The most sought-after tips for the students who want to start a career in Data Science
By: Mounika Chithaluri
Tags: Médium, Data Science, Students, Artificial Intelligence

The most sought-after tips for the students who want to start a career in Data Science Mounika Chithaluri Apr 1·6 min read

Data science is the most sought-after career option for students in India. Its importance is increasing in the upcoming years as well.

Learning data science is not an easy task for beginners. Due to umpteen free resources on the web, there will be more doubting Thomases and having to deal with different questions like the tools, techniques, and programming languages to cover statistics and mathematics? Which are the tools to learn R or Python?

To subdue this chaos, we come up with a simple framework that clarifies your thoughts on the journey of data science.

Let’s get into the essential tips to mind before opting for the data science course.

Data Science Image

1. Decide the role by yourself.

In a data science course, we will have the opportunity to try out different roles like data engineer, machine learning expert, data scientist, data visualization expert, etc. But you are not the machine to cover all areas that lead you nowhere. So, there is the need to restrict yourselves to one particular role according to your skills and previous academic background.

Getting into one role would become a piece of cake if you are well-informed about it. The actual problem arises when you are obscure about the process.

But wait!

We are here to furnish you with the best possible practices you should adopt before opting for the role.

● Firstly, you must have talks with the industry experts to get into an in-depth analysis of each role.

● Secondly, do not hesitate to ask or seek help from the people as your mentors.

● Thirdly, you must know yourself first to figure out the choices you think.

Lastly, think twice before opting for the role you want to dive into but never jump into the role in haste without getting clarification.

2. Go for the crash Course.

Once you clear with the choice of role, then the next step is to dive into the crash course to have strong fundamentals on the particular area of interest. This short-term course can take up with Massive Open Online Courses available freely on the web. You can go for paid courses with certification.

Always seek to have an in-depth understanding of the role. Be proactive in following the lectures, complete the assignments on time, and all the relevant discussions on the particular subject.

3. Choose your hands-on tool and programming language.

The most sought-after question for the freshers in this particular field is the type of tool and language that needs to learn to implement in the course ahead. There is not any straight answer for this query. It depends on the individual and their skill in the particular coding language. After all, programming tools are required to emphasize the look and feel of the program. For that purpose, you can use handy GUI tools, and later you can learn it anyway. In general, the coding concept is more subsidiary than the type of tools and language we followed in the process.

4. Engage with Peers through forums and Class groups

One of the most important things that need to remind during the course duration is engaging with peers who pursue the course in a similar environment. This complacency helps you to get motivated to the objective of the program. It enables you to think out of the box and aids in performing the tasks with more creativity.

It is to recommend that, prefer interactions with peers personally. It will help you to draw the scenario happening around your circle. If that is not the case, you can join technical discussions through virtual forums.

5. Adopt a practical approach.

One of the most crucial facts to mind while pursuing any course is a practical approach to it. Practical learning implies the application of theoretical knowledge to the practical problems that exist in the real world. For this, theoretical knowledge acts as a strong base.

Here are some of the tips you should adopt in practical learning.

● Finish all the exercises, assignments related to the subject to have a grip over the applications.

● Start with simple data sets to apply your learning. Sometimes you can get stuck in complex problems but try to comprehend the problems with your assumptions. It lets you develop a great sense of understanding of the subjects where your interest lies.

● After interpretation, test your result with the solutions that existed in the field. It will make you prepare for further analytical problems.

The feasible way to enhance your profile in the subject you choose is participation in the data science competitions. It will enable you to prepare for the role on a much easier note.

Do you follow the right resource? Once you entail in the course, then you should start engulfing with the right help. Follow the experