Career in Data Science

Eligibility

Successful data scientists come from a number of different disciplines: engineering, statistics, econometrics, computer science, physics, applied mathematics, and other interrelated disciplines. While programming and statistical expertise is the foundation for any data scientist, a strong background in business and strategy can help move your career forward.

Skills required

Due to its multi-disciplinary nature, Data Science requires you to have a mix of technical and business skills including knowledge of mathematics, statistics, computer science and hacking/coding, coupled with substantial expertise in business or a field of science. Knowledge about the concepts of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are also beneficial.

A data analyst requires to have-

Strong analytical skills

Effective communication & presentation skills are also critical for a data analyst as this aids the management and understanding of data & paves way for good decisions.

Basic use of statistical tools and fast mathematical calculations

Ability to work with large numbers and calculations

Good grasp of programming languages like Java, Perl, C/C++, Python, etc.

Extensive knowledge of data analytics software like SAS, R, Hadoop and Tableau.

Familiarity with SQL database techniques.

Critical reasoning skills and problem-solving ability

Data visualization and communication ability

Scope

Data scientists are in demand, and candidates with the right mix of skills will be rewarded with a lucrative career. The demand for data scientists is huge, the number is said to be much higher than the available candidates.

Data scientist roles are not constrained to one dominant industry. Financial services, manufacturing and logistics sectors are all trending as emerging markets, together with a recent growth in popularity of government-focused data scientist roles. However, we expect the role of the data scientist to be ubiquitous across all industries. That said, companies are looking for industry-specific experience, so make sure you research your preferred sector and hone your skills to make your CV stand out to recruiters.

Job profiles such as Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Big Data Engineer, and Statistician are being largely hunted by companies.

Data Science is big deal across many industries, from retail to government to biotechnology to sectors like :

Energy

Finance

Gaming and hospitality

Government

Health care

Insurance

Internet

Manufacturing

Pharmaceutical

Retail

Telecom

Travel and transportation

Utilities

Some of the top Indian companies that hire data scientists-

Service-based company- Fractal Analytics, Mu Sigma, Citibank, HCL, Uber, Goldman Sachs, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, Accenture, KPMG, E & Y & Capgemini.

Product-based company- Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm, Haptik etc

SaaS-based company- Wingify, WebEngage, etc.

Companies have recognized the immense business value which can be delivered using data. Google, Amazon, Face-book, Baidu are just some of the companies which have made investments in data products

Some of the colleges offering courses in Data Science

Thus, to build a career as a Data Scientist, degrees in Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Engineering, Computer Science, etc. can help form a good base. Some of the top undergraduate colleges offering degrees in Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Computer science which helps in building base for a career in Data Science:

Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), multiple locations

Delhi University (Various colleges)

IIT Kanpur offers B.Tech (various branches), B.S. in Mathematics and Scientific Computing

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Multiple locations offers Integrated course BS-MS program for science befitted students.

For post-graduation, you could pursue a postgraduate degree in business

analytics, big data, data science, or any of the other fields mentioned before (Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, etc.)

Some top PG Institutes to build a career in Data Science/ Data Analytics

Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad offers Certificate in Business Analytics (CBA)

IIM Bangalore- offers Programme in Business Analytics and Intelligence

IIM Calcutta offers Adv-ance program in data science

IIT Kharagpur (ISI, IIT Kharagpur and IIM Calcutta joint program

offer Post Graduate Diploma in Business Analytics

IIM Lucknow offers Certificate program in business analytics for executives (CPBAE)

IIT Bombay offers PG Diploma in Business Analytics

S.P Jain School of Global Management offers Certificate Program in Big Data and Visual Analytics

National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) offers PG Diploma in Data Science

Some popular data science certifications include the following:

Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) - The Cap Program

Certified Specialist in Predictive Analytics (CSPA) - The CAS Institute

Cloudera Certified Professional: CCP Data Engineer - Cloudera

IAPA Analytics Credentials - IAPA

SAS Academy for Data Science - SAS Institute

SAS Certified Big Data Professional/Data Scientist - SAS Institute

Simplilearn Data Science Certification Training - Simplilearn

Teradata Aster Analytics Certification - Teradata

There are a lot of people in India who are already very well-trained with quantitative, mathematical, and statistical skills. But if you really want to be a data scientist, you need cutting-edge skills as Data are becoming the new raw material of business.

3 strategies useful for making career in Data Science are:

Start building and upgrading your skills by getting trained from the experts in the industry.