“A data scientist is someone who is better at statistics than any software engineer and better at software engineering than any statistician.” ~DataCamp
Data is a collection of information (usually numerical, such as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation. It can be texts or numbers written on papers, or it can be bytes and bits inside the memory of electronic devices, or it could be facts that are stored inside a person’s mind.
In computing, raw data is the direct result of research that was conducted as part of a study or survey. This primary source data is then processed and translated into a form that can be analyzed and interpreted in an efficient manner. Big data is basically a huge amount of complex data (i.e. stock market, social media) that changes too rapidly for processing by traditional database management tools.
Formerly the domain of scientific and social research, data analysis is also at the core of business and politics today. Currently, hundreds of IT professionals across the nation are scouring through voter data from the 2020 Presidential Election in search of anomalies, discrepancies, and other issues which indicate fraud, such as statistically impossible ballot ratios and patterns of votes being switched from Trump to Biden.
Many people are intrigued by the idea of data science and wonder how they themselves can become data scientists. But let’s face it: for someone unfamiliar with the field, all of the tools, courses, and applications for learning data science can seem like a jungle of complex information.
DataCamp is a self-paced online learning platform that teaches individuals and companies the skills they need to work with data in the real world. They even have interactive programs to help you learn data analysis for free.
As experts in their field, the DataCamp team decided to synthesize everything they know about becoming a data scientist into eight steps. They created an infographic meant both for those interested in learning data science for the first time, and existing data scientists looking to hone their skills.
If you are thinking about becoming a data scientist, do not be taken aback by the eight steps that are presented in the infographic. The DataCamp team says, “We would like to emphasize that becoming a data scientist takes time and personal investment, but that the journey is everything but dull!”
Here are the 8 steps:
- Get good at stats, math and machine learning.
- Learn how to code.
- Understand databases.
- Master data munging, visualization and reporting.
- Level up with big data.
- Get experience, practice and meet fellow data scientists.
- Internship, bootcamp, or get a job.
- Follow and engage with the community.
You can download the full infographic here, as well as view it below:
