring they can
access and analyze the correct data. The model in question was created
to identify the customers most inclined to buy additional products and
predict when they would make that decision. My job was to establish the
appropriate variables used in the model and assess its performance once
it was ready.

3. Which step of a data analysis project do you enjoy the

most?

How to Answer

It's normal for a data analyst to prefer specific tasks over others. But
you’ll probably be expected to deal with all project steps—from querying
and cleaning through analyzing to communicating findings. So, don’t show
aversion to any of the above. Instead, use this data analyst interview
question to highlight your strengths. Focus on the task you like performing
the most and explain why it’s your favorite.

Example Answer

If I had to select one step as a favorite, it would be analyzing the data. I

enjoy developing a variety of hypotheses and searching for evidence to
support or refute them. While following my analytical plan, I sometimes
stumbled upon interesting and unexpected findings from the data.
There’s always something to be learned from the big or small data that
will help me in future analytical projects.

4. What’s your knowledge of statistics, and how have you

used it as a data analyst?

How to Answer

Data analysts should have basic statistics knowledge and experience.

That means you should be comfortable calculating mean, median, and
mode and conducting significance testing. In addition, you must be able to
interpret the above in connection to the business. If a higher level of
statistics is required, it will be listed in the job description.

Example Answer

I’ve used basic statistics in my work—mainly calculating the mean and

standard variances and significance testing. The latter helped me
determine the statistical significance of measurement differences
between two populations for a project. I’ve also determined the
relationship between two variables in a dataset, working with correlation
coefficients.

5. What scripting languages have you used in your

projects as a data analyst? Which one did you like best?
How to Answer

Most large companies work with numerous scripting languages. So, a

good command of more than one is a plus. Nevertheless, if you aren’t
familiar with the primary language used by the company you apply to, you
can still make a good impression. Demonstrate enthusiasm to expand
your knowledge and point out that your fluency in other scripting
languages gives you a solid foundation for learning new ones.

SQL for data analysts is like a chef’s knife for cooks—an essential tool that
requires skills to wield effectively. The same goes for Python. So, ensure
you have the knowledge to adequately demonstrate your expertise in this
domain.

Example Answer

I’m most confident in using SQL since that’s the language I’ve worked
with throughout my data analyst experience. I also have a basic
understanding of Python and have recently enrolled in a Python
programming course to sharpen my skills. So far, I’ve discovered that my
expertise in SQL helps me quickly advance in Python.

6. How many years of SQL programming experience do

you have? In your latest job, how many of your analytical
projects involved using SQL?

How to Answer

SQL is considered one of the easiest scripting languages to learn. If you

wish to be competitive in the job market as a data analyst, you should
demonstrate an excellent command of SQL. Even if you don’t have years
of experience, highlight how your skills have improved with each new
project.

Example Answer

I’ve used SQL in at least 80% of my projects for five years. Of course, I’ve
also turned to other programming languages for the different phases of
my projects. But, all in all, it’s SQL that I’ve utilized the most and consider
the best for most of my data analyst tasks.

7. Which Excel functions have you used regularly? Can you

describe how you’ve used Excel as an analytical tool in
your projects?

How to Answer

If you’re an Excel expert, listing all the functions you’ve used would be
difficult. Instead, highlight your advanced skills, such as working with
statistical functions, pivot tables, and graphs. If you have experience
utilizing the more challenging functions, hiring managers will presume you
have experience using the more basic ones. Prepare to tackle formidable
data analyst technical interview questions, so bring your A-game. Of
course, if you lack the background, it’s worth considering specialized
Excel training that will help you build a competitive skillset.

Example Answer

I’ve used Excel every day of my data analyst career in every phase of my
analytical projects. For example, I’ve checked, cleaned, and analyzed
datasets using pivot tables. I’ve also used statistical functions to calculate
standard deviations, correlation coefficients, etc. And the Excel graphing
function is excellent for developing visual summaries of the data.

I’ve worked with raw data from external vendors in many customer
satisfaction surveys. First, I’d use sort functions and pivot tables to ensure
the data was clean and loaded correctly. In the analysis phase, I’d
segment the data with pivot tables and statistical functions if necessary.
Finally, I’d build tables and graphs for efficient visual representation.

8. What’s your experience in creating dashboards? What

tools have you used for that purpose?

