This Week at Udacity, June 8 edition
Data science resources, free career courses, on-site hiring partner visits, a new #StudentSuccess story, Udacity is App of the Day, and more!
In the days following the exciting launch of our new Data Scientist Nanodegree program, we’ve been delighted to experience the incredible curiosity out there about data science careers—interest is running so high! That’s a great thing, because demand for data talent continues to skyrocket.
“Data Scientist roles are growing by 45% year over year!”
Sam Nelson, Product Lead for Udacity’s data programs, penned a great post this week to help aspiring data pros determine the perfect learning path. You can find that post here:
Probably our BIGGEST news from the week had to do with the launch of our new Career Courses—you might have read about this in TechCrunch:
And you can of course get all the relevant details in our own post here:
We’re always thinking about career advancement at Udacity, and we have more wonderful news on that front, thanks to our Hiring Partnerships team. Would you like to get an invitation to visit one of our hiring partners on-site? Now, you can!
Speaking of career advancement!
Every Udacity #StudentSuccess story is a joy to publish, and today’s was no exception. But Denis Sutherland’s post is something a little extra special, because he has some pretty incredible advice to share. If you’re a student, consider this Q&A below:
You’ve had a real range of educational experiences in the past — from an apprenticeship, to a traditional academic Master’s degree, alongside industrial qualifications from Cisco. What stood out to you about studying with Udacity?
The community — in the program’s forums and Slack channels — is really strong. It was so useful as a resource for hints and help when I needed it. If I’m honest, the program was probably more challenging than I was expecting, so having that huge breadth of students’ knowledge and experience to tap into was really good. One recommendation I’d make — because you’re dealing with really complex, interwoven models — is that it’s best to ask questions on a specific area, not a whole model. It means you can have a really meaningful conversation about something, rather than dealing with vague generalizations.
And if you’re a job-seeker, Denis has some sage words for you as well:
You’ve recently started leading a new team and have been recruiting technical people. From your own experience identifying future employees, what are your thoughts on how a Nanodegree program could help identify talented candidates?
I think it’s a great qualification to have — it shows you have personal motivation and that you have applicable skills. I’ve spent a decent amount of my time talking to candidates recently, and practical experience is certainly a big plus on a resume — particularly in new subjects and technologies where there isn’t an established career track yet.
You can find the full story right here:
And still speaking of career advancement!
Udacity is 100% focused on successful student outcomes, as COO Clarissa Shen recently spoke about in this interview:
“I want to tell students out there that tech is not taking away people’s jobs. People should reskill themselves and go after new opportunities. We want to tell people that they can succeed by learning.”
And now … your favorite feature and mine …
The Tweet of the Week!
Just a whole lot of great info packed into this tweet. Plus, that gif!
Ok, ok, one more:
And THAT … is This Week at Udacity!
~
This post was written by Christopher Watkins, Senior Writer and Chief Words Officer, Udacity
