The Fastest, Easiest, and Cheapest Paths Toward Data Science
Guaranteed to work for Surgeons, Dentists, and Dieters, Too
It seems to be a theme. You too can get a massively high paying job — it is easy, fast, and incredibly inexpensive. Dozens upon dozens of articles all across Medium swear it is true. You can learn for free. You can learn it if you are broke. General Assembly will teach you in just a few weeks. Datacamp will do it for $25 a month. And this is just a simple Google search.
And of course, it is all so easy. Simple really. But… then again … so is basic economics. If this is SOOOO fast, easy, and cheap — why would employers put a premium on paying Data Science salaries? Are they just stupid? Maybe… but then why would you ever want a job from a company that is … stupid? I guess it can’t be that.
Perhaps it is just that incredibly brilliant minds are drawn to Data Science — so of course it is easy, simple, and cheap for them. And, of course, businesses want to pay a premium for brilliant people. Bias much?
Perhaps it is all relative. I mean this crash course is a whopping 23 minute read. To some people, that is a lot of work. Or perhaps, I am taking this all too literally? Perhaps.
Just because the words used are the same as those used for fad and crash diets… that can’t be a problem, can it? It is not like data science is actually complex, hard, requiring discipline, or patience … well, ok it is.
But it doesn’t have to be expensive! And seriously, cheap takes it a bit far, most articles use the word “affordable”. Well… and “free” — which is technically both cheap and affordable.
I’m sorry this is starting to sound like a get rich quick scheme. Imagine if this was how we sourced all of our dentists and surgeons. The world would look like a Tiger King episode. But I guess healthcare would be more affordable.
Or maybe the industry of teaching data science is actually the truly lucrative thing? Actually, I can tell you, those economics don’t really work either. But it IS lucrative to sell cheap, fast, and easy training to people who are hoping for a better job. “Hoping” is the critical word there.
Galvanize offers to let you pay after you are employed … well minus the $2K upfront costs and getting yourself some housing in some of America’s most expensive cities.
The whole program (minus those living expenses) is almost $18K. That is two years of tuition at a state college. But then again — you can get it all in just 13 weeks. So at least it is fast!
Of course, an increasing number of articles also focus on a giant shortage of talent. Odd given how cheap, easy, and fast this all is. Interestingly, the Google algorithm offers its own little joke here … search for “data science shortage” and Google gives you overhyped. Go find it and click on the carrot. Hilarious.
In the end, is a little hard work and discipline too much to ask? Does everything really need to be so free & easy? And what happened to hands-on experience and mentors? Those are the bigger keys to success … but they don’t get as many articles.
Data, Science & Analytics is a lucrative field. But it is also a discipline. It is really unlikely to be free, fast, and easy. It really can’t even be one of those. It requires real-world data, hands-on experience, strong mentors, and the ability to find the opportunities to help you grow. You might get a fast start. You might find many of the basics easy. You may find resources that have limited costs. But ultimately, it is a life long commitment of perpetual learning.
Thanks for reading.
For those looking for a first step into Data & Analytics there is one place you can get started quickly. The cost is limited. I make no claims on easy… but a great entry point into this rewarding discipline.