How to Answer

Dashboards are essential for managers because they visually capture KPIs
and metrics and help them track business goals. Data analysts are often
involved in building and updating dashboards. Some of the best tools for
this purpose include Excel, Tableau, and Power BI. When you talk about
your experience, outline the types of data visualizations and metrics you
used in your dashboard.

Example Answer

I’ve created dashboards related to customer analytics in Power BI and

Excel. I operated with pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, and tables to
visualize the data. That means I used marketing metrics, such as brand
awareness, sales, and customer satisfaction.

Behavioral Data Analyst Interview

Questions
To answer the behavioral data analyst interview question effortlessly,
you’ll need to recall details about how you handled specific challenges in
your work with stakeholders, coworkers, or clients.
1. As a data analyst, you’ll often work with stakeholders
who lack technical background and a deeper
understanding of data and databases. Have you ever been
in a situation like this, and how did you handle this
challenge?

How to Answer

Data analysts often need help communicating findings to co-workers from

different departments or senior management with a limited understanding
of data. This requires excellent skills in interpreting specific terms using
non-technical language. Moreover, it also demands extra patience to
listen to your co-workers' questions and provide answers in an easy-to-
digest manner. Show the interviewer that you can work efficiently with
people from different backgrounds.

Example Answer

In my work with stakeholders, it often comes down to the same challenge

—facing a question I don’t have the answer to due to limitations of the
gathered data or the database structure. In such cases, I analyze the
available data to deliver solutions to the most closely related questions.
Then, I give the stakeholders a basic explanation of the current data
limitations and propose developing a project that would allow us to gather
the unavailable data in the future. This shows that I care about their
needs and am willing to go the extra mile to provide them with what they
need.

2. Tell me about a time you and your team were surprised

by the results of a project.

How to Answer

When starting an analysis, most data analysts have a rough prediction of

the outcome rested on findings from previous projects. But there’s always
room for surprise, and sometimes the results are entirely unexpected.
This data analyst interview question lets you discuss the analytical
projects you’ve been involved in and allows you to demonstrate your
excitement about drawing new developments from your projects. And
don’t forget to mention the action you and the stakeholders took due to
the unexpected outcome.

Example Answer

While performing routine customer database analysis, I was astonished to

discover a customer subsegment that the company could target with a
new suitable product and a relevant message. That presented an
excellent opportunity for additional revenue for the company by utilizing a
subset of an existing customer base. Everyone on my team was
pleasantly surprised, and soon enough, we began devising strategies with
Product Development to address the needs of this newly discovered
subsegment.

3. Why do you think creativity is essential for a data

analyst? How have you used creative thinking in your
work?

How to Answer

A data analyst is typically known as a professional with a technical

background and excellent math and statistical skills. But even though
creativity is not the first data analyst quality that comes to mind, it’s still
essential in developing analytical plans and visualizations and finding
unorthodox solutions to data issues. So, provide an answer with examples
of your out-of-the-box thinking.

Example Answer

Creativity can make all the difference in a data analyst’s work. It has
helped me find intriguing ways to present analysis results to clients and
devise new data checks that identify issues leading to anomalous results.

4. What are the most critical skills a data analyst should

possess to work efficiently with team members with
various backgrounds, roles, and duties?

How to Answer

This is one of the most essential data analyst interview questions that can
make or break it for you. Remember that the hiring manager wants to
hear something more than “communication skills.” Think of an approach
you’ve used as a data analyst to improve the quality of work in a cross-
functional team.

Example Answer

The role of a data analyst goes beyond explaining technical terms in non-
technical language. I always strive to gain a deeper understanding of the
work of my colleagues so that I can bridge my explanation of statistical
concepts to the specific parts of the business they deal with and show
how these concepts relate to the tasks they need to solve.

5. Which soft skills are essential for a data analyst and

why?

How to Answer
Soft (non-technical) skills are vital for working efficiently with others and
maintaining high performance. As with most professions, data analysts
should know how their behavior and work habits affect their team
members. Therefore, base your answer on past work experience and
highlight an essential soft skill you have developed.

Example Answer

Leadership skills are one of the primary soft skills a data analyst should
develop. Leadership means taking action to guide and help your team
members. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be in a managerial
position. In my work, leadership would translate into providing expert
insights regarding company data and its interpretation—a skill I’ve worked
hard to develop over the years. Being confident in my abilities has
established me as a leading figure in my area, and my team members
know they can rely on my expertise.

