Where We Are Now: A Job Market Paradox
The job market for new Data Analysts seems very paradoxical to me. My perception is that:
This is not backed up by extensive data or research on my part, its just my experience and that of others from the past few years.
I understand theres a few things that need to be in place for this supply of data professionals to meet the demand for them, both from the people looking for work and from those doing the hiring. One thing that can help is a way to train Data Analysts with the skills they need and provide a certification that employers can recognise.
Google Data Analytics Certification Exams
To achieve the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate you need to finish the eight courses including all marked assessments.
At the end of each week, youll be presented with a number of exercises. Some are optional but others are required and marked. Once you complete all marked exams, you can download your Google certification.
The quizzes are not difficult to do. You can see below a couple of sample questions to get a feeling of what the exams look like.
Everything that is asked in the exams is covered in the course lessons with the exception of exercises that has to do with critical thinking.
Course : Share Data Through The Art Of Visualization
An important aspect of data analysis is how you present your findings to key stakeholders and this course is all about data presentation.
Besides tackling the theoretical parts of presenting data, this course is highly practical. Youll learn how to use Tableau, a data visualization platform to create stunning presentations.
Even if you decide not to take all eight courses that are part of the Google Data Analytics certification, this course alone is worth it. Tableau is a very powerful platform for presenting data and the skills gained in this course are useful for a number of job positions.
The time needed to complete this course is 24 hours.
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What Is A Professional Certificate From Google
The Google Career Certificate program is an online training program that offers professional certificates in fast-growing, high-demand technology fields. The program is designed by Google and taught by experts in the areas of IT, user experience design, project management, and more, and combines skills training with hands-on practice. In addition, job seekers receive support and practical tips for resumes, interviews, and job searches, helping them to land jobs in the technology sector.
Will You Be Teaching R Or Python

This program teaches the open-source programming language, R. R is a great starting point for foundational data analysis, and offers helpful packages for beginners to apply to their projects. We do not cover Python in the curriculum but encourage learners to explore Python after completion if they’d like to continue their learning journey.
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Things To Know About Google Certifications
They are 100% online certificates meaning that you can complete the courses online without having to attend a classroom in person.
Google courses are designed and built by experts working at Google. Some of the certifications are delivered by Google online training platforms and others by external e-learning providers.
Google offers both free and paid certifications .
Google certifications are grouped into three main categories.
Google Career Certifications These are professional certifications related to IT support, Data Analytics, Project Management, UX Design, and Android Development. are paid and delivered by Coursera.
Google Digital Marketing Certifications These are free and paid certifications delivered by Google Digital Garage and Coursera. These courses cover a range of topics including online marketing, social media marketing, cloud training, SEO, email marketing, machine learning courses, and more.
Google Product Certifications These are free training courses related to Google products. The most popular are Google Ads certifications and Google Analytics. Courses and certifications are delivered by Google Skillshop.
Google Ads Search Certification
Google Ads is the most popular PPC platform and one of the major sources of income for Google.
To educate marketers on how to take advantage of all Google Ads features they created several Google Ads certification courses delivered by for free.
One of the Google Ads courses worth pursuing is the Google Ads Search Certification.
Why take this certification?
- Acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to run search ads campaigns on Google
- Its a requirement if you want to become an official Google Ads Partner
- Its one of the most recognized certifications in the marketing industry
To , you need to pass a 50-question multiple-choice exam with a score of 80% and above. Exams are taken via Google Skillshop and they are free.
To prepare for the exams, you can use the study guide and resources provided by Skillshop or register for a third-party .
Jobs you can do with the Google Ads Search Certification:
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Is The Google Data Analytics Certification Worth It
The Google Data Analytics Professional Certification is definitely worth the time and effort. Its one of the most valuable entry-level certifications to pursue starting a career as a data analyst.
The course is prepared by Google Engineers and recognized in the industry as valid professional certification for entry-level positions.
The average salary for data analysts is around $67,900 per year , which is above the average compared to other related entry-level jobs.
In addition, getting a data analytics certification opens up new career opportunities. Companies in all industries are looking for certified professionals to analyze their data and come up with data-driven answers.
Who Should Not Take The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
Individuals who only want physical classes for learning or those who intend to learn Python from the course or do not aspire to be data or business analysts should not take the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate.
Due to the online nature of the program, traditional classroom settings are not available. This means that individuals who only want physical classes for their learning should not be taking this certificate.
