Can a data analyst CV include portfolio projects?

Yes. Portfolio projects are valuable when they show clean data, clear analysis, and a business recommendation.

Should data analysts include charts in a CV?

No for the Harvard format. Link to a portfolio if needed, but keep the CV plain text and ATS-friendly.

Profession CV guide

Data Analyst CV Guide: Harvard Format, Skills, Examples, and Cover Letter Tips

A data analyst CV should show that you can turn messy data into decisions. Hiring teams look for SQL, dashboards, business context, and clear stakeholder impact.

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Harvard structure

Single-column layout, standard headings, reverse chronology, and no decorative graphics.

Role-specific evidence

Examples and keywords tuned for data analysts, not generic job seekers.

AI workflow

Use the guide to prepare context, then generate a polished CV and cover letter in the app.

What to Include on a Data Analyst CV

Summary: domain, tools, and type of decisions your analysis supports.

Experience: dashboards, reporting, data cleaning, metric definitions, experimentation, and business recommendations.

Projects: use portfolio projects to prove SQL, BI, Python, or statistics skills.

Skills: SQL, Excel, Python, R, Tableau, Power BI, Looker, statistics, data modeling.

Education/certifications: analytics coursework, Google Data Analytics, SQL, BI, or statistics training.

Evidence Hiring Teams Look For

SQL or query experience

Dashboards, reports, or recurring metrics owned

Business recommendations or decisions influenced

Data cleaning, validation, or metric definition work

ATS Keywords and Skills

SQLExcelPythonTableauPower BILookerData cleaningA/B testingDashboarding

Add a skill only when your CV has evidence for it. The best ATS keywords are backed by experience bullets, projects, certifications, or tools you actually used.

Before and After Bullet Examples

Example 1

Weak

Created dashboards for the team.

Harvard-style

Built Tableau dashboards tracking funnel conversion and weekly retention for product managers and growth leads.

Example 2

Weak

Analyzed customer data using SQL.

Harvard-style

Queried 500K customer events in SQL to identify onboarding drop-off points and recommend three product changes.

Cover Letter Angle for data analysts

Connect your tools to business questions: what you analyzed, who used the insight, and what decision or action followed.

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Prompt to use in the app

Use my data analyst CV and this job description. Write a concise one-page Harvard-style cover letter. Emphasize supported evidence from my CV, use the employer requirements, and do not claim skills I have not provided.

Mistakes to Avoid

Listing tools without business outcomes.

Not showing SQL depth.

Using academic project language without explaining the decision value.

Turn this guide into a finished Data Analyst CV

Harvard CV Maker uses one strict Harvard-format document system. Upload your existing CV, paste notes, or build from scratch, then use AI to improve bullets, tailor to a job, and generate a matching cover letter.

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