Data Scientist has emerged as one of the most recommended career fields today. Every career coach, every ‘career fair’, and every job counseling session you will find advice for acquiring skills in the field of Data Science such as Python, ML, and Hadoop. There are also many aspirants looking for data scientist courses with placement assistance or data analytics certification courses. Individuals looking to either kickstart their career or switch to a lucrative career opportunity.
Why Data Science?
Termed the ‘sexiest’ job of the century and often regarded as the best option in terms of profession, Data Science is extremely lucrative. A simple search for Data Science jobs will show thousands of results that include vacant positions in leading companies across the globe. Even in India, there are currently ten thousand plus job opportunities for individuals with skills in Data Science, Data Analytics, Big Data Analytics, and Business Analytics. Companies like Amazon, Accenture, JP Morgan, Alphabet INC, etc. are always looking to hire talented individuals who have acquired command over Data Science with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. It is also to be noted that there is not a single industry where Data Science or Data Analytics is not needed and thus companies from every corner of the global economy are looking to rope in Data Scientists and Data Analysts.
Data Scientists are also handsomely paid when compared to other tech professions. For instance, in India, on average a Data Scientist earns 10.6 LPA and with experience, it can rise to 25 LPA! Along with good pay package data scientists also enjoy a lot of perks and are highly revered across industries. Since Data is highly valued today, Data Scientists are the ones through whom the true value of Data can be appreciated and leveraged.
However, can everyone become a professional Data Scientist?
Data science is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding career fields. However, it is also one of the most challenging fields and can be a tough nut to crack even for individuals with a lot of tech skills. It is also a fact that one of the primary reasons why there are so many existing job opportunities is that there is a dearth of individuals skilled enough to be hired as data scientists. Especially in India where the entire education system emphasizes theory more than practical, there are not enough candidates who can be hired as data scientists.
However, that does not mean an individual cannot become a data scientist if the individual wishes to and has a proper dedication, determination, guidance, and most importantly the perfect training program. Not every data science program that exists online or offline can train you to become a successful data scientist and not every institute, however glamorous it might be, has the proper course design to train a data scientist.
First things first:
If you have prior knowledge of fundamental concepts of statistics, probability and algorithms then you are at an advantage. Before a data science aspirant learns how to dig out deep insights from a large pool of data, he or she must be able to grasp the fundamentals of statistics, probability, and algorithms. If you do not have prior knowledge or if you do not belong to the STEM background then you might want to start learning the basic concepts today and ensure the course you enroll in teaches you the basics first. Programming knowledge, especially that of Python is crucial to make it through in data science. If you have no prior knowledge of coding then you might find it difficult at first. But do not worry, a good course curriculum like ‘Data Science 360’ offered by the Analytix Labs will train you well.
Apart from the basics, a good course curriculum should also make sure that the in-demand and essential skills are taught over redundant or unpopular ones. Recruiters today look for candidates based on skill sets such as ML, DL, and Python. And most importantly there should be a definite emphasis on practical learning like real-life case studies and managing projects. Especially, a data scientist must have a good business acumen to understand the business goals of a company. A deep understanding of business goals and complex problems which a company might face helps a budding data scientist to plan a data-driven strategy for the company.
In conclusion, it can be stated that everyone who possesses the desire to encounter new challenges, has the appetite to solve complex puzzles, is determined enough, and identifies the weak and strong points early on, should enroll in a data science course.