Anyone who is intending to learn Python should not take this course as it is not covered.
Also, any learner that is unable to commit many hours of learning should avoid this certificate for the time being because of the intense time-heavy content of the course.
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Includes Access To Career Resources
At the end of the entire certification program, youll be given 3 main career resources which can be useful for your job applications.
Here they are:
This is the main career platform by Coursera that is offered to those who have achieved the Professional Certificates offered by Google.
Of course, this includes the Data Analytics Professional Certificate holders too!
This job portal shows listings that are exclusively available to those who have completed the certification. This means that job positions posted here welcome certificate holders rather than the usual college degree requirements.
Data analysts are quite different from BI analysts, and thats something many beginners would not know about.
Curious to know more? Read more in my other article here.
For example, have a look at a screengrab of a job listing below for a Data Analytics Associate position
The screenshot below shows the qualifications they require. Not the Grow with Google Analytics Certificate this means that the data analytics professional certificate you earned will help!
To learn more about Grow with Google, check out this link.
Google Digital Marketing And Ecommerce Certificate
Besides the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing, Google has recently released a new professional certificate combining Digital Marketing and eCommerce together, the .
This certificate includes seven courses designed by Google Marketing experts and delivered via Coursera. Unlike the Fundamentals certificate which is free, this is a paid certification. The cost to register for the course and get certified is $39 per month and the estimated duration is 6 months .
Through the lessons, youll learn how to use digital marketing to reach your target audience. The certificate covers concepts related to search engine optimization, social media marketing, email marketing, and display advertising.
A portion of the courses is allocated exclusively to eCommerce marketing. In particular, youll learn how to design an online store , add product information and optimize it for online sales.
Why take this certification?
You should take this certification if you want to start a career as a digital marketing professional with a focus on eCommerce marketing. Compared to the Fundamentals Certification which includes 40 hours of content this certificate includes 152 hours of content and the lessons are more comprehensive and practical.
In addition, as part of the practical assignments, youll get a chance to work with popular digital marketing tools like MailChimp, Canva, Shopify, and Hubspot.
Jobs you can do with a Google Digital Marketing & eCommerce Certificate:
- Digital Marketing Coordinator
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Provides Good Certification Credentials
What you see above is an example of the Professional Certificate that you will receive when you complete all 8 courses of the .
Its a screengrab of my certificate!
Looks pretty neat right?
This is something you can look forward to when you complete yours!
In case youre wondering, you wont need to pass any sort of separate exam to get the Google Data Analytics certificate, only just the courses quizzes.
My Coursera Dashboard
For those new to Coursera, is a massive open online course platform that hosts many other online certification programs from well-known institutions.
Being one of the most well-known online platforms for learning skills, I would definitely say that having your certificate verifiable on Coursera is a great thing!
Also, who doesnt know about Google? Having a certificate from Google is probably one of the largest reasons why youre here just like me!
Having a Professional Certificate by Google would surely be impressive to employers.
In fact, this certificate provides some really great credentials that can be included in a data analyst resume.
I even received a link to verify the certificate on Coursera thats accessible even after I cancel my subscription to Coursera Plus for this certificate.
You can check out mine at this link here.
Google Data Analytics Certificate Accreditation Badge by Credly
In addition to the verifiable Professional Certificate available on Coursera, youll also obtain an Accreditation Badge, issued by Credly.
Is This Really Worth It

It really depends on your expectations. The first thing you need to realize is that some people take less time to complete this program and some take longer time. The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate is accessed through Coursera, which has a $39 monthly subscription fee. Therefore, the estimated cost is $234 assuming you finish the program within 6 months. The pricing is not too bad compared to getting a degree or attending a Bootcamp. However, since this is a self-paced program, its important to make sure you have the time and willingness to stick with it.
The certificate is worth it if you have no prior data analytics experience, want to get more noticed by employers, or try to figure out if the data analytics field is right for you. If you already have a background in analytics, it doesnt matter if you earn the certificate, but you can still brush up on some skills through this program.
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Is The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate Worth It
The is an eight-course certification program offered by Google through Courseras learning platform. It teaches you all you need to know in order to land an entry-level role in data analytics and boost your new companys SEO performance. Each course dives deep into concepts like working with stakeholders, data integrity, preparing data, cleaning data, visualizing data, and using advanced programs like SQL and R.
So, is the certificate worth it? Well, it depends on a few factors.
