Key Skills to Become a Successful Data Scientist
Data Science is the most emerging career with immense capability to empower practically every industry under the sun. In this hyper-connected world, people are hooked to the internet in more than many ways, uploading their data, stating their queries and acquiring their demand. This deluge of data both structured and in unstructured format from the web, is explored, analyzed with special data tools to give solutions to problems. With the ability to store this data in an efficient and cost-effective manner, every market segment is aspiring to exploit data in order to gain a competitive advantage. Data science has invariably lent its mileage from statistics and forecasting area to impact every business scenario and across all government sectors to provide customized data solutions to increase efficiency, bring profit and cut cost. How to become a Data Scientist? You need an undergraduate degree either in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering or Physics. These subjects pave the way for a successful career in Data Science. Students who love to play with numbers especially Algebra and Calculus and have an inquisitive personality are most suitable for this career. Most data scientists either have a Master’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics or Computer Science or Engineering. Education • Mathematics courses that emphasize algorithm analysis, linear algebra and data structures • Applied statistics including probability distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression • Computer Science courses related to database management and administration • Programming courses in programming languages like Java, C++, R, and Python There are many massive open online courses (MOOCs) providers like Coursera, Udacity, and edX that provide online data science courses, however, the most coveted certifications in data science are: • INFORMS: Certified Analytics Professional • Cloudera: Cloudera Certified Professional (CCP): Data Scientist • Columbia University: Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences • Digital Analytics Association: Web Analyst Certification • EMC: Data Scientist Associate Certification • SAS: Certified Big Data Professional • SAS: Certified Data Scientist • TDWI: Certified Business Intelligence Professional