One of the hottest jobs in the market today for jobs seekers is for a data scientist. According to Glassdoor, It appeals to a lot of job seekers because it has a median base salary of $108,000 and it has a satisfaction rating of 4.2 out five stars. But, what is required to be a data scientist? What types of data scientist jobs are out there? What are companies looking for in a data scientist? This blog will help to answer all of those questions.
WHAT IS A DATA SCIENTIST?
Companies hire data scientists to analyze complex digital data and statistics to identify trends, figures, and other important business information. Many industries, such as finance, retail and e-commerce look to hire data scientists to look at their bottom line. Companies look for people who are curious and know a lot about analytics to be data scientists. But, there are other skills that they look for as well.
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU NEED?
According to 365datascience.com, there are five skills needed to become a data scientist. The first skill required is to be a data storyteller. This means taking the data and simplifying it for the rest of the company, so they can get a better picture of what is going on. Data Scientists must also have technical skills, such has knowing algorithms, regression, and visualization tools. Academic skills with emphasis on engineering, computer science, statistics, and mathematics is something companies look for in data scientists. One of the best schools is William Jewell college, a data science school in Kansas City. Practical skills and experience, such as an internship are also key things companies look for. Finally, the best data scientists also have great problem solving skills and out of the box thinking.
DATA SCIENTIST CAREER ACTION PLAN
365 Data Science also has 4 big tips to help potential data scientists get their dream job.
1.Join Industry Groups and Follow Influencers
The first main tip from 365 Data Science is to use Social Media to your advantage. Anyone interested in data science Join data science related groups on LinkedIn and other social platforms to connect with other potential data scientists. Many big time data scientists also post on Twitter, YouTube, and other Social Media platforms. Potential data scientists should follow them to get advice on how to get into this field.
2.Build a Public Portfolio
The best way to get any job is to show employers examples of previous work. This is true especially in data science. Anyone who wants to be a data scientist should set a public portfolio with all technical and data work to show off their skills and ability. 365 Data Science recommends Github as a great public platform and also creating a personal website as well.
3.Take Online Courses
One thing that will put potential data scientists ahead of their peers is to sharpen their skills. It is recommended some online courses to help strengthen your skill set and even learn new skills to stay on top. An online data science school in Kansas City is Rockhurst University. There are also some more cost effective courses using programs such as Python, SLQ, R. Tableau, and machine learning.
- Define Your Target Employers
365 Data Science’s final recommendation is for anyone looking into data science to know the kind of companies one wants to work for. All businesses, big and small are for data scientists. Knowing whether a big company or small company is the best fit is important to one’s success.