Data Analyst Interviews Questions:

Brainteasers
Interviews for analytical and technical positions often include brainteasers
that evaluate how you apply logic, critical thinking, and creativity under
pressure.

1. Suppose a car travels 60 miles at an average speed of

30 mph. How fast does the car need to travel on the way
back on the same road to average 40 mph for the entire
trip?

You need to create the following equation. The total distance that needs
to be traveled both ways is 120 miles. The average speed that we need to
maintain is 40 mph; therefore, the car will travel for 3 hours—e.g.:

120 miles40 mph=3 hours

The car has already traveled for two hours:

60 miles30 mph=2 hours

The distance is 60 miles. So, the car must travel at 60 mph for only 1 hour
on the way back.

2. Identify the next number in the following sequence: 2,

6, 12, 20, ….

The first number in the sequence is 2.

The second number is 6, which is obtained by summing the previous
number (2) with the addend 4.

The third number in the sequence is 12, obtained by taking the sum of the
previous number (6) with the addend from the previous step increased by
2. That is:

6+(4+2)=6+6=12

The fourth number is 20, calculated analogously by taking the sum of the
previous number in the sequence and the addend from the last step
increased by 2, namely:

12+(6+2)=12+8=20

If we continue this pattern—adding a number that increases by 2 with

each step (4, 6, 8, ...) —the next addend would be 8 + 2 = 10. Therefore,
to find the fifth number in the series, add 10 to the fourth number in the
sequence: 20 +10 = 30.

20+(8+2)=20+10=30

So, the next number in the series is 30.

3. We can easily express the number 30 with three fives as

follows: 5 х 5+5. Can you express 30 using other three
identical numbers?

Example solutions:

6×6 –6=30

33 + 3 = 30

33 –3=30

Data Analyst Interview Questions and

Answers: Guesstimates
Guesstimates can be critical in picking the right candidate for a data
analyst job because they assess your problem-solving abilities, confidence
with numbers, and how you handle different scenarios.

1. What is the monthly profit of your favorite restaurant?

With such data analyst job interview questions, employers test your ability
to think independently. Choose a small family restaurant (not a chain),
making calculations more manageable. Then define the main aspects of
the restaurant—e.g.:

 Days of the week open

 Number of tables and seats
 The average number of visitors during lunchtime and dinner
 The average expenditure per client during lunch and dinner

Suppose the restaurant is open six days a week (closed on Mondays)—i.e.,

it’s open 25 times per month during lunch and dinner. It’s a small family
restaurant with around a 60-seat capacity. On average, 30 customers visit
the restaurant at lunchtime and 40 for dinner. The typical lunch menu
costs 10 euros and 20 euros for dinner. Therefore, they can garner the
following revenues:

25 (days)×30 (customers)×10 (EUR)=7,500 EUR (lunch)

25 (days)×40 (customers)×20 (EUR)=20,000 EUR (dinner)

The restaurant can attain 27,500 euros in sales. Moreover, the owner, his
wife, and four others work there. The three waiters make 2,000 euros
each, and the chef makes 3,000—including social security contributions.
So, the cost of personnel is 9,000 euros.

Food and drinks cost around one-third of the overall amount of sales.
Therefore, the cost of goods sold amounts to 9,125 euros. Utility and other
expenses are another 10%, which gives us an additional cost of 2,750
euros. The owners don’t pay rent because they own the restaurant. After
calculations, the restaurant (before taxes) brings in a monthly profit of
6,625 euros.

2. Estimate the total number of hours spent on social

media by all users worldwide in a single day.

For this estimate, let's take the world’s population to be 8 billion people.
Out of those, assume that people between the ages of 12 and 65 use
social media which we can approximate to account for 70% of the
population. Let’s remove 10% more to account for people who either don’t
have access to social media or have decided to not use one.

This would total to around 4.5 billion people regularly using social media.
Next, we need to estimate the average time an individual spends on social
media daily. This can vary widely by region, age group, and other factors.
Averaging all those factors out, we can assume the average person
spends about 2.5 hours per day on social media. Now, we multiply the
total number of users by the average time spent:

4.5×109×2.5≈11×109
Therefore, the estimated total number of hours spent on social media by
all users worldwide in a single day, based on these assumptions, is 11
billion.

Data Analyst Interview Questions and

Strategies from Prominent Companies
You can also gain insights into data science hiring processes by
understanding how four of the world’s most prominent companies conduct
data analyst interview questions and strategies.

