Every analyst resume lists SQL, Excel and a dashboard tool, so those words alone do not separate candidates. What separates them is the business question behind each piece of work: what someone needed to know, which data you used, what you found and what the team did with it. That is also what an interviewer will ask you to talk through.
The examples below are fictional. Replace every [bracketed] dataset, company and figure with your own.
Write analysis bullets as question, method, result
Data analyst resume experience (fictional)
[Data Analyst / Reporting Analyst], [Company] — [dates]
• Built a weekly [sales / churn / support] dashboard in [Power BI / Tableau] from [data source] for [team].
• Wrote SQL joining [number] tables to find why [metric] dropped in [period]; the team changed [process] as a result.
• Automated a manual Excel report with [Power Query / Python], saving about [hours] a week.
Entry-level: use a projects section
If you have not worked as an analyst yet, two or three projects with public data are strong evidence. Pick questions a business would care about, publish the notebook or dashboard, and explain your method in the README.
Analyst project entries (fictional)
[Project title] — Analysed [public dataset, e.g. city bike trips] to answer [question]. Tools: [SQL, Python/pandas, Tableau]. Finding: [one sentence]. [Link]
[Project title] — Built an Excel model of [topic] with [pivot tables / lookups]; documented assumptions in [link].
Skills: group them and be honest about level
- Querying: SQL (joins, window functions, CTEs), the database you used.
- Spreadsheets: Excel or Google Sheets (pivot tables, lookups, Power Query).
- Visualisation: Power BI, Tableau or Looker Studio.
- Programming: Python or R for analysis, only if you have used it on real data.
- Communication: presenting findings to non-technical teams, with an example in your experience.
What skills should a data analyst resume include?
SQL, Excel, one visualisation tool, basic statistics and communication, each backed by a project or work example. Add Python or R if you use them.
How do I write a data analyst resume with no experience?
Use two or three public-data projects with links, relevant coursework and any role where you worked with reports or spreadsheets.
Should I include certifications?
Yes, if they are relevant and complete, such as a vendor certification for the tool the job uses. Projects usually count for more.
See more analyst skills in the skills guide, compare the software developer resume template for technical roles, and build yours in the resume builder.