I'm looking forward to introducing you to

some of the tools data analyst use each and every day. There are tons of options
out there. But the most common ones you'll
see analyst use are spreadsheets, query languages and visualization tools. And this
video is going to give you
a quick look at how these tools are being used by data analysts everyday. Believe
it or not,
I was several years into my accounting and finance career before I saw all
of these tools working together. At that point I was very
experienced with spreadsheets, and had worked in large data sets with some
of the traditional database programs. I had the foundational skill
set to use query languages, and I had dabbled in visualizations, but
I had never brought them all together. Then I got hired here at Google. And it was
so
eye-opening to come into a place like this with an abundance of
information everywhere you look. As an analyst at Google, the true power of
these tools became so much clearer to me. I became more focused on really
maximizing
everything these tools could do, streamlining my reporting and
just making my work simpler. All of the sudden, I had a lot more time
and space to dedicate to identifying new problems to solve and
driving decision-making. Without a doubt, once you've
learned the power of these tools, you will be well on your way to
becoming the best data analyst you can possibly be. All right, I hope that story
has you
even more motivated for this course. Let's get started with spreadsheets. Again,
there are lots of different
spreadsheet solutions, but two popular options
are Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. To put it simply, a spreadsheet is
a digital worksheet. It stores, organizes, and sorts data. This is important
because the usefulness
of your data depends on how well it's structured. When you put your data into a
spreadsheet,
you can see patterns, group information and
easily find the information you need. Spreadsheets also have some really useful
features called formulas and functions. A formula is a set of instructions
that performs a specific calculation using the data
in a spreadsheet. Formulas can do basic things like add,
subtract, multiply and divide, but they don't stop there. You can also use formulas
to find
the average of a number set. Look up a particular value, return the sum of a set of
values that
meets a particular rule, and so much more. A function is a preset command that
automatically performs a specific process or
task using the data in a spreadsheet. That sounds pretty technical,
I know, so let's break it down. Just think of a function as a simpler, more
efficient way of doing something
that would normally take a lot of time. In other words, functions can
help make you more efficient. Those are the spreadsheet basics for now. Later on,
you'll see them in action and
start working with spreadsheets yourself. The next data analysis tool
is called query language. A query language is a computer programming
language that allows you to retrieve and manipulate data from a database. You'll
learn something called
structured query language, more commonly known as SQL. SQL is a language that lets
data
analysts communicate with a database. A database is a collection of
data stored in a computer system. SQL is the most widely used structured
query language for a couple of reasons. It's easy to understand and works very
well with all kinds of databases. With SQL, data analysts can access
the data they need by making a query. Although query means question, I like
to think of it as more of a request. So you're requesting that
the database do something for you. You can ask it to do a lot of different
things such as insert, delete, select or update data. Okay, that's a top level look
at SQL. In a later video,
we'll explore it further and use SQL to do some really
cool things with data. Lastly, let's talk about
data visualization. You've learned that data visualization
is the graphical representation of information. Some examples include graphs,
maps, and tables. Most people process visuals
more easily than words alone. That's why visualizations are so
important. They help data analysts communicate their
insights to others, in an effective and compelling way. When you think about the
data analysis
process, after data is prepared, processed and analyzed, the insights are
visualized so
it can be understood and shared. This makes it easier for
stakeholders to draw conclusions, make decisions, and
come up with strategies. Some popular visualization
tools are Tableau and Looker. Data analysts like using Tableau because
it helps them create visuals that are very easy to understand. This means that even
non-technical users
can get the information they need. Looker is also popular with data
analysts because it gives them an easy way to create visuals
based on the results of a query. With Looker, you can give stakeholders
a complete picture of your work by showing them visualization data and
the actual data related to it. All visualization tools have great
features that are useful in different situations. Soon you will learn how to decide
which
tool to use for a particular job. And that's everything you need to
know about the data life cycle and the data analysis process. You'll get a chance
to
test out what you know, so you can feel confident moving
forward in this course. Feel free to take some time to
re-familiarize yourself with the concepts and when you're ready,
give it your best shot. If you're ever unsure of an answer,
you can always go back and review the videos and readings. Then you'll be ready to
move
on to the next set of videos, where we'll continue exploring the data
analytics tools you've already covered. And you'll get some really fascinating
insights into exactly how they work. Before long, you'll have the knowledge and
confidence to start using them yourself. Stay tuned.