Netflix

Netflix conducts two detailed phone interviews with a recruiter and a

hiring manager. Two onsite interviews are also given with around four
data analyst team members. So, you can expect plenty of analytical,
statistical (mostly A/B testing), and SQL programming and stats principles
questions. You’ll likely be asked to analyze an assumed problem and
identify key product management metrics. The second interview is with
higher-level executives, with questions typically centered around the
candidate’s background and professional experience.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s interview process for hiring data analysts doesn’t differ much
from other companies. They conduct phone screen interviews with SQL
and Python questions and four to five onsite interviews. About half of the
questions focus on advanced analytics, while the rest aim to assess your
coding skills and statistical knowledge—e.g., Simpson’s paradox. Many
data analyst interview questions are product-related and require a
product mindset and quick thinking. You may also encounter inquiries
about data applications and recommenders they use in their product.

Google

Google’s data analyst interview process is relatively standard, with one or

several phone screen interviews followed by onsite interviews. (Google
has a guide for the technical part of the interview process that you can
check out here.) The first phone screen is typically centered around
technical data analyst questions. (Some candidates were also given an
online SQL test.) Four to six people conduct the onsite interviews. All
interviewers keep their notes confidential, so the possibility of bias in the
interviewers’ feedback is low. The next step is to send the written
feedback to a hiring committee, which then recommends it to Google
executives for approval. Google’s hiring process can take longer than
expected, so don’t hesitate to politely request a status update if a week or
more has passed.
Tesla

While Tesla’s data analyst interview questions may vary slightly among
departments, the core requirements remain the same. Initially, you’ll
receive a call from human resources to discuss your work experience and
motivation. A second phone screen with a hiring manager may require
you to answer technical questions about Python and SQL. You might also
need to complete a 90-minute online SQL test, followed by a live Python
test that lasts about an hour, where you’ll need to code in CoderPath.

If you get shortlisted, you'll attend an onsite panel interview, during which
several senior members will ask back-to-back questions. The interview
process can be lengthy, taking a few weeks to complete. Prepare to talk
about your prior work experience and challenges—along with hands-on
technical matters regarding optimization, SQL, Python, Tableau, and
various scenarios of data wrangling. In this final rapid-fire round, you must
demonstrate your knowledge, creativity, and ability to work in a team and
under pressure. And while it's good to be patient, following up on your
application might demonstrate your interest in the position.

How to Make an Impression in the Data

Analyst Interview
Answering data analyst interview questions may initially be stressful. Take
a page from our playbook if you feel challenged in the confidence
department. Consider what we look for (and tips) when hiring expert data
analysts to develop our 365 courses:

 Be a good listener; pay attention to every word in the questions.

 Make sure your explanations are clear and reflect your thought
process.
 Be open to receiving feedback, signifying you're a solid team player.
 Communicate (verbally and non-verbally) a positive attitude,
demonstrate professionalism, and be confident in your abilities.
 Mind your tone of voice and gestures.

Data Analyst Interview Questions and

Answers 2024: Overview
Lastly, if you don’t land the data analyst job, learn from your experience.
Try performing mock data analyst interviews with a friend or colleague.
Include the challenging data analyst interview questions you couldn’t
answer and find a solution together. This will make you feel more self-
assured in data analyst job interview questions. As Mark Meloon advises,
"Chase fewer jobs but do a better job on them and do a post-mortem
afterward so you can learn."
Good things happen when you consistently stay organized in your data
analyst job search.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

2. What do data analysts do?

What they’re really asking: Do you understand the role and its value to
the company?

If you’re applying for a job as a data analyst, you likely know the basics of
what data analysts do. Go beyond a simple dictionary definition to
demonstrate your understanding of the role and its importance.

Outline the main tasks of a data analyst: identify, collect, clean, analyze,
and interpret. Talk about how these tasks can lead to better business
decisions, and be ready to explain the value of data-driven decision-
making.

An interviewer might also ask:

 What is the process of data analysis?

 What steps do you take to solve a business problem?
 What is your process when you start a new project?

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3. What was your most successful/most challenging data

analysis project?

What they’re really asking: What are your strengths and weaknesses?

When an interviewer asks you this type of question, they’re often looking
to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses as a data analyst. How do you
overcome challenges, and how do you measure the success of a data
project?

