With the innumerable amounts of data generated in the technology era, data scientists have become an increasingly needed vocation. The US just named its first Chief Data Scientist and all the top companies are hiring their own. Yet due to the novelty of this profession, many are not entirely aware of the many career possibilities that come with being a data scientist. Those in the field can look forward to a promising career and excellent compensation. To learn more about what you can do with a career as a data scientist, checkout this infographic created by Rutgers University’s Online Master of Information.
Persons interested in pursuing a career in this line of work should be prepared to go the distance in terms of their education. If we look at the current crop of data specialists, we will see that nearly half of them have a PhD at 48%. A further 44% have earned their master’s degree while only 8% have a bachelor’s degree. It is clear that a solid academic background will help in immensely both in gaining the knowledge required for this career as well as in impressing the important gatekeepers in various companies.
Getting certified is another good strategy in creating an excellent resume that will draw offers from the best names in the industry. There are four common certifications that are currently available. These are the Certified Analytics Professional (CAP), the Cloudera Certified Professional: Data Scientist (CCP-DS), the EMC: Data Science Associate (EMCDSA), and the SAS Certified Predictive Modeler. Each of these is geared towards specific competencies. Learn more about them to find out the best ones to take for the desired career path.
The explosion of data is a fairly recent phenomenon aided by digital computing and the Internet. Massive amounts of information are now being collected every day and companies are trying to make sense of these. The pioneers have been around for a while but the bulk of the scientists working with data have been on the job for only four years or less at 76%. It’s a good time to enter the field for those who want to be trailblazers in a fresh and exciting area of technology.
There are plenty of issues that are yet to be cleared up with data possibly providing a clear answer once and for all. In this field, practitioners are often relied upon to conduct research on open-ended industry and organization questions. They may also extract large volumes of data from various sources which is a non-trivial task. Then they must clean and remove irrelevant information to make their collections usable.
Once everything has been primed, the scientists then begin their analysis to check for weaknesses, trends and opportunities. The clues are all in their hands. They simply have to look for the markers and make intelligent connections. Those who are into development can create algorithms that will solve problems and build new automation tools. After they have compiled all of their findings, they must then effectively communicate the results to the non-technical members of the management.
Data scientists are well-compensated for their technical skills. Their average earnings will depend on their years of experience in the field.
