Analytical skills

What are analytical skills, and why are they important in the workplace? Analytical skills
refer to the ability to collect and analyze information, problem-solve, and make decisions.
These strengths can help solve a company’s problems, and increase and benefit a
company’s productivity.

Here's information on why employers seek employees with these types of skills, as well
as a list of analytical skills that employers are looking for in resumes, cover letters, job
applications, and interviews.

Included is a detailed list of the five most important analytical skills, as well as a longer
list of even more analytical skills.

Also see below for a list of keywords related to analytical skills, which you can include in
your job application.

Why Employers Value Analytical Skills

Employers look for employees with the ability to investigate a problem and find a
solution in a timely, efficient manner.

To solve problems, employees need strong analytical skills. Hiring managers desire a
person who uses clear, logical steps and excellent judgment to understand an issue from
all angles before executing an action. Solutions can be reached by clear-cut, methodical
approaches or more creative and lateral angles, depending on the objective. Both of these
ways of solving a problem take analytical skills.

Analytical skills might sound technical, but we use these skills in everyday life through
detecting patterns, brainstorming, observation, interpreting data, integrating new
information, theorizing, and making decisions based on multiple factors and options
available.

These essential skills are required by employers for many different types of jobs in a
variety of fields, including business analytics, data architecture, data science, marketing,
project management, accounting, business development, programming, law, medicine,
and science.

How to Use Skills Lists

You can use these skills lists throughout your job search process.
Firstly, you can use these skill words in your resume. In the description of your work
history, you might want to use some of these key words.

Secondly, you can use these in your cover letter. In the body of your letter, you can
mention one or two of these skills, and give a specific example of a time when you
demonstrated those skills at work.

Finally, you can use these skill words in an interview. Make sure you have at least one
example for a time you demonstrated each of the top 5 skills listed here.

Of course, each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read
the job description carefully, and focus on the skills listed by the employer.

Also review our other lists of skills listed by job and type of skill.

Top Five Analytical Skills

Communication
Having strong analytical skills means nothing if you cannot share your analysis with
others. You need to be an effective communicator who can explain the patterns you see in
the data. Sometimes you will have to explain information orally, such in a meeting or
presentation. Other times, you will have to write a report. Thus, you need to have both
strong written and oral communication skills.

Creativity
Often, analyzing requires a creative eye to spot trends in the data that others wouldn’t
find.

Creativity is also important when it comes to problem solving. Employees often must
think outside of the box to come up with effective solutions to big problems.

Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is necessary for having strong analytical skills. Critical thinking refers to
evaluating information and then making a decision based on your findings. Critical
thinking is what helps an employee make decisions that help solve problems for the
company.

Data Analysis
No matter what your career field, being good at analysis means being able to examine a
large volume of data and find trends in that data. You have to go beyond just reading and
understanding information, to making sense of it, and finding patterns.
Research
Often, an employee has to first collect data or information before analyzing it. After all,
you must learn more about a problem before solving it.

Therefore, an important analytical skill is being able to collect data and research a topic.

Examples of Analytical Skills

A-G

 Analyzing
 Auditing
 Budgeting
 Calculating
 Computing
 Checking for accuracy
 Classifying
 Collect information
 Communication
 Comparing
 Compiling
 Cost analysis
 Counting
 Creativity
 Critical thinking
 Data analysis
 Data collection
 Decision making
 Deductive reasoning
 Diagnosis
 Evaluating
 Examining
 Financial management
 Financial analysis
 Financial recording

H-M

 Investigating
 Judgment
 Logical thinking
 Metrics
N-S

 Organizing
 Planning
 Prioritization
 Problem solving
 Qualitative analysis
 Quantitative analysis
 Research
 Reasoning
 Recording facts
 Research
 Reporting
 Resolution
 Surveying
 SWOT
 Synthesizing

T-Z

 Taking inventory
 Troubleshooting

Analytical Keywords
Keywords are an important component of a job application because hiring managers use
the words and phrases of a resume and cover letter to screen job applicants (often through
recruitment management software). By including words that the employer is looking for,
you are more likely to make it through to the next round of the hiring process.

Here is a list of analytical keywords for resumes, cover letters and job applications.

A-C

 Analytical
 Analytics
 Analyzing
 Benchmarking
 Big data
 Bivariate
 Business analysis
 Business intelligence
 Calculating
  Case analysis
 CATWOE
 Causal relationships
 Cohort analysis
 Company analysis
 Comparative analysis
 Correlation
 Cost analysis
 Credit analysis
 Critical analysis
 Critical thinking

D-I

 Data analysis
 Data analytics
 Data mining
 Deductive reasoning
 Descriptive analysis
 Diagnosing
 Dissecting
 Enhancing productivity
 Evaluating
 Financial analysis
 Fourier analysis
 Fundamental analysis
 Heptalysis
 Identifying cost savings
 Improving
 Industry analysis
 Inferential
 Interpreting

J-P

 Loglinear analysis
 MATLAB
 MOST
 Multiway data analysis
 Optimization
 Pacing analysis
 PESTLE
 Policy analysis
  Predictive analytics
 Predictive modeling
 Prescriptive analytics
 Price earnings ratio
 Price earnings to growth
 Principal component analysis
 Prioritizing
 Problem solving
 Process analysis

Q-Z

 Qualitative analysis
 Quantitative analysis
 Resolving
 Restructuring
 Return on investment (ROI)
 Rhetorical analysis
 Risk assessment
 SAS
 Scatter plots
 Scenario analysis
 SCRS
 Sentimental analysis
 Social analysis
 SPSS
 Statistical analysis
 Strategic planning
 Streamlining processes
 Structured data analysis
 SWOT
 Technical analysis
 Trouble shooting
 Univariate