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Chalamar, Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP: Advize Career Interview
This interview reveals a career path into business intelligence at SAP, starting with a strategic internship secured through proactive networking during college.
The role, while involving "dirty work" in data processing and SQL queries, is deeply impactful, enabling an analyst to directly influence business growth through financial data analysis and strategy.
Success hinges on self-motivation, resourcefulness, and strong technical skills in SQL, Python, and data visualization.
The position offers growth opportunities, allowing professionals to see the real-world implications of their work, particularly in the ever-expanding realm of AI and data science.
While internal support can be a challenge, preparation and continuous learning, especially in areas like Postgres SQL and Python, are crucial. Entry-level analyst positions provide viable pathways to enter this industry.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Chalamar Elkridge
Business Intelligence Analyst
SAP
University of San Diego, Sacramento City College
N/A
Mathematics, Data Science, Statistics
Technology
Data and Analytics
Honors Student, Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
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Career Path Of A Business Intelligence Analyst At SAP
Chalamar started their career path at Sacramento City College, then transferred to USD where they "took advantage" of networking opportunities and landed a business analytics and brand strategy internship with Beats the summer before their senior year, which ultimately led to their current role at SAP after finishing their degree in business analytics.
Main Responsibilities of a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP
Chalamar's primary responsibilities as a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP revolve around "financial data analysis and a lot of business strategy," including working with Postgres SQL databases to clean, process, and upload data, as well as promoting "more business growth within those branches." The role involves a blend of technical skills in data management and analytical abilities in contributing to financial insight.
A Day in the Life of a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP
According to Chalamar, a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP, the job isn't glamorous, involving "a lot of dirty work" such as processing data and building SQL queries to provide business insights. The position is cross-functional, requiring daily meetings and bridging communication between business and development teams to connect data to various needs.
Most Important Skills For A Business Intelligence Analyst At SAP
Chalamar, a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP, emphasizes that being "a self-starter and being self-motivated" is crucial for success, as there isn't much early guidance; additionally, strong technical skills in SQL, Python, and data visualization are essential "hard skills" for the role.
Favorite Parts of Being a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP
Chalamar enjoys the "opportunity for growth" in the Business Intelligence Analyst role at SAP, but more importantly, values the ability to see "direct implications" of their work, such as building promotions or fine-tuning chatbots, applied in real life. This direct visibility of the impact of their contributions is what they find most fulfilling.
Biggest Challenges Faced By A Business Intelligence Analyst At SAP
Chalamar's biggest challenge as a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP is the difficulty in finding internal support, requiring a high degree of self-motivation and resourcefulness because "a lot of people [are] on different teams working on different projects, so they're really busy in their day-to-day." Success in the role hinges on persistent, independent problem-solving by "asking different people for help or finding different outlets of help."
Favorite Parts of Working in Analytics as a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP
Chalamar most enjoys the expansive growth within the Business Intelligence industry, noting that it's "only getting bigger and bigger and bigger," and specifically, a team reorganization at SAP has provided opportunities to work with various teams and explore the intertwining applications of business analytics, AI, and data science. This exposure has offered "a lot of...motivation to explore different paths" within the analytics industry.
What type of person thrives in the Data Analytics industry, according to a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP
According to Chalamar, a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP, people who thrive in the field are "self-starters" who are "determined within themselves", demonstrating a need to be self-motivated; furthermore, the professional states that a person who is successful in the industry can "think very creatively and think outside the box" because they are likely to face problems that are unique and require innovative solutions.
What a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP wishes they had known before entering the Business Intelligence industry
Chalamar wishes undergraduate work would've focused more on Python, as many companies rely on it for complex backend coding, whereas their experience was primarily in R. Deeper knowledge of SQL, particularly Postgres SQL databases like "Mease," and more advanced SQL queries would have also eased the transition into the Business Intelligence Analyst role at SAP.
Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Business Intelligence Analysts at SAP
Chalamar suggests aspiring Business Intelligence professionals target entry-level analyst roles such as "business analyst, a product analyst," or even "financial analyst" if experience with financial data exists. Almost any "associate analyst" title, aside from "data scientist," presents a viable opportunity to break into the field.
Significant Career Lesson From a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP
Chalamar emphasizes that "luck is when proper preparation meets opportunity," which has been a significant lesson throughout their career as a Business Intelligence Analyst at SAP. By consistently being prepared and on top of day-to-day work, Chalamar has been able to seize new opportunities, "cement" themselves as a motivated and valuable asset, and create innovative solutions within their role.
College Experiences That Helped A Business Intelligence Analyst At SAP Succeed
Chalamar emphasized that college is "really, really bigger than" just getting a degree, highlighting networking as the key to their success. By actively meeting people, utilizing resources like mentorship programs, and exploring different analytics roles, Chalamar learned how to take initiative in their career, a skill that continues to be valuable as they navigate their professional development within SAP.
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