Data Science is a multi-disciplinary field where one uses algorithms, processes, scientific methods and systems to generate meaningful insights and knowledge from structured and unstructured data. And believe me there is a lot of data generated in this age of internet. Data Science is a multi-disciplinary field where one uses algorithms, processes, scientific methods and systems to generate meaningful insights and knowledge from structured and unstructured data. And believe me there is a lot of data generated in this age of internet.
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/data-generated-each-day-full.html
According to the above infographic, we are expected to generate more than 436 Exabytes of data in 2025. That’s mindboggling but get this, over ninety percent of data today was created in the last two years. Much of the raw unprocessed data is meaningful at first glance but data scientists can gain a lot after doing their work on it. It may look like magic but it isn’t. There is a scientific method involved.
Data Science is the evolution of statistics with computing. While the exact fields are not agreed upon universally, the fact that one can use data science interchangeably with business analytics, business intelligence, predictive modelling or statistics should give you an idea of its scope. Moreover Machine learning, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence are closely associated with data science.
What data science is (and is not)
Let’s start by understanding what data science is not.
It isn’t purely software engineering.
It is not purely data visualization.
It is not purely scientific in nature. Data scientists don’t usually publish scientific papers.
You are expected to do some dealings in the above fields but they aren’t your main fields of work.
Then what will I be expected to do as a data scientist?
You will have to identify the data-analytics problems that offer greatest opportunities to the organization.
You will have to determine the correct data sets and variables.
You will have to collect large sets of structured and unstructured data from entirely different sources.
You will have to clean and validate the data to ensure accuracy, completeness and uniformity.
You will have to devise and apply models and algorithms to mine big data.
You will analyze the data to identify patterns and trends.
You will interpret the data to discover solutions and opportunities.
And you will communicate the findings to stakeholders using visualization and other means.
Data Scientists on an average earn more than 7 lakh INR per years. And thus it is no wonder that DJ Patil, ex- Chief Data Scientist of the United States Office of Science and Technology Policy, named Data Scientist as the most sexiest job of the 21st century.
What do I need to do to get started in data science?
Do you . . .
Hold a degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, management information systems, or marketing?
Have substantial work experience in any of these areas?
Have an interest in data collection and analysis?
Enjoy individualized work and problem solving?
Communicate well both verbally and visually?
Or, want to broaden your skills and take on new challenges?
Well, you can get started by watching some videos on YouTube to get your feet wet. If you think this field is the right for you, join classrooms. There are many who provide online, offline or both types of classrooms to learn the trade. Or, get a post-graduation diploma or a degree from a university.To curb this, various python tutorial are available through which one can master python and begin career as a python developer.
In any case join communities on forums, reddit and other social platforms to be in touch with the current trends in the field.