How long does it take to become a data scientist?
Data science is one of the most popular professional domains in the new-age world. With businesses and governments making data-backed decisions in practically every industry, the job opportunities in data science are practically limitless.
Many people get discouraged from pursuing data science just on the false assumption that it would be arduous. This blog is designed to break a few existing myths and give you a true picture of how long it would take for you to be a successful data scientist after a masters in the data science programme.
Is it worth considering a career in data science?
Yes! Data science is an extremely rapidly growing domain that can provide you with endless opportunities. The job market is growing, the salaries are higher than in other fields and you get numerous perks.
Data science has been tagged as “the sexiest job of the 21st century” by the Financial Times. The domain has also been referred to as the “most promising career domain” by LinkedIn.
What does a career in data science involve?
Much of data science involves the extrapolation of large data sets to arrive at actionable insights and correlations. These insights can help organisations solve complex problems or have a better understanding of their businesses.
Although the specific job description of a data scientist can depend on the industry they are employed in, here are some generic responsibilities of the job.
- Researching about a specific industry or market class to identify areas of improvement, growth opportunities or pain points
- Defining the relevant data sets after collecting them from various sources
- Cleaning the data to remove unusable bits and inaccurate portions
- Coming up with new algorithms and applying them to process the data
- Modelling and analysing the data to spot patterns or trends
- Presenting the data findings and recommendations in the form of reports
What kind of skills do you require to become a data scientist?
Roles in data science can be technical and can require you to have multiple technical and soft skills. The Data exploration techniques are also beneficial for analyzing. Here are a few skills that you need to develop before you enter the data science industry.
- Data collection and storage
- Data analysis and modelling
- Data presentation and visualisation
- A good sense of business
- Excellent communication skills
- Expertise in computer coding and languages such as Python or R
- Excellent problem-solving and critical thinking skills
- An intuition for data designing and architecture
How long would it take for you to be thoroughly familiar with data science enough to get a decent-paying job?
Data science is a vast subject, and it would take a lifetime to be well-versed in all aspects of this field. You need not learn the whole of data science for a good role as you would keep learning throughout your career.
Pursuing a data science programme or boot camp can however shorten your journey by providing you with more targeted knowledge and hands-on experience in the field. Start looking for appropriate data science jobs near you today to become a successful data scientist.
