Do you know what skills do you need to be a data scientist? The field of data science is a field that is growing at an expected rate of 28 percent. For open positions in the United States, there are approximately 24,697 positions open on LinkedIn. The world needs more data scientists, they can’t fill the jobs fast enough. Fintech experts such as those at Cane Bay Partners say that data science is the world of innovative ideas, and the field is having an incredible impact on the world.
What Skills do you need to be a Data Scientist?
If you want to enter this exciting field, there are some basic skills that you will need to have. Here are the starting skills you need to have to consider a career in this growing field.
Education Needed for Data Science
There are many people who will say you don’t need a degree to be a data scientist. This is true. You don’t need a degree to do a lot of jobs, but most places will not hire you without some educational expertise in the field. You also need a degree in practical skills needed for this job. Have a look on LinkedIn at job listings for data scientists, and see how those job requirements stack up to your current education or educational goals.
Most jobs in data science will require a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree. Some will ask for a Master’s degree as well. Others will not, and you can get some education required for this field from Python Certification online courses.
The most common degrees for data scientist jobs are computer science, math, statistics, and engineering. An advanced math degree could help you in this field as well.
Programming Skills
Data science is the field of working on data, analyzing it, and turning it into something that a company can use. You need programming skills or at least a basic fundamental knowledge of the language. Start with learning and understanding the basics of SQL, R, Python, and SAS. You won’t need to use every programming language for the field of data science, but having a firm grasp of each is beneficial.
Python is a language that all data scientists can relate to. This language enables you to filter big data and implement it into web or software applications for deep and machine learning. This is the most common programming language used by data scientists.
R programming is another common tool used by data scientists, with strong mathematical language. A data scientist will use data with this language to provide visualizations that can help a business see what the data means in a more easily interpreted way.
SQL helps data scientists learn the relationships between different queries and analyze them across multiple databases. SAS is a more expensive tool when statistical applications are required. If you want to be a data scientist, this language only feels intimidating to start. You can learn them through Bachelor’s programs or online courses specific to these programming languages alone.
Become a Data Scientist
If you are interested in joining the exciting field of data science, you’ll need to start with the basic skills of education and programming language. You may not need an advanced degree to succeed, however, you will need some basic math and statistical analysis skills, along with some computer and tech expertise. A study on programming language will help you to land secure jobs as well. Start your research on how to become a data scientist today and become part of this growing field.
