7 Things New Data Science Grads Look for in a Job
By: Opex Analytics
Tags: Data Science, Growth Strategy, Career Advice, Data Scientist, Hiring

7 Things New Data Science Grads Look for in a Job

by Gabriella Runnels

Data scientists are in high demand these days. According to Bloomberg, job postings for data scientists increased by 75 percent in the last three years, and a report by McKinsey & Company warns that the United States alone might face a shortage of 1.5 million data scientists in 2018. In fact, your company probably wants to hire data scientists right now — but what do data scientists want?

More and more students graduate from programs in data science or related fields each year, and these grads have a lot to think about when choosing which companies to apply for and which positions ultimately to accept. If you want to attract top data science talent to your organization, you need to figure out what these candidates really care about.

So what do recent data science grads consider before taking a job? Here are their seven major considerations:

Continuing Education & Skill Development

Recent grads know they still have a lot to learn. Many new data scientists prioritize job opportunities that will allow them to hone their analytical abilities, practice their public speaking and communication skills, and continue to learn and grow as technical professionals. Jayson, a recent graduate of LSU’s MS Analytics program who currently works at Hitachi Vantara, understands the importance of continued professional development. “Being able to learn and grow in your skills is vitally important in this field,” Jayson said. “Keep your skills sharp, or you can fall behind the times super quick.”

Companies can support employee education in several ways. An important asset for a new data scientist is access to supportive mentors. Having a more experienced colleague or manager who has the skill and patience to act as a mentor can be crucial in a new data scientist’s professional development. In addition, financial and cultural support from the company for conference attendance, online courses, and educational materials shows potential hires that management is serious about helping employees continue to develop their skills.

Ability to Make an Impact

Many data science grads want to find a role where they will be able to make a difference. While recent grads know they can expect to start out in an entry-level role, many new data scientists will opt to work for a company that gives them greater responsibilities early on. Desired responsibilities may be different for different candidates — some may prefer to get right into advanced modeling, while others might be eager to get facetime with clients, or be involved in project management.

Jung-Hee, who completed her Master’s in Analytics from Northwestern University in 2015 and now works as a data scientist here at Opex Analytics, said that what ultimately drew her to Opex was the opportunity to make an impact. “Since the project teams are small,you have a lot of ownership of your work and have a lot of smart people to bounce ideas off of,” said Jung-Hee.

Culture & Environment

There’s no single culture that will work well for everyone, but a positive, supportive, and fun workplace community can go a long way in drawing candidates. “One of the biggest things to me is whether or not I like the feel of company when I go to interview,” said Jayson. “If I do not like the atmosphere or the people seem disingenuous, it is an automatic ‘no’ for me.”

For most candidates, the people you deal with at a company — including coworkers, managers, and even clients — are a large factor in determining if the environment will be a good fit. Sanjeevni, who graduated from Northwestern’s MS in Analytics in 2015 and currently works as a data scientist at Opex, agrees, saying that “colleagues who have a good sense of humor and don’t take themselves too seriously are great.” Companies that are people-focused and make an effort to create a positive and enjoyable work environment are also very attractive to new data science grads.

Tools & Techniques

For many candidates, flexibility to solve problems using the tools they see fit is an important criterion when evaluating a position. A company that affords data scientists free reign to use the right tool for the job is often seen as highly appealing and appreciative of the technical expertise data scientists bring to the table. Other prospective employees strongly value the ability to use cutting-edge tech and view firms that embrace such advanced techniques as forward-thinking. Becca, a 2017 graduate of Georgia Tech’s MS Analytics degree and a data scientist at Ernst & Young, looked for jobs that would allow her to directly apply the specialized knowledge she gained in her master’s program. “I knew I wanted to work at a company that employs cutting-edge tools, and it was important to me that I would be able to utilize advanced machine learning techniques to solve business problems,”said Becca.

Industry & Domain Knowledge

While some data science grads might prefer to work in a particular industry, most grads are open to a variety of different domains. However, most would agree that project variety is still important. Candidates with less experience often want to gain exposure to a diverse set of problems early in their career, especially if they want to specialize in a particular kind of field later on in their career. Even if they accept a position that primarily focuses on one domain (e.g., retail or manufacturing), new data science graduates benefit from working on different kinds of data science problems within that domain. Companies that offer a variety of projects and problems for data scientists to work on will be more attractive to new grads.

Opportunities for Career Growth

Some new data scientists hope to remain in a highly technical role throughout their careers, while others would prefer to transition into a management or leadership position. Regardless of the type of role they aim for, it’s important to many new data science grads to have opportunities for advancement and professional growth. The role of “data scientist” is new in many companies, and the career trajectory of a data scientist may not have been thoroughly mapped out by leaders in the organization. “The field [of data science] is still new and sprawling,” said Jung-Hee. “And when companies say they want a ‘data scientist,’ it may not match up to your career goals as a data scientist.”

For many data scientists starting out in their careers, it is frustrating when they don’t see a clear larger goal to pursue within the company. While some data science grads might not be aware of how vital the potential for career growth is when choosing their first jobs, the importance usually becomes clearer with the passage of time. In order to ensure their data science positions are highly attractive to recent grads, companies should make an effort to map out a typical data scientist’s career trajectory and clearly define opportunities for growth and promotion within the organization.

Compensation

Last but not least, candidates care about salary and benefits. Talented data scientists are in high demand, and skilled applicants can generally expect to receive several impressive offers. Like most prospective employees, data science grads consider all aspects of an offer, including base salary, signing bonus, relocation assistance, yearly bonus structure, options, health insurance, paid time off, and transportation and cell phone benefits. However, non-financial benefits, including a flexible work schedule, training opportunities, and other improvements to quality of life, loom particularly large for data science candidates. Companies should be aware of what perks are common in the marketplace in order to make competitive offers that suit their organizational needs.

New grads evaluate many different aspects of a potential company during the job-hunting process. While it may sound like a tall order for any one company to offer all of these things, putting in an effort in a few of these key areas could make you a top choice for talented data science graduates on the job market.

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