A Strategic Approach To Becoming a Data Scientist
By: Kurtis Pykes
Tags: Education, Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Advice, Technology

A Strategic Approach To Becoming a Data Scientist

Overcoming the difficulties of Breaking Into Data Science

Photo by Jaanus Jagomägi on Unsplash

Throughout this year, I’ve written many posts on becoming a Data Scientist:

For anyone aiming to become a Data Scientist, you ought to first address the elephant in the room… It is not easy to become a Data Scientist when you do not have a degree in a technical area or related work experience. Not to say that it is easy once you do have a technical degree or some-related work experience, it’s not as I’ve previously written in Getting A Data Science Job Is Harder Than Ever, but it sure is easier than someone with no technical background and a bunch of irrelevant work experience.

If you fall into this unfortunate category of “No technical degree, No related work experience” there's no need to curse the Gods or envy your past self for your decisions. However, you must be honest with yourself and identify that a CV for you, does not work in the same way it would for someone with a technical background, or experience, or both.

“A CV/Resume does not work in quite the same way as it would for someone that has a technical background and/or related experience”.

This may well be my ego, but I’ve never felt comfortable leaving my career in the hands of someone else (such as a recruiter or hiring manager). Why should someone else hold the key to what I want to become? If I want to be a Data Scientist, why must I wait for someone to approve of me? Isn’t what makes someone a Data Scientist the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data. As far as I’m concerned, that does not require a stamp of approval from any employer.

I feel as though the job hunt has now likened itself to the failed dating experience, where one person is trying to convince the other why they are more worthy than all the other people and they should be chosen ahead of them. What on earth happened to people getting to know each other to see if they are compatible? Isn’t both the employer and candidate looking for something? Shouldn’t they be checking to see whether they are compatible with one another rather than one person auditioning? Either way, I’ve always thought that if someone is going to be doing the chasing, it sure well isn’t going to be me! — Again… this may (definitely is) be my ego.

But how do you get the job opportunities to chase you?

If we go back to the example of dating, what makes all the ladies chase the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Chris Hemsworth, Brad Pitt, etc? They are Attractive!

“Simply, if you want companies and opportunities to chase you around, you've got to become attractive to the companies and opportunities.”

There’s always the argument that some people are simply blessed with the right genetics, fair play. Nonetheless, there are still some things that you can do to become more attractive, even if you haven't got the most chiseled jawline. This same wonder works miracles when applied to the business world, hence we can use it to our advantage if we want to become more attractive and fulfill your dream to be a Data Scientist.

Play the Game

When a guy is capable of snapping up all the ladies wherever he goes, we instantly say “he’s got game”. This is to signify that the person is equipped with skill or talent which express his suave, attractive, and charming qualities, in turn making them desirable.

There are two things in here that are extremely important for how we can sneak our way into becoming a Data Scientist:

The guy can show he’s got game because there are ladies where he goes

The expression of his skills makes him desired

Note: Excuse my one-sided expression of a male having game. A lady can also have lots of game.

We are never going to be capable of attracting any company to us if we are afraid of going where they are, part of playing the game involves going to where the other players are:

Meet Up

Social Media

Slack Communities & MORE

In fact, going where they are has a double effect. Not only do we learn new techniques and new ways to think and approach problems, but we also gain deep insight into the tendencies of these players— what makes them tick, and what doesn’t.

Any great salesperson would tell you that your ability to be empathetic and to satisfy your client's needs is what is going to allow you to put food on the plate for your family. Of course, it’s no different for business… they are made up of people aren’t they?

That completes the first part, but simply being where they are, listening, and feeling empathetic isn't enough to get opportunities attracted to us isn't enough — We’ve got to do something with what we’ve got. What is going to attract the companies to you is your expression of the skills you possess. This involves creating projects that express how you think and/or approach problems, but there is a very thin line that people cross which makes their problems obsolete and unattractive (in my opinion).