Getting asked about a project you’re proud of is your chance to highlight

your skills and strengths. Do this by discussing your role in the project and
what made it so successful. As you prepare your answer, take a look at
the original job description. See if you can incorporate some of the skills
and requirements listed.

If you get asked the negative version of the question (least successful or
most challenging project), be honest as you focus your answer on lessons
learned. Identify what went wrong—maybe your data was incomplete or
your sample size was too small—and talk about what you’d do differently
in the future to correct the error. We’re human, and mistakes are a part of
life. What’s important here is your ability to learn from them.

An interviewer might also ask:

 Walk me through your portfolio.

 What is your greatest strength as a data analyst? How about your
greatest weakness?
 Tell me about a data problem that challenged you.

4. What’s the largest data set you’ve worked with?

What they’re really asking: Can you handle large data sets?

Many businesses have more data at their disposal than ever before. Hiring
managers want to know you can work with large, complex data sets.
Focus your answer on the size and type of data. How many entries and
variables did you work with? What types of data were in the set?

The experience you highlight doesn't have to come from a job. You’ll often
have the chance to work with data sets of varying sizes and types as a
part of a data analysis course, bootcamp, certificate program, or degree.
As you put together a portfolio, you may also complete some independent
projects where you find and analyze a data set. All of this is valid material
to build your answer.

An interviewer might also ask:

 What type of data have you worked with in the past?

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Data analysis process questions

The work of a data analyst involves a range of tasks and skills.
Interviewers will likely ask questions specific to various parts of the data
analysis process to evaluate how well you perform each step.

5. Explain how you would estimate … ?

What they’re really asking: What’s your thought process? Are you an
analytical thinker?

With this type of question (sometimes called a guesstimate), the

interviewer presents you with a problem to solve. How would you estimate
the best month to offer a discount on shoes? How would you estimate the
weekly profit of your favorite restaurant?

The purpose here is to evaluate your problem-solving ability and overall

comfort working with numbers. Since this is about how you think, think
out loud as you work through your answer.

 What types of data would you need?

 Where might you find that data?
 Once you have the data, how would you use it to calculate an
estimate?

6. What is your process for cleaning data?

What they’re really asking: How do you handle missing data, outliers,
duplicate data, etc.?

As a data analyst, data preparation, also known as data cleaning or data

cleansing, will often account for the majority of your time. A potential
employer will want to know that you’re familiar with the process and why
it’s important.

In your answer, briefly describe what data cleaning is and why it’s
important to the overall process. Then walk through the steps you
typically take to clean a data set. Consider mentioning how you handle:

 Missing data
 Duplicate data
 Data from different sources
 Structural errors
 Outliers

An interviewer might also ask:

 How do you deal with messy data?

 What is data cleaning?

7. How do you explain technical concepts to a non-

technical audience?

What they’re really asking: How are your communication skills?

While drawing insights from data is a critical skill for a data analyst,
communicating those insights to stakeholders, management, and non-
technical co-workers is just as important.

Your answer should include the types of audiences you’ve presented to in

the past (size, background, context). If you don’t have a lot of experience
presenting, you can still talk about how you’d present data findings
differently depending on the audience.

An interviewer might also ask:

 What is your experience conducting presentations?

 Why are communication skills important to a data analyst?
 How do you present your findings to management?

Tip: In some cases, your interviewer might not be involved in data

analysis. The entire interview, then, is an opportunity to demonstrate your
ability to communicate clearly. Consider practicing your answers on a non-
technical friend or family member.
8. Tell me about a time when you got unexpected results.

What they’re really asking: Do you let the data or your expectations
drive your analysis?

Effective data analysts let the data tell the story. After all, data-driven
decisions are based on facts rather than intuition or gut feelings. When
asking this question, an interviewer might be trying to determine:

 How you validate results to ensure accuracy

 How you overcome selection bias
 If you’re able to find new business opportunities in surprising results

Be sure to describe the situation that surprised you and what you learned
from it. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your natural curiosity and
excitement to learn new things from data.

9. How would you go about measuring the performance of

our company?

What they’re really asking: Have you done your research?

Before your interview, be sure to do some research on the company, its

business goals, and the larger industry. Think about the types of business
problems that could be solved through data analysis, and what types of
data you’d need to perform that analysis. Read up on how data is used by
competitors and in the industry.

Show that you can be business-minded by tying this back to the company.
How would this analysis bring value to their business?

