Knowledge Cafe Chat with @Rosalie for Data Science Beginners
Lizzyblash: Hi @Rosalie! Please, can you tell us a bit about you and data science?
Sarah: Rosalie also, why’d you choose to be in that field?
Rosalie: Hi @Lizzyblash and @Sarah. I chose to be in this field because I’ve always enjoyed mathematics. After studying for my maths degree at university I knew I wanted a job where I could use technical skills and work with numbers, but I also like the idea of conveying complex ideas to a less technical audience which data science also entails. I’ve always found data really interesting and what you can do with data amazes me, my friends often make fun of me that I’m a bit obsessed, especially with my own Fitbit data!
Lizzyblash: That’s cool @Rosalie. Third question. As an expert, are there any resources you use for central tendencies, python, and SQL? Please, can you share some with us?
Rosalie: In terms of resources, I’ve also learned VBA which I found to be useful in automating excel tasks, a really good website for that is automateexcel.com, it has interactive tutorials which I find the best way to learn. Python, I love Kaggle learn and code academy, the best advice is practice practice! And for that CodeWars and hacker rank is fab
Lizzyblash: 4. What were your challenges when you started working in data science and how did you go about solving them?
Rosalie: Challenges were that I was just a data analyst and I wanted to be a data scientist, but one recruiter told me not to bother trying without a master or Ph.D. So to overcome I would say never give up and apply for every data science job, I was very lucky that my company is small and open minded so was prepared to give me a chance.
Lizzyblash 5. What is the most amazing thing that you’ve experienced working in data science
Rosalie: The most amazing thing I’ve experienced is tricky! I would say I’m always amazed by the capabilities of data and python and the power that data has. For example, I used to work at a marketing company for large food brands and the power the data had that I presented to them was incredible, they based their whole campaigns around them and it worked in their favour!
Lizzyblash 6. What is the future of data science from your point of view
Rosalie: The future, in my opinion, is definitely machine learning. This will become bigger and bigger and eventually predict a lot for a lot of companies. I still think data scientists will be important though. I also think the future is we are expected to have much skill sets not just technical, i.e business knowledge, client relationships etc
Lizzyblash 7. Advice for data beginners generally
Rosalie: Never give up, practice, and seek out real-world examples because that is what I find inspiring. Keep using resources online and mention these in interviews you have for data science roles and the employer will see your passion and perhaps give you a chance
Lizzyblash 8. Advice for those, like me, struggling to finish the course
Rosalie: We have almost 3 weeks left, do not panic!!! Please remember everyone started from somewhere and you are not alone. We are all here to support you if need be. Try to picture what you want to gain from the course and how it will benefit your life. Also split it into manageable chunks so it doesn’t overwhelm you, perhaps creating a timetable.
