Careers for Analytical Thinkers

Choosing your career based on job security, expected salary, and future prospects is always a good idea. But at the same time, you shouldn’t overlook your individual personality, strengths, and weaknesses.

Being well-suited to a role is perhaps the most important consideration. It’ll allow you to achieve success naturally, and actually enjoy the work you do. Job satisfaction will feel effortless and you’ll stay motivated in the role for years to come.

Get it wrong and work will feel like a chore. You’ll have a natural resistance to daily tasks and need a high level of discipline and determination to keep going.

If you’re an analytical thinker in search of inspiration, we’re here to help. Continue reading to discover careers that are perfect for problem-solvers, and figure out how you can get started in your dream role. But first, let’s define an analytical thinker.

What is an Analytical Thinker?

Analytical thinkers have the ability to identify and define problems, extract crucial information from data, and develop workable solutions to these problems. They are highly logical and can see patterns, or cause-and-effect relationships in complex situations. Intuition and perception are common traits of analytical thinkers who gather information through testing and observation.

If you can identify with these qualities and prefer strategy and creativity over socializing and networking, chances are you’re an analytical thinker.

Careers for Analytical Thinkers

The good news is, as an analytical thinker you’re highly sought-after in the job market. From data science and finance to law and software development, there’s a wide range of career choices perfect for you. Companies recognize the importance of analytical thinkers and value their logical decision-making ability. Here are some excellent career options well-suited to analytical thinkers:

1. Accountant

This is one of the higher-paying jobs with top recruitment levels. As all businesses need to manage their finances, keep financial records, and prepare taxes, accountants are in high demand in just about every industry. If  you have an analytical mind, you’ll be great with logic and number  crunching. You’ll need to develop strong interpretive skills to handle financial data for clients. You’ll also need to be well organized and have solid attention to detail.

2. Data Scientist

Businesses are increasingly relying on data scientists to analyze big data to help make important business decisions. When it comes to data collection and interpretation, analytical thinkers are always going to be preferred. Their natural ability to digest information and find data-driven conclusions makes them perfect for the role. You’ll not only need to understand data. You’ll also need to present your findings to non-technical company stakeholders. If you can supplement your analytical skills with visualization, presentation, and communication skills you'll find huge success in this field.

3. Data Engineer

Data engineers work closely with data scientists to drive a business forward using big data. As companies collect huge amounts of information on a daily basis, talented data engineers are responsible for handling and processing this data. You’ll need strong analytical skills to build, transfer, and implement data systems. You might also be involved in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems. Some Python coding may be required and you’ll need to master data wrangling techniques, data pipeline processes, and cloud data to succeed as a data engineer.

4. Software Engineer

From smartphone apps and video games to professional business tools, the  software development space is booming. As an analytical thinker, learning to code should come naturally. You’ll excel in programming languages like C++, C#, Java, PHP, and Python. This will make you an invaluable asset to any software engineering company. Debugging  code, developing graceful solutions to complex problems, and optimizing  your programs for speed and memory usage are all tasks perfectly suited to analytical thinkers. You’ll also  need to be a strong team player as ambitious software projects require  large teams of developers to work together. You’ll need to be familiar  with GitHub and other collaboration tools.

5. Economist

If you like to crunch numbers, conduct research, and collect data, then you'll be a good fit for this role. You’ll be responsible for drafting business forecasts and monitoring trends on a range of different issues. This includes understanding energy data, inflation rates, exchange rates, tax legislation, employment numbers, and business market cycles.  If you decide to become an economist, you’ll enjoy excellent job prospects in a range of industries including manufacturing, international trade, education, agriculture, banking, and insurance.

6. Business Analyst

The main job of a business analyst is to critically examine business issues and provide workable solutions. As an analytical thinker, this role will allow you to shine. Working as a business analyst, you’ll  be expected to employ your skills to identify the issues that the  company is facing and come up with strategies to solve them.

7. Criminologist

Criminology involves the scientific study of crime and the responses to it. You'll work with the criminal justice system and lawmakers to develop action plans to prevent crime.  You’ll also be required to coordinate the skills and expertise of multiple professionals in a fixed amount of time. Since you’ll be working in a multi-disciplinary team, even though you won’t be expected to be an expert in all domains, you'll still need to grasp the intricacies of each discipline and extract the most relevant data. Criminology is an exciting and fast-moving field for anyone with strong analytical skills.

8. Cyber Security Analyst

Cybercrime  is on the increase. In today’s connected world, cybercriminals are finding new ways to steal sensitive data, deploy malware, and attack company computer systems.

As a cyber security analyst, you’ll be in charge of managing the digital security of a company. You’ll need to evaluate, plan, and implement security measures to protect IT infrastructure and data. If you’re an analytical thinker with a passion for tech, you'll find learning the required technical skills comes naturally.

Becoming an ethical hacker is one option. These professionals try to breach security systems using technical knowledge and code loopholes. You’ll need creativity and fast problem-solving skills to breach secure  networks. By actively trying to break a company’s security system, you  can identify and fix vulnerabilities and prevent a real-life cyber-attack.

You’ll need to master endpoint security, access control, vulnerability management, cyber operations, and incident response.

9. Financial Analyst

Financial analysts are responsible for understanding the finances of a business. They look at balance sheets, financial records, and cashflows to assess a company’s financial health. To make it in this field you’ll need strong analytical skills in SWOT analysis, financial modeling, advanced Excel formulas. Potential jobs in the financial space include financial planning analyst, accounting analyst, and quantitative analyst.

5 Traits of Analytical Thinkers

Having analytical capabilities comes with its own set of complementary skills that position you favorably for certain jobs. Some of the qualities of analytical thinkers which will prove advantageous in your career are as follows:

1. Highly Perceptive

Your  mind is geared towards taking a bird’s eye view of things which enables  you to consider the whole picture. This means that you’ll be able to visualize how parts of a project fit together. You’ll be in a better position to foresee and predict how minor changes and adjustments can affect the end result and make astute decisions.

2. Embrace Structure and Rules

Most analytical thinkers like to work in a well-organized way. They’ll probably be sticklers for rules and regulations. This bodes well for an individual working in a  large and reputed organization that usually follows strict adherence to  policies and procedures, enabling you to develop a favorable view for  yourself among the heads of the organization.

3. Well-Organized

Being well-organized doesn't only mean that you follow rules diligently. It also means that you’re going to be thorough in your work and never leave any stone unturned. If you develop a keen interest in an area, you’ll make sure you learn as much as possible about that field and become an expert. It’s this kind of professional that businesses are on the look-out for.

4. Always Prepared and Handle Risk Well

Given  the above two points, it is highly unlikely that you will be caught  off-guard by any problem or situation. Your preparedness and risk  aversion will help you ensure that you have predicted any potential  threats to the business and are already prepared with a plan of action. Analytical thinkers are known for spotting problems from a mile away and being ready to meet challenges head-on.

5. Logical and Fact-Based Decision Makers

Analytical thinkers are known for utilizing fact-based, hard evidence to support their decisions and plans. They arrive at their decisions after factoring every aspect of a situation and utilizing the best means of achieving the most optimal solution. Thus, their decisions are mostly found to be valid and able to be ascertained through facts.

How to Get Started in The Right Career Path  

To kickstart your dream career, you’ll need a structured education program to add in-demand skills to all that natural analytical ability. Consider enrolling in one of our online bootcamps to fast-track your learning. We offer courses in data science, software engineering, and financial analysis. Each program has been put together by leading experts to teach you career-ready skills and help you land a top tech job.

You can also check out our blog to learn about other new and exciting careers in the tech space.