Excel, SQL, and Power BI are the three tools that are essential to learn in case you want to become a data analyst in 2025. These are not bonus skills but center-stage skills.
A career in data is prestigious and rewarding and the only way to go about this is by mastering these tools even as a student, fresher or even working professional contemplating amending careers. The most amazing thing about it? You do not have to have the knowledge of coding to start.
Why the Tools are So Important
All companies today have data, sales, customers, operations, etc. Data in itself is, however, useless unless someone can bring it out, identify trends and make something out of it. That is where data analysts enter the picture. And that job requires them to use Excel, SQL and Power BI.
- Excel is useful to make rapid analysis, sorting, and small reports.
- SQL is employed in data extraction and subsequently cleaning of data in databases.
- Power BI visualizes raw information into dashboards and reports that are pleasing to the eyes.
- Knowing how to work with all three makes you employable in a company because you can take the data all the way to its end.
Excel Skills That Every Analyst Must Know
There are still thousands of Indian offices where Excel remains one of the most popular tools. To be a data analyst, more than simple formulas are needed.
This is what you need to know:
- Expert Formulas such as IF, VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP and INDEX-MATCH to search and compare data.
- To summarize large data in a short time, use Pivot Tables.
- The Data Cleaning functions such as TRIM, Remove Duplicates, and Text to Columns.
- Conditional Format that will make trends or red flags.
- Drop-Downs and validation of inputs.
- Through Excel Dashboards, you can easily have all your data in one place and in a form that is readable.
They are common tools that analysts use in reports, tracking, and sharing.
The Skills You Need to Know
Databases are spoken in SQL (Structured Query Language). This is where all the information of the companies are stored – and as a data analyst, you would have to access and filter data.
The most important SQL skills to pay attention to:
- Elementary Questions with SELECT, WHERE and ORDER BY
- The use of BY + Aggregates that are used to calculate totals and averages
- JOINS to use the availability of multiple tables and databases
- Subqueries and Statements to deal with real world logic
- Dealing with SQL Data Cleaning – correcting formats, eliminating errors and other problems
- Wide functions that give advanced analytics such as ranking and running totals
- The ability to know SQL is tested during most job interviews and therefore it should be practised regularly.
Skills In PowerBI That Get You Noticed
Power BI is the data to story tool by Microsoft. Rather than displaying rows of numbers, you create dashboards that will be comprehendible and usable by teams.
Things that you must learn in Power BI:
- Power Query Importation and Cleaning Data
- Dashboard creation to consist of charts, graphs, slicers and filters
- Coming up with Measures and Calculated Fields with the help of DAX
- Transforming Reports to the Interactive Stage and enable the user to investigate the data by himself/herself
- Sending Reports to the teams and installing auto-refresh
- Being knowledgeable about Power BI puts you in a different league because you are both capable of explaining and discovering.
The Combination of All These Skills in Real Work
The way it goes most of the time:
- SQL to draw actual data out of a database
- You sort or polish that data with excel
- In Power BI, you present your results
- This is the procedure that most of the companies follow. This is the reason why the knowledge of all three tools prepares you to work on day one.
What Hiring Managers Require in 2025
It is not people with degrees that companies are after but people with a problem solving ability. Knowing how to operate Excel, SQL and Power BI, and being able to use them even in real-life projects can give you a great advantage.
Almost any job listing in the field of data analysts in India will refer to these three tools. To get selected and hired and to get paid more, it is better to know them well.
Are These Skills Something You Can Easily Pick Up Without Any Tech Knowledge?
Yes. There is no prerequisite of being a computer science or engineering student. Most data analysts have a BBA, BCom background, economist or even arts background. These are business-user based tools and not tech tools.
Our courses have simplified beginner courses in Excel, SQL and Power BI with practical aspects to ensure you develop the skills with which you can maintain. This way, you will have practical projects, and the course will award a certificate to enhance your resume further.
Final Thoughts
In 2025, businesses will need data analysts more than ever, and in order to be one, one is required to be strong in Excel, SQL, and Power BI. These are tools to clean and analyze data as well as present them in a coherent manner which is exactly what businesses require.
The following are the skills you should develop to make a career in data. They are practical, employment oriented and easy when learned with proper guidance. And when you have them in place, you will be prepared to enjoy one of the fastest-growing career ways in India.
Take a look at how IFDA helps you to have a great career by delivering the best content and practice.