I was very careful to use the word “EXPRESS” because when you express something you are ultimately squeezing out the content from within yourself. All of the knowledge, information, and empathy that has been accumulated from being in the places the people are, will be felt when you come from a place of expression. Your solutions will be meaningful and relatable to people that are willing to pay you for your services — In other words, you have become attractive.

Opposingly, people would rather “SHOW” that they are capable of doing Data Science with their projects and to me, this holds a different meaning. When you’re showing your ability, it puts you in the position of the person chasing after the other one in the relationship. Just listen carefully to the language, “I will show you I am the one for you”, “I did this project to show…”. Do you see what I mean? It is a two-way relationship.

If you need a job, a company needs someone that can fill a role and do the job required. You both have needs, hence you both must identify whether you’re compatible with one another. Back to the dating world, someone that understands this doesn't come across as needy, thence making them appear more attractive — nobody finds neediness attractive.

Be “Like” A Duck

Do you know why Job Specifications ask for 3+ years of experience? Well, it's pretty clear. They are looking for evidence that you’re the type of person they are looking for. A person with 3+ years of experience would have faced some challenges that people with less experience would have faced.

There is a famous saying…

“If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck”.

They are looking for proof that you’re indeed a Duck.

A person with 3+ years of experience is expected to be someone who has skills that can be effectively applied to the work they have available. A person that can embody the type of person they want in the role they have available, which often involves the ability to produce results and work independently.

From reading this, you tell me if you think it takes 3 years to develop these traits — hopefully, you said no. Yes, It will require intense focus, drive, grit, and be results orientated. But these traits can be displayed in a number of ways of which I’ve written about in “You don’t need a Job To Get Data Science Experience”. Some examples of ways you can be more like a duck are by:

Volunteering

Pet Projects

Blogging

Networking

The key takeaway is that you don’t have to get paid to be called a Data Scientist. What makes a Data Scientist a Data Scientist is not solely down to the cheque that they are earning at the end of each month. If you are doing the things that Data Scientists do, essentially, you are a Data Scientist.

With the actions of a Data Scientist being employed on a daily basis, you would instantly begin to attract the things that come with being a Data Scientist, and one of those things include opportunities to be paid for your work since many businesses have seen the impact of data-driven decisions and artificial intelligence and are extremely keen on adopting it to develop a competitive advantage over their competition in business.

Sharpen Your Ax

It is fair to say, people whom we consider to have game didn't always have game and have faced their fair share of rejections — even to this day. Additionally, people that are Data Scientist today weren't always Data Scientist, the field isn't that old after all.

Underlying these 2 sneaky tactics is a fundamental skill that is required of every single Data Scientist no matter what… The constant desire to acquire and update your skills. Many people reading would have other responsibilities they must do to make ends meet, that’s cool. I’m not saying abandon these things. However, it’s vital that you constantly make time to develop new skills.

To learn more about how I sharpen my ax, check out:

To be a Data Scientist, you must continuously learn and update your skills. Always seek out new ways to do what you’re doing better. There are many things that help when you want to actively incorporate learning something new such as:

Allocating a dedicated hour

Getting Feedback

Learning from others experience

No matter how you go about it, if you want to be an attractive Data Scientist, you must possess this trait.

Wrap Up

I am not a dating coach (thank goodness), however, being able to relate difficult things like becoming a Data Scientist to day-to-day activities helps me break problems down and simplify them into meaningful actionable steps. I know some may argue that a human simply acting like a Dog wouldn't actually make the human a dog, but naturally, we would question their humanity.

I don’t believe being a Data Scientist is something attributed to you because you’re being paid for it, this is the reason I really despise the term “Aspiring Data Scientist”. Instead of aspiring, why not be it? Do the work a Data Scientist does, and if you don’t know, find out. Then do it! Becoming more attractive will correspond with the number of opportunities you will be given, and how you present yourself is totally in your control.

And that’s your strategic path right there!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. The best way to stay connected with me is through LinkedIn…

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