You must have heard of such a profession as a data scientist because it has become very trendy in recent years. a average salary of a junior data scientist is $ 90,000 and these people are in high demand today. These facts are worth discussing who is a data scientist and how to become such a professional.
What is a data scientist?
Data scientists work to discover trends and patterns which are then used for business needs. In short, a data scientist is a data expert who has the technical skills to solve complex data problems. In other words, a data scientist is someone who is trained to perform comprehensive data processing.
This is how Camila Manera, Data Scientist Manager at The Walt Disney Company, described this job:
“As a data scientist, you have to have the. This way you will be able to create an effective impact.
Usually, companies need data scientists to be able to predict consumer behavior and identify ways to generate revenue through data processing.
One of the main responsibilities of this person is to work with analysis and machine learning models that enable the efficient processing and transformation of data. However, developing new models only takes 5-10% of the total working time. Usually, a data scientist simply uses already developed models and adjusts them to process the necessary data.
Another huge task is to clean the data. Data scientists need to be able to make the most of it and also ensure that the data will fit the models.
Difference between a data scientist and a data analyst
While a data scientist works to predict trends and patterns, a data analyst answers questions the business is asking right now. Additionally, one of the primary responsibilities of an analyst is to create reports and dashboards to visualize data in a way that managers can understand and use. In addition, a data analyst focuses on collecting data from incremental sources for integration with different analysis tools.
Education
For this position, a person must have a degree in computer science, mathematics, statistics, physics, etc. In addition, employers prefer to hire people with a master’s degree or even a doctorate. degree. However, in many companies hiring managers are primarily concerned with skills and may opt for someone with no formal education.
So, there are mainly two ways to get the necessary knowledge. You can get a computer science degree from a university. Alternatively, you can take an online course which can be a more cost effective and faster way to learn the necessary skills. Decent data science courses are offered by companies such as Coursera, DataCamp, and a few others.
Skills
There is a common set of skills that a data scientist should have. The main ones are statistics and mathematics, because the person has to perform complex calculations and use statistical methods and probability theory to use the information.
Another important skill is programming because it is the main tool for processing data quickly and efficiently. The most popular language for this is Python which has dozens of useful libraries for data analysis like Numpy and the pandas. Additionally, libraries like Tensorflow are one of the main tools for machine learning tasks.
Another common skill is SQL, which means working with databases on a regular basis.
Tips for becoming a data scientist
Answer the main question
The first thing to do is to determine if this job is right for you. At first glance, it might sound very promising and intriguing, but when you actually start working, you can feel frustrated and demotivated. So take short online courses and test your motivation. But before paying for the course, it’s a good idea to try a free trial period offered by most companies.
Enter data science communities
Surrounding yourself with people who are working as data scientists or are also trying to get into this field can be very motivating. Moreover, such a network helps to change the state of mind in the necessary way, as we usually subconsciously make fun of those with whom we communicate often. Plus, these communities are useful for practical reasons – these people can help solve data issues so that you learn more effectively. And finally, such a network can help you find your first job in this field.
Contact a data science expert
This tip is to find a mentor who can walk you through the process. An experienced data scientist can share their career path with you, advise you on where to start, pitfalls to avoid, etc. Moreover, such a person can help you with practical tasks like solving a Python assignment, show you your weaknesses in code or models, and also help you prepare for a job interview.
You can find such a mentor on Quora, Reddit, LinkedIn, or niche forums.
Find an ongoing project that you are passionate about
The best way to practice your skills is to work on an ongoing project that includes a number of steps and has a clear end goal. Here are some ideas for such projects:
- Gender and age detection with data science
- Detecting fake news
- Recognition of emotions
- Cancer classification
- Customer segmentation
Conclude
Data science is a very promising career path but at the same time it is very complicated and not suitable for everyone. So, before taking this route, assess your skills and abilities as well as whether it is the best possible choice for your life. If the answer is Yes, this job seems to be very rewarding and you will be in a very forward looking environment.
Interesting related article: “What is data?” “