Q&A talks about big data and the skills needed to mine it with Gary Sacks, metro market manager, Robert Half Technology.
Q: According to a survey from Robert Half Technology, 76 percent of chief information officers said their companies don’t presently gather customer data such as demographics or buying habits. That seems pretty basic. Why wouldn’t companies gather this information?
A: While collecting and leveraging customer data can be extremely useful, some firms may not do so due to the cost or the challenge of finding highly-trained individuals in a competitive environment. Some smaller firms may not realize they are missing an opportunity to better understand their customers’ needs, uncover new business-related insights and develop products and services.
Q: What are some of the things that companies lose out on by not gathering this information? What are the consequences of not doing this?
A: Customer data can give firms an opportunity to create more personalized online experiences for customers, develop highly targeted marketing campaigns and optimize business practices.
Q: Is this a profit-and-loss situation for companies? Is it just too expensive to gather this big data for the value of the information that is mined?
A: More powerful and cost effective computing solutions are allowing companies of all sizes to extract the value of their data quickly and efficiently. When companies have the ability to tap a gold mine of knowledge locked in data warehouses, or quickly uncover relevant patterns in data coming from dynamic sources such as the Web, it helps them create more personalized online experiences for customers, develop highly targeted marketing campaigns and optimize business processes. Some companies may not have the resources to build a team to uncover this data.
Q: Part of the problem, the CIOs say, is they lack sufficient staff to access customer data, and generate reports and other business insights from it. What type of staff needs to be hired for this task? Is it an army of MBAs that need to be brought on board? Or can companies teach it in house?
A: There is an overall shortage of IT talent available to hire in many areas of IT, including big data. Many firms are looking specifically for candidates who possess an ideal combination of business knowledge, technology expertise and analytic skills. These individuals can be challenging to find.
Q: What are the most in-demand positions and starting salaries in the big data field? Is this a growth field in terms of careers or it the flavor of the month?
A: Capturing the full potential of big data requires skilled technology talent. The top in-demand positions include:
• Business intelligence analysts, who assist firms in making critical business decisions by gathering and analyzing data to better target marketing efforts. Starting salaries for these professionals will range from $94,250 to $132,500.
• Data architects, who evaluate and translate business requirements into specific database solutions (e.g., data design models, database architecture and data repository designs). These professionals are forecast to see starting salaries ranging from $104,250 to $143,500.
•Data warehouse analysts, who collect, analyze and leverage a firm’s stored data, and devise solutions that make it easier to access. Data warehouse analysts can expect starting salaries ranging from $93,500 to $126,500.
• Data modelers, who analyze organizational data requirements and create logical and physical models of data flow. Starting salaries for data modelers will range from $81,250 to $110,500.
Q: It seems like the most important position in that group would be the data warehouse analysts. After all, if you know the data is there but can’t get it, the data is useless. Is that a correct assumption?
A: Many companies look to build their big data teams with professionals with the perfect combination of business and technical acumen. Data warehouse analysts are essential to the team.
