Signs a Career as a Data Scientist is for You

Signs a Career as a Data Scientist is for you

Signs a Career as a Data Scientist is for You

A Data Scientist is responsible for converting raw data into accessible information that companies can use to improve their businesses. You will use algorithmic, data mining, artificial intelligence, machine learning and statistical tools to interpret data before presenting your conclusions in a clear and engaging way. Data scientists are required in a variety of industries including finance, scientific research, health, retail and government. Here are the signs you’d make a good data scientist:

 

You have…

 

  • excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
  • excellent communication and presentation skills 
  • resilience to try new ideas if the first one doesn’t work
  • ability to work independently and self-motivate
  • organisational skills
  • the ability to work to deadlines
  • attention to detail
  • teamworking skills.

 

You want to…

 

  • identify issues and use data to propose solutions for effective decision making
  • build algorithms and design experiments to merge, manage, interrogate and extract data to supply tailored reports to colleagues, customers or the wider organisation
  • use machine learning tools and statistical techniques to produce solutions to problems
  • test data mining models to select the most appropriate ones for use on a project
  • maintain clear communication, both verbal and written, to understand data needs and report results
  • assess the effectiveness of data sources and data-gathering techniques and improve data collection methods
  • horizon scan to stay up to date with the latest technology, techniques and methods.

 

You don’t mind…

 

  • occasional working outside of office hours on short-term projects
  • mostly office-based work
  • low ratio of women to men in the sector.

 

Getting started

 

A degree in computer science, mathematics or a science-based subject is typically required.

 

You will be expected to have knowledge of programming languages such as R, Python, SQL, C or Java and have strong coding skills. Some large employers offer data science graduate training schemes and apprenticeships are offered by the UK government.

 

A postgraduate qualification such as a Masters or PhD can be useful and is common among data scientists.

 

Speculative work experience applications with organisations and attending conferences are great ways to networking opportunities.

 

Search all data science jobs on our vacancies page.

 

Article source: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/data-scientist