If you’re thinking about starting a new career in data science, the possibilities can be both restricting and intimidating.
On the one hand, it may appear that the entire industry is boiled down to three roles: “data analyst,” “data engineer,” and “data scientist,” and you must fit into one of them.
On the other side, because the quantities of things you’re told you need to understand is enormous, it can be extremely overwhelming. Take, for example, this popular infographic on data science learning:
Isn’t that a cool design? Absolutely. But it’s the kind of image that may give prospective data scientists a heart attack if they assume they need to know everything to secure a job in the field.
That’s why Insight Data Science Program Director Alise Otilia R.’s recent Twitter thread about the many expertise and jobs in the data science field seemed like a breath of fresh air. As a result, we spoke with Alise to discover more about her thoughts on the prospects available in the field of data science.
Is it necessary to know everything there is to know about anything?
Alise, who worked at Spirit Airlines prior to joining Insight Data Science, adds that my proposal is entirely based on the idea that someone who has a transition to the data science industry can be overwhelmed by everything he needs to learn to be a data scientist.
Getting to the Heart of the Matter and Discovering Your Passion
Alise mentioned seven more distinct professions in her Twitter thread, all of which might be classified as “data scientist”:
Data Scientist Generalist Specialist in Product Analytics (NLP, Computer Vision, etc.)
Data Science Product Manager Data Visualizer Machine Learning Engineer DataOps Engineer
According to Alise, “you really have to find where you fit in” and “each of these has a strength.” While they all require a foundation of key abilities, I believe you should gravitate toward your strengths when deciding the best match career for you within data science. And that can assist relieve some of the pressure of having to study everything.
For example, Alise says she considers herself a data scientist who focuses on product analytics. I adore the business side of things. I enjoy being able to influence a company’s trajectory by connecting with non-technical team members. SQL is unquestionably one of my strongest skills. Experimentation has always piqued my interest because it allows me to understand how a minor adjustment might alter user behavior.
She believes it is critical to discover one’s own passion. This might assist you in narrowing down and focusing on the talents that will best benefit you in the roles you desire. She argues that while SQL and communication skills are vital for a data scientist focused on product analytics, they may not be as important for a machine learning engineer.
She thinks it’s crucial to find one’s own passion. This could help you narrow down and focus on the skills that will help you succeed in the roles you want. She claims that while SQL and communication skills are necessary for a product analytics data scientist, they may not be as important for a machine learning engineer.
When looking for a job in data science, it’s important to be strategic.
Alise urges you not to be intimidated by the number of qualifications and courses offered. Ask yourself a number of questions, for example, why are you first of all interested in data science? instead. What was your interest in the field?
I think it’s critical to understand why you were interested in data science in the first place, she explains. Concentrate on the basics; you don’t need to be an expert in everything. Recognize your own strengths.
Then, when it’s time to look for a job, she advises, reads carefully, and plans beforehand. Don’t apply to every job that says “data scientist,” because most jobs won’t mention whether they’re doing machine learning or merely product analytics.
Are you unsure where to begin? Begin small.
Another factor to examine, according to Alise, is the scale of the company. Starting in a smaller company can also be advantageous if you aren’t sure what you want to do.
I believe that the size of the companies is a good indicator of what you’ll be doing as well. For startups and even mid-sized businesses, I’d say you’ll be doing a combination of all of those responsibilities the majority of the time.
She claims that when she was at Spirit, there were only two data scientists, including herself, so we were essentially data engineers building pipelines. We were the machine learning engineers, as well as the business analysts and product analytics data scientists. We were almost everything rolled into one.
That kind of job may undoubtedly lead to burnout, which is a big problem in data science and can happen quickly, according to her. However, if you’re not sure where you belong, a role like that can be appealing. You can rapidly figure out what you like and don’t like.
Lifelong Learning’s Importance
Another thing prospective data scientists should be aware of, according to Alise, is that gaining data skills is a never-ending process.
In data science, you’ll never be on top of everything, she says. It’s like when you’re trying to get down to zero emails and then five minutes later you refresh and there are ten more. That is my perspective on data science. This is a field in which you must constantly study and read.
In data science, there’s a lot to learn! You don’t have to know everything, but you must be willing to learn new things and improve your skills on a regular basis.
