Curiosity, communication and a love for learning: Is Data Science for me?

Data Science is as much about communication as it is about programming and statistics

A lot of people think Data Science is just about data, statistics and computers. But while it’s true that programming and statistics are skills that every data scientists needs to possess, what is often unappreciated is the importance of domain knowledge, communication skills, resourcefulness and curiosity.

If the following sound like you, a career in Data Science could be well within your reach:

• I enjoy dissecting big problems and decomposing them into smaller solvable problems.
• I love learning about different domains and working across different disciplines or business units.
• I prefer to make decisions based on evidence.
• I believe good solutions come about from asking the right questions and defining goals carefully.
• I tend to use evidence and rational argument to persuade people.
• I’m not afraid of numbers or statistics.
• I know how to program/I’d like to learn how to program/I can write excel functions.
• I like explaining complex concepts to people in terms that they will understand.
• I like making sense of different sources of data and information.
• I’m not afraid to ask questions.
• I’m a good listener.

For some inspiration, read this post on how the curiosity-driven writer moved from journalism into data science.