Data Scientist

Spotlights

Job Description

A data scientist is someone who performs high level problem solving in order to make value out of data. Their duties typically include creating Machine Learning-based tools or processes within the company, such as recommendation engines or automated lead scoring systems. People within this role should also be able to perform statistical analysis.

Rewarding Aspects of Career

Always learning something new
Get to be a pioneer in a field that is only a decade old
Mix of technology and science
Can use skills to help others, i.e. healthcare data
Every major company, corporation needs data scientists, and medium and smaller companies are working on fitting them into their budget

"My tasks vary every day, which makes this career a lot more exciting than other jobs where you come in and do the same thing all the time. It's all around problem solving that helps decision makers within the company get insight from data."

Median Salary

$120,931

The Inside Scoop

Day in the Life

Click here for a data scientist’s day in the life

Skills Needed on the Job

Software: SQL (Structured Query Language), Python, Tableau, R
Communication skills: need to be able to take the statistics derived from data gleaning and explain it in layman's terms to other branches of the corporation, such as IT and finance
Teamwork: you will be a go between for various departments who are in need of the information gleaned from the data in order to make decisions
Data/statistic analysis: Need to analyze and apply user feedback and research

Organization Types

Large corporations / businesses: all major companies in every industry- from hospitals to clothing retailers use data scientist feedback to make executive decisions

Current Industry Trends

An understanding of machine learning: a method of data analysis that automates analytical model building. Machine learning allows computers to find hidden insights using algorithms that learn from data without explicit programming
The merging or data science and IoT: the growing network of physical objects that feature an IP address for internet connectivity, and the communication that occurs between these objects and other Internet-enabled devices and systems.
Ability to work with RIL (radio interface layer), which goes hand-in-hand with IoT
Use of data science in healthcare: data gleaned by these scientists can be used to predict disease trends i.e. the resurgence of Ebola

What kinds of things did people in this career enjoy doing when they were young...

"I was a science nerd. I participated in the science olympiad at my elementary school."

Education Needed

Bachelor's degree highly recommended in one of the following studies:
- Statistics
- Computer science* at the very least, should minor in this or make a point to take courses in it- will help with learning the major coding software
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Probability
Masters in Data Science, Machine Learning or Analytics also recommended

Best universities for a Masters in Data Science/Machine Learning/Analytics

Stanford University
Columbia University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of California Berkeley
Carnegie Mellon University
Northwestern University
Georgia Institute of Technology

Things to do in High School and College

Join a computer science and/or coding club
Take courses in statistics, computer science, analytics, mathematics, probability
Learn Python, SQL, R
Take on a data science internship

How to land your 1st job

Contract work: get to know the company on a freelance basis- marketing / analytics side
Networking: this will help you make connections and illustrate your professionalism and drive
Constantly aim to increase your skill set: learn as many coding, data gleaning programs as possible
In the interview: be able to demonstrate your understanding of data gleaning and coding, as well as your ability to explain these processes to branches of the company that are not familiar with the terminology

Recommended Resources

Articles

Associations

Books:

Conferences

Programming Languages to Learn

Blogs/Magazines/Websites

Plan B