How Do You Get A Passing Score
The certification assessment is comprised of 70 questions. You have 90 minutes to complete the test, and you need to score 80% to earn a passing score.
Once you pass the exam, your certification is valid for 12 months. After those 12 months are up, you have to retake the GAIQ to update your certification.
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Are You Familiar With Data Analytics
If you are not familiar at all with data analytics, then this certificate was made for you. The first couple of courses in the program are rudimentary and easy to grasp. However, things ramp up quite quickly after that once you start learning about things like Structured Query Language . Luckily, the certification program uses an instructor-based teaching method with real Google employees and data professionals taking you through each course. Rather than staring at a screen recording or PowerPoint presentation, instructors use visual aids to help guide you through concepts for a more personalized experience. This teaching method helps ease you into unfamiliar territory and makes things a little less scary when topics get difficult.
If you have an adept or intermediate understanding of data analysis concepts, this certificate program may still offer you some insight if you are not already established in the industry. Do not completely write it off, though at the very least, it could be a great refresher, and you may even learn a new thing or two along the way.
If you have advanced knowledge of data analytics, you are pretty safe to skip this certification program. Unless you simply want to be certified by Google, these courses wont teach you anything you dont already know. Again, if you want a refresher on some rudimentary topics, then this could be the perfect opportunity for you. However, dont expect to come out learning anything new.
Read: Top Data Analytics Courses
The Difference Between Exam Prep And Practical Knowledge
The Data Driven Google Analytics Certification course is a favorite among agency marketers because we don’t just focus on prepping you for the test. We train you to think about how to use Google analytics in terms of a businesses’ objectives while at the same time preparing you to obtain your certification.
As you’ll hear later in this post, direct from the marketing agency owners we interviewed, earning your certification is a great way to get started. But without a practical understanding of how to use Google Analytics to solve the needs of real businesses, your certification won’t help you become an in-demand digital marketer.
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Are Google Certifications Worth It
Google Certifications are worth it. Google Certifications typically have well-structured courses with helpful video lectures. These certificates are becoming more well-recognized among employers than traditional degrees. Although Google Certificates are delivered online, they are priced affordably at USD $39/month.
Thinking of trying out other options like bootcamps instead of this online course and want to know if theyre worth it? Read more on my answer here.
My Thoughts And Review Of The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
Google launched a new educational and professional training program called Google Career Certificates. The company believes that people dont need college diplomas to gain job-ready skills. The whole idea sounds very intriguing, but does the program really live up to the hype? Yes and no. The job market is very competitive now. Most entry-level data analyst jobs require a bachelors degree and few years of work experience. Besides, a lot of job seekers who have advanced degrees are also taking online courses to advance their careers and broaden their skill sets. As a result, even though Google will consider its 6-Month career certificates as equivalent to a four-year degree, it might be hard to land a data analyst position solely based on this certificate. However, I do think students can learn a lot from this program. In this article, I will share my thoughts on each course to help you learn more effectively while taking these courses.
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What Can You Do With Your Google Analytics Certification And Skills
Now that you know what the certification process involves and how to get trained in Google Analytics, let’s talk about the value of these skills and how you can use them in the .
We interviewed four successful owners of growing marketing agencies to find out how much value they place on a Gooogle Analytics certification. We also asked them about the analytics skills they look for in new hires, and whether or not a certification can help a prospective employee land a job.
Here’s what they shared with us:
Course : Foundations: Data Data Everywhere

This is an introductory course to Data Analytics. Its a gentle introduction to the world of data analysis, data processing, and data presentation.
The material is broken down into five weeks and to complete this course, youll need around 21 hours.
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The exams for this course include 5 quizzes.
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Popular Data Analytics Certifications: Your 2022 Guide
Whether youâre just getting started or are already established, obtaining a certification or certificate in data analytics can help you reach your professional goals.
Data analytics is all about using data to make the right decisions. By collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data you can find the most strategic and optimal course of action to achieve a specific goal.
As a result, many aspiring and established professionals in the field of data analytics wonder which certification or certificate to choose to achieve their career objectives. Should you get a certificate or a certification? Which ones are the best for your current skill set and work experience?
If these are the questions youâre asking yourself, then this is the article for you. Here, you will find a list of six popular data analytic certifications and certificates and suggested courses to help you get started.
Whether you want to take your first steps into the field or parlay your skill set into a career as a data analyst or data scientist, this article has the data you need to make an informed decision on how to do it.Read on to learn how to find the right one for you.