ZachOverflow

Did I Make A Mistake Going Into Data Science?

In a tough job market, tougher economy and rapidly automating world you might have asked yourself: Did I make a mistake choosing data science?

ZachOverflow is a recurring column in which I attempt to answer one frequently asked data science question thoroughly and honestly. No oversaturated topics. No listicles. No clickbait. Just my (mostly) unfiltered responses based on professional experience, technical exposure and, yes, the occasional unsubstantiated opinion.

I feel personally accountable for the answer to this question because I’ve advised several people, including close friends, to transition to a data-oriented field.

It’s one thing to suggest for a friend to read a book or take a course. To suggest a career path and then have them follow through (as at least one of my friends has) puts tremendous pressure on them — and me.

Which partially influenced my friend to text me weeks into his program, confessing that he had doubts (not quite regret yet) that even as a freshman, he would land a job post-graduation.

I found it surprisingly easy to respond and empathize with those doubts because I’ve wrestled with this question myself as both a student and an early career engineer.

My answer to this question is a little more personal because I already earned a degree I…