What is a great school? What are its ideal characteristics? Are there parameters set to determine the quality of an educational institute? Is it always true that an institute is defined by its alumni? These questions may sound abstract and somewhat philosophical but you are going to find out very soon how important these questions are, especially if you are planning to join an analytics institute. Before we get on with the task of defining a great analytics institute, let us just take a look at the role that these institutes are playing at present.

Data analytics and why we need it

There are businesses that are eager to utilize the power of big data to improve their shot at success. There is data present in incredible amplitude. What they need is a mediator. A person who can navigate the data through the tools created for data analysis and find actionable insights for the businesses. Data holds the key to every problem. Be it optimizing power consumption, or maximizing the success rate of a critical operation, data analysis shows the light. Some areas where data analytics has made a real impact are

• Understanding customers and predicting their behaviour.
• Optimizing marketing strategy to reach the right people at the right time.
• Product recommendation
• Improving medical diagnosis
• Improving agricultural produce

The list can go on for pages. The variety of fields that are influenced by data analytics tells you that it is an all pervading aspect of business and life at large. 

Why you should get into analytics

As already mentioned, the field of analytics is ever expanding. It currently has more opportunities than most other fields. The salary is 15-25% more than IT jobs. There is ample scope for growth. As an analyst, you will have a strong foundation in data related skills, and coding skills. It will be easier for you to join a machine learning institute and upgrade your skill set with machine learning and AI skills than most newcomers. 

Why you cannot just get a university degree

Well, there is nothing that can stop you from getting a university certification by attending regular classes at a university if you are a fresh graduate without a job. But if you are a professional who does not have the luxury of quitting a job and attending classes at a university, things are bound to get hard for you.

Apart from that there are certain limitations in university courses. For one, you have no control over the pace of the course. The teacher would not slow down for you nor give you a push if you are ahead of your class. The course fees are high, and you end up learning way too much theory than you would need. The chance at hands on practice is low. Moral of the story, you might just end up in need of a professional course on top of a university degree before becoming actually job ready.

A great analytics institute

The curriculum

It is a place where you are not only prepared for a certain job but also for further education. A good institute focuses on the industry rather than the curriculum. The curriculum planners need a thorough understanding of the industry verticals. They should be able perceive the rise and fall of certain tools and technologies and be on their toes to make changes.

The faculty

The faculty should combine academic brilliance with industrial experience. They should be able to teach you the techniques while also giving you an exposition of different sides of the analytics industry which is at a burgeoning state.

Treatment of students 

The most important part that an institute plays other than training students is giving its students some conviction regarding the path they have chosen. If you have a talent in crunching numbers and recognizing new possibilities in front of every road block, your school should push you for excellence. Recognizing talent is a great part of a great institute. 

Last but not the least; a good school is defined by its attitude towards the comparatively weak students. A teacher that easily gives up on his or her pupil is not a teacher you should be looking for. 

To sum it up

If you are planning a career in analytics, you need to choose a good school. Whether you are attending an online course – the likely scenario in present times, or going to a physical classroom, make sure the environment suits you. The curriculum should give you confidence about diving into the industry, and the instructors should be able to boost you up for what is to come.