What do Data People do?

I find it an interesting time in the days of data. I see how companies are changing and how they are embracing the data revolution and some others are not. What I do see is that there is a thirst for data and for the consumption of data in a meaningful way.

The terminology we use is changing along with the technology we use. Last week someone asked me what I did. I said I was a data architect; this was caught with a blank stare. So I then change my tact and tell people if do “Business Reporting and Analytics”. This they seem to understand.. at least the reporting part. For most people analytics is some form of math which they may be learned in a Statistics class, but didn’t really understand how it worked. The key was they passed the test. For most they consider it something they heard about in the news.

So it got me thinking, what am I? What is my job? I think there are numerous terms that might describe what I data people do today or maybe we just want to make the job of pushing numbers all day sound sexy. Here’s what I and other have come up with:

• Data Warehouse Architect
• Data Guru
• Information Technician
• Data Scientist
• Data Analyst
• Analytics Geek
• Information Shark
• Information Jockey

The ideas are endless just like the information we use. As the non-data people begin to see the power of data as information becomes served up to the everyday person, I will need to explain what I do. No title will summarize it well. Basically I tell people I collect data and draw nice pictures with the data and that always seems to make people happy, which is a good thing.

Don`t forget to join me at Oracle OpenWorld in October for my presentation about Big Data and the challenges and outlook.