4 answers
Rachel
Student
Upton, Massachusetts
5
Questions
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What kinds of connections or experiences will I need in order to launch a career in data science?
I am a high school student planning on going to college to major in marine biology and data science. I am looking for what experience or opportunities I should look out for in order to create a successful career in data science after college. #career-development #career #career-choice #future-careers #career-counseling #career-development #datascience
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4 answers
Tony Harder
Business Intelligence
2
Answers
Nashville, Tennessee
Updated
Tony’s Answer
Hi there!
The top traits in becoming a data scientist in my opinion are to be curious, observant, good communication, and to think outside the box. A lot of engineers grads in my experience make very good Data Scientists. What turns a good Data Scientists into a great Data Scientists is the ability to communicate highly technical information in laymen terms to others, so that they don't have to necessarily understand all the finite details of your analysis.
My advice while in school and outside would be:
1) Be good with your math skills and learn as much as you can in this area during school
2) Be ready for people to challenge your analysis/theories (back yourself up with facts/data)
3) Challenge "the way things have always been" - new thinking/innovation leads to great things
4) Be organized and keep a short list of facts/details you can refer to quickly to keep folks engaged
Awesome that you already have this vision in high school!
The top traits in becoming a data scientist in my opinion are to be curious, observant, good communication, and to think outside the box. A lot of engineers grads in my experience make very good Data Scientists. What turns a good Data Scientists into a great Data Scientists is the ability to communicate highly technical information in laymen terms to others, so that they don't have to necessarily understand all the finite details of your analysis.
My advice while in school and outside would be:
1) Be good with your math skills and learn as much as you can in this area during school
2) Be ready for people to challenge your analysis/theories (back yourself up with facts/data)
3) Challenge "the way things have always been" - new thinking/innovation leads to great things
4) Be organized and keep a short list of facts/details you can refer to quickly to keep folks engaged
Awesome that you already have this vision in high school!
Wen D
Data Science
7
Answers
Auckland, New Zealand
Updated
Wen’s Answer
Connection wise, I personally don't think you need any pre-connection to start working in the field, but it does help you find a good job to start with.
Experience wise, absolutely, the more experience you have, the easier you can find a job, generally speaking. Of course, there are other factors baking into it as well.
Experience wise, absolutely, the more experience you have, the easier you can find a job, generally speaking. Of course, there are other factors baking into it as well.
Nicole Baillie
Data Analyst
483
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Nicole’s Answer
Hi Rachel D.
So glad that you are already thinking ahead about how to make your career a successful one. I offer a few suggestions on experiences. 1) Do your very best in all of your statistics classes. 2)If possible, take on summer programs or volunteer activities where you get to apply the fundamentals in the use of statistics. Examples include comparing contrasting means or test/control studies 3)Get as much practice as you can in writing up conclusions to your studies. Consider ways in which you would share the results of your studies with someone who knows very little about your work, in a way that helps them understand the relevance of your work.
The good news...there is no shortage of data to study on which to develop a data science career. With this abundance, you get a chance to practice the underlying fundamentals and techniques that can make individuals successful in this exciting field.
Best of luck to you!
So glad that you are already thinking ahead about how to make your career a successful one. I offer a few suggestions on experiences. 1) Do your very best in all of your statistics classes. 2)If possible, take on summer programs or volunteer activities where you get to apply the fundamentals in the use of statistics. Examples include comparing contrasting means or test/control studies 3)Get as much practice as you can in writing up conclusions to your studies. Consider ways in which you would share the results of your studies with someone who knows very little about your work, in a way that helps them understand the relevance of your work.
The good news...there is no shortage of data to study on which to develop a data science career. With this abundance, you get a chance to practice the underlying fundamentals and techniques that can make individuals successful in this exciting field.
Best of luck to you!
Great Answer!
Mark Berquist
Sophia Cofone
Risk Assurance and ESG Associate
22
Answers
Boston, Massachusetts
Updated
Sophia’s Answer
Hi! I would recommend learning about what other people are posting/working on in the data science community. Reddit and Medium are options to learn more about cool DS projects. From there, you can learn what careers the poster has, how they got there, etc. If you are starting to create your own projects, I would also recommend posting them so you can get feedback and potentially people interested in working with you in the future!