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Technical skill questions

Interviewers will be looking for candidates who can leverage a wide range
of technical data analyst skills. These questions are geared toward
evaluating your competency across several skills.

10. What data analytics software are you familiar with?

What they’re really asking: Do you have basic competency with

common tools? How much training will you need?

This is a good time to revisit the job listing to look for any software
emphasized in the description. As you answer, explain how you’ve used
that software (or something similar) in the past. Show your familiarity with
the tool by using associated terminology.

Mention software solutions you’ve used for various stages of the data
analysis process. You don’t need to go into great detail here. What you
used and what you used it for should suffice.

An interviewer might also ask:

 What data software have you used in the past?

  What data analytics software are you trained in?

Tip: Gain experience with data analytics software through a Guided

Project on Coursera. Get hands-on learning in under two hours, without
having to download or purchase software. You’ll be ready with something
to talk about during your next interview for analysis tools like:

Power BI Desktop

Python

Google Sheets

Tableau

Microsoft Excel

MySQL

11. What scripting languages are you trained in?

As a data analyst, you’ll likely have to use SQL and a statistical

programming language like R or Python. If you’re already familiar with the
language of choice at the company, you’re applying to, great. If not, you
can take this time to show enthusiasm for learning. Point out that your
experience with one (or more) languages has set you up for success in
learning new ones. Talk about how you’re currently growing your skills.

Interviewer might also ask:

 What functions in SQL do you like most?

 Do you prefer R or Python?

Five SQL interview questions for data analysts

Knowledge of SQL is one of the most important skills you can have as a
data analyst. Many interviews for data analyst jobs include an SQL
screening where you’ll be asked to write code on a computer or
whiteboard. Here are five SQL questions and tasks to prepare for:

1. Create an SQL query: Be ready to use JOIN and COUNT functions to

show a query result from a given database.

2. Describe an SQL query: Given an SQL query, explain what data is

being retrieved.

3. Modify a database: Insert new rows, modify existing records, or

permanently delete records from a database.

4. Debug a query: Correct the errors in an existing query to make it

functional.

5. Define an SQL term: Understand what terms like foreign and primary
key, truncate, drop, union, union all, and left join and inner join mean (and
when you’d use them).

Learn more: 5 SQL Certifications for Your Data Career

12. What statistical methods have you used in data

analysis?

What they’re really asking: Do you have basic statistical knowledge?

Most entry-level data analyst roles will require at least a basic

competency in statistics and an understanding of how statistical analysis
ties into business goals. List the types of statistical calculations you’ve
used in the past and what business insights those calculations yielded.

If you’ve ever worked with or created statistical models, be sure to

mention that as well. If you’re not already, familiarize yourself with the
following statistical concepts:

 Mean
 Standard deviation
 Variance
 Regression
 Sample size
  Descriptive and inferential statistics

An interviewer might also ask:

 What is your knowledge of statistics?

 How have you used statistics in your work as a data analyst?

13. How have you used Excel for data analysis in the past?

Spreadsheets rank among the most common tools used by data analysts.
It’s common for interviews to include one or more questions meant to
gauge your skill working with data in Microsoft Excel.

Five Excel interview questions for data analysts

Here are five more questions specific to Excel that you might be asked
during your interview:

1. What is a VLOOKUP, and what are its limitations?

2. What is a pivot table, and how do you make one?

3. How do you find and remove duplicate data?

4. What are INDEX and MATCH functions, and how do they work together?

5. What’s the difference between a function and a formula?

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14. Explain the term…

What they’re really asking: Are you familiar with the terminology of
data analytics?

Throughout your interview, you may be asked to define a term or explain

what it means. In most cases, the interviewer is trying to determine how
well you know the field and how effective you are at communicating
technical concepts in simple terms. While it’s impossible to know what
exact terms you may be asked about, here are a few you should be
familiar with:

 Normal distribution
 Data wrangling
 KNN imputation method
  Clustering
 Outlier
 N-grams
 Statistical model

15. Can you describe the difference between … ?

Similar to the last type of question, these interview questions help

determine your knowledge of analytics concepts by asking you to
compare two related terms. Some pairs you might want to be familiar with
include:

 Data mining vs. data profiling

 Quantitative vs. qualitative data
 Variance vs. covariance
 Univariate vs. bivariate vs. multivariate analysis
 Clustered vs. non-clustered index
 1-sample T-test vs. 2-sample T-test in SQL
 Joining vs. blending in Tableau