As is typical with the rapidly expanding and constantly evolving spectrum of business digital development, new job roles have surfaced over the years to fulfil the demands and requirements of these changes. With the rise of big data in recent years, demand for a new type of specialist has arisen to help businesses – especially market leaders and big corporates – understand, interpret, analyse and manipulate data to keep them on the forefront of their particular industries.
Data scientists – a term that has been around for some time but has now evolved to cater to the current demand that big data has summoned – have become some of the highest-paid and most in-demand specialists around the world.
What Does A Data Scientist Do?
Data scientists are problem solvers by nature. They take vast volumes of data (i.e., big data) and find solutions that rapidly interpret the data and draw statistical conclusions as a result. Large companies currently have massive amounts of information at their disposal, all of which can be of immense potential financial value. But with no real way to interpret this data without it costing a fortune and taking far too long to remain competitive, a new specialist is called for. Enter the data scientist. A large part of this person’s role involves an understanding of machine learning, data analysis, and research because a data scientist has to solve existing problems but also seek out potential opportunities and solutions to keep their employers ahead of the game.
What Is Required To Become A Data Scientist?
Several data science pioneers were previously trained and qualified in the fields of mathematics, analytical science, machine learning engineering, or business analysis. To be fully capable of dealing with the role, one would require a specialized degree in one of these fields with supplementary degrees for the others, since it is a very tightly integrated practice that demands an in-depth understanding of mathematics, science, engineering, data and business practice.
Now that demand for data scientists has surged, universities and other tertiary learning facilities have adapted their offerings to cater for this by creating one course to cover all of the required areas of knowledge. Meanwhile, to keep up with the demand, existing engineers, former SQL business analysts and other experts in their respective fields, have been recruited and ‘upscaled’ in terms of their expertise, to assist companies with their big data analysis needs.
If you are already in the field of machine learning, deep learning, or data visualisation and have a keen understanding of how a business operates, you’ll have a solid footing to get into what is considered to now be the hottest job title to have in the tech industry.
If you’re looking for a job in data science, upload your CV and we’ll put you in touch with some of the best companies to work for in the data science industry.
