Everything You Should Know About Launching A Data Science Career

Photo by Stephen Dawson on Unsplash

Tech is the new oil.

Yes, Tech is the latest prospect for people looking to make money from their skills; it is lucrative and comes with many perks; ask any techie you know.

Did you know that Google pays Data Scientists $152,856 per year?

If you are a newbie considering a career in Tech, Data Science should be one of your career options. Why? You will know in a few moments.

I will walk through everything you should know about launching a Data Science Career, and I mean everything.

Introduction

What is Data Science?

Data science is the field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms, and systems to extract or extrapolate knowledge and insights from noisy, structured, and unstructured data and apply knowledge from data across a broad range of application domains.

Data science uses techniques and theories drawn from many fields within mathematics, statistics, computer sciences, information science, and domain knowledge.

Simply put, Data Science is the process of making better choices from data that has been collected to analyze a situation properly.

Did you know that Entry-Level data Scientists earn as much as $95,000, Mid-Level Data Scientists can earn up to $130,000, and seniors can earn up to $250,000 per year?

There are also different career options if you are considering a career in Tech.

• Data Scientists — $85,000 — $170,000 per year
• Data Analytics Manager — $90,000 — $140,000 per year.
• Big Data Engineer — $100,000 — $165,000 per year.

Launching a Career in Data Science

Starting in Tech can be overwhelming; you have to be prepared to give it your all and know you are in it for the long run.

1. Figure out what you want to learn: First, you have to understand Data Science requires you to have a required knowledge of a programming language, not just the knowledge but the ability to work with that language. You will also need a basis of mathematics. Do not fret; all these skills are transferable, and you can learn them all. It doesn’t matter if you are an English major; you can learn these skills and have a career in Data Science.
2. Sign up for a Data Course or Class: Remember the programming language from before? You have to be fluent in Python to have a career in Data Science. If you do not have prior knowledge of this language, you should sign up for a course that would teach you; I would prefer you go for a comprehensive course. There are certified websites that would teach you Python, and they would give you a certificate at the end of the course. I personally recommend Udemy or Coursera, as I have used these in the past.
3. Attend a Data Science Master class: You should consider attending a live-led master class; you can get real-time feedback on questions or any confusion you might have.
4. Keep Practicing: You know the saying, we don’t stop learning. Try applying this to your Data Science career; the more your practice, the better you will get at it. Find the areas you like in data Science and practice them until you can do it in your sleep. You should read more and try to learn as much as you can. One thing that worked for me was entering competitions; I always came up with a new concept for each competition, which was fun. You don’t have to enter competitions but practice like your life depends on it because it might.
5. Put yourself out there: Are you on social media? Utilize it, and let your followers know you are a data scientist; you never know which one works in a company that can recommend you for a data position. Curate content around your data on your social media; you can make videos of you working for TikTok and post your portfolio on your Instagram and Twitter. Make sure you put as much light on yourself as you can. If you are shy, the great thing is you can do all the above without having to show your face.
6. Engage with other Data Scientists: You can do it via social media; there is a community of data scientists on Twitter, so join the conversation. Let them know you are eager to learn. You can listen to podcasts, join online forums like Quora and Reddit, ask questions and let them give you insights. Offer answers to stuff you know. It would help if you had a community of others like you who have been in the field and can offer you premium information on navigating the field of Data Science.
7. Teach Others: The more you teach, the more you know. Make sure to teach others the ones you know, and they might teach you stuff that you didn’t pick on before. You can teach some other newbies or even form a circle or a group where you can exchange concepts and ideas on Data Science.
8. Look for growth opportunities: Keep your eyes peeled for growth opportunities; one of the ways that have worked for me is social media, Twitter especially. You can use the search button to search for intern positions or junior positions. Some opportunities might want an assistant but make sure to maximize any growth opportunity you get. You don’t know where your big break might come from.
9. Curate a CV and set up a profile on Job boards: After maximizing your growth opportunities, you should create a good resume and send out applications on job boards. Get to it, companies are looking for people from your skill set, and you should get in the race too.

Conclusion

Data Science is a lot of work, but once you start, you will realize you can do it. Also, remember that Data Science is comprehensive, and you cannot possibly master everything in one go. It would help if you took your time, one after the other.