The year 2020 promises the data science field to branch off into several specializations, even larger than the ones witnessed today. Data analytics is now becoming mission-critical to more organizations accelerating the demand for more data scientists.
Currently, there’s a huge gap that needs to be filled in the field of data science with companies looking out to hire data science professionals to bridge the gap.
IBM predicts a 28% demand spike for data scientists with the number of the rise in job growth by 364,000 to 2,720,000 in 2020.
With big data talents in short supply, even companies are open to willing to pay lucrative salary packages to qualified data scientists. Expert professionals bringing in the right skill set has the leverage of getting hired as compared to those without the right set of skills.
But what are the set of skills you need to learn to set foot in the door?
- Mathematics and Statistics – Without knowledge of mathematics and statistics, it is going to be tough for the individual to understand machine learning algorithms. Data scientists use statistics to derive actionable insights from the data through mathematical computation.
- R and Python programming skills – Basic programming skills is a must for professionals looking to launch their first data science career. Python is widely preferred by data science professionals, however, learning R wouldn’t hurt. Basically, R is used for statistical analysis while Python is used for general purposes.
- Machine learning – The ability of a machine to learn things from experience using algorithms that can predict insights through the data.
- Data visualization – How else would you visualize data without the knowledge of data visualization tools? Having said that, tools like ggplot2, Matplotlib, and Tableau are tools every data scientist must know. Data can be easily visualized in formats such as graphical representation or pie charts.
- Business acumen – Being able to understand the current business scenario is crucial to solving business problems.
Here’s how you can start learning data science: –
Step 1
Ensure it’s the right career path for you – before diving deep into the subject, you need to first ask yourself certain questions. Are you good with numbers? Do you have the knack for coding? Or are you learning it just because it’s in trend? Ensure you double-check before making a choice.
Step 2
Earn a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree – earning Bachelor’s, Master’s or a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Economics, Data Management, Information Technology, Statistics, Physics could be an ideal start. However, most data scientist holds a Ph.D. degree.
Step 3
Select your area of interest – there are multiple job role for a data science professional to choose. Based on your area of interest you can take up a job role such as management analyst, visualization specialist, or market research analyst. However, earning an added specialization through a Master’s program could be an added advantage.
Step 4
Earning data science certifications – in an era where technology keeps changing, earning a professional data science certification is the best option for aspirants today.
A credible IT certification enables the candidate to market their skills to top employers. The names of some of the best data science certification bodies include names such as Data Science Council of America (DASCA), Cloudera – Hortonworks, Data Science by Springboard, Data Science by Harvard Extension School, and Big Data Certification by UC San Diego Extension School.