Data Analyst Interview - Help Required

shaz77_2

Hi All,

I have an interview for a Data Analyst position within a pharmaceuticals company and I will require some help in advance. I am required to complete an oral competency interview and undertake a skills test based on data and analytical exercise. I have to say this sounds a bit daunting, can anyone help?

Below is a little about the role I've applied for:

The main duties for the post holder are:

• To extract data from reporting systems and databases in a timely manner.
• From this data produce for the company accurate, timely and secure management information reports.
• To develop and implement Information Technology policies for data manipulation to support the wider business strategy.
• To coach, train and develop colleagues in the production and usage of the management information reports.
• To maintain the integrity of the information being held in the company database.
• To ensure produced reports comply with the corporate brand format.

• Other reasonable duties as required in order to fulfill the role


JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Providing accurate and appropriate management information within requested timescales.
• Keeping up to date with IT developments and assessing the impact on or appropriateness for CPNI data manipulation.
• Keeping abreast with service developments in community pharmacy.

JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent as demonstrated by previous experience and/or competence.
• Expertise in the use of SQL server technology and Report Builder functionality.
• Expertise in the use of Excel and Access programs.
• Expertise in formatting and presentation styles.
• Ability to integrate into high-performing result-driven individuals and teams.
• Demonstrate Information Technology knowledge or experience.

Doshwaster

What sort of background and experience to do have? Any pharmaceutical domain knowledge?

Chances are it will be to test that you can extract data from a database (SQL queries), organise, analyse and report the results. Pharma companies are horrendous for having loads of different data systems none of which talk to each other so you will need to show an understanding of bringing together data from heterogeneous sources.

Even if you haven't worked in the pharma industry before and don't come from science background, try to do some background reading on the company and their products. Interviewers love to see that people have done some research on what they do and why it is important.

shaz77_2

Doshwaster wrote: »

What sort of background and experience to do have? Any pharmaceutical domain knowledge?

Chances are it will be to test that you can extract data from a database (SQL queries), organise, analyse and report the results. Pharma companies are horrendous for having loads of different data systems none of which talk to each other so you will need to show an understanding of bringing together data from heterogeneous sources.

Even if you haven't worked in the pharma industry before and don't come from science background, try to do some background reading on the company and their products. Interviewers love to see that people have done some research on what they do and why it is important.

Good feedback, I'm from an insurance background where I'm an Analyst. I've got good Excel experience but little on Access and none on SQL. Is it possible to do a crash course online to prep myself? I've got one week to prepare.

szam_

shaz77 wrote: »

Good feedback, I'm from an insurance background where I'm an Analyst. I've got good Excel experience but little on Access and none on SQL. Is it possible to do a crash course online to prep myself? I've got one week to prepare.

SQL queries are a piece of cake and very easy to learn, the rest is up in the air, if you haven't dealt with databases before, you won't pick it up that quickly.

No harm in finding some resources online to try and learn as much as possible between now and then.

Cornucopia

You *might* just be able to learn the rudiments of Select statements (which are the core of SQL) in a week. That's probably the best use of your time.

http://www.w3schools.com/sql/


Access is huge, and if you don't have previous Database and/or development experience you will be starting from scratch.

On the positive side, I doubt very much that you will be sitting down to actual Excel, Access or SQL Server screens in your assessment. It's more likely to be a simplified training tool, or even a paper-based exercise.

szam_

Cornucopia wrote: »

You *might* just be able to learn the rudiments of Select statements which are the core of SQL in a week. That's probably the best use of your time.

http://www.w3schools.com/sql/


Access is huge, and if you don't have previous Database and/or development experience you will be starting from scratch.

On the positive side, I doubt very much that you will be sitting down to actual Excel, Access or SQL Server screens in your assessment. It's more likely to be a simplified training tool, or even a paper-based exercise.

For an analyst position I'd imagine they may ask you what the different joins are and how they work, how to select various information with various criteria from a table, which is the correct syntax for ordering data by columns, or correct syntax for inserting, updating or deleting rows... things like that.

In my opinion, these are definitely things I'd aim to know before an interview, kinda the "fundamentals".

I'd also probably learn about Primary and Foreign keys, that could be important too.

Edit: this is for SQL, I haven't used Access for a long, long time.

Cornucopia

Yes, I agree.

The W3CSchools site is quite good in that they have emulated the SQL environment in a series of "Try it Yourself" pages, which really work.

szam_

Cornucopia wrote: »

Yes, I agree.

The W3CSchools site is quite good in that they have emulated the SQL environment in a series of "Try it Yourself" pages, which really work.

Definitely, I started my current job knowing zilch about HTML, CSS and web based technologies at all, most of my training outside of the very basic stuff I did myself on the job using W3Schools for reference.

I'm a bit past W3Schools now, however. I use Stack Overflow mainly, but W3Schools is a brilliant resource starting out.

pmd123

when we recruit to data / information analyst posts we usually keep it quite basic, simple select statements, left joins, group by etc. it would then be a matter of pulling the data through into Excel and do a couple of V-lookups, a pivot table and a chart.

Quick question though, have you contacted them and asked what the test will cover, you may spend all your time learning SQL to find there is only a quick query and the rest is in Excel.

What is the salary? I ask as usually the more senior the role the more complex the test would be.

Good luck.

Zyx

As you do not have the experience doing tasks involved try to get the interviewer the impression you learn extremely quickly by giving examples.

shaz77_2

pmd123 wrote: »

when we recruit to data / information analyst posts we usually keep it quite basic, simple select statements, left joins, group by etc. it would then be a matter of pulling the data through into Excel and do a couple of V-lookups, a pivot table and a chart.

Quick question though, have you contacted them and asked what the test will cover, you may spend all your time learning SQL to find there is only a quick query and the rest is in Excel.

What is the salary? I ask as usually the more senior the role the more complex the test would be.

Good luck.

Are these paper based or system assessments? Could you provide an example question.

Salary is 20 - 25 based on experience and is in Northern Ireland.