Data science is one of those terms that feel convoluted until you get down to the bare bones of it. It is essentially the study of data and involves developing new methods of recording, storing, and analyzing data to effectively extract the useful information within that data.
What Does a Data Scientist Do?
Now that we have a better understanding as to what data science is, the question is regarding what data scientists themselves do. This vocation is part of a data science department. This department provides services to other departments within the organization and helps solve complex problems using that data.
Many of the biggest companies in the world are actively hiring data scientists to glean valuable information about the way that they do business. Macys, Micron Technology, and the Walt Disney Company are just a few that are hiring for this relatively new position.
How to Arrive in a Career in Data Science
In essence, data scientists are researchers. They often require advanced training in something like computer science, a different scientific field, or a mathematical field. They also generally require skills such as computational fluency, programming, scientific methodology, advanced math ability, and even soft skills like collaboration and communication.
A strong candidate for a data scientist position that has a combination of all of these skills is known as a unicorn since there is a general shortage of candidates that have all of these skills in their repertoire. There are new development platforms and machine learning technologies that have made it easier for data scientists to accurately perform much of the aspects of computational functions.
Data scientists work largely with machine learning, which ties closely into artificial intelligence. This is the method of using machines to teach. It is still very much a raw and new technology, but the potential is quite high.
Data scientists will continue to be at the forefront of this movement, an integral part in the effort to gather essential data in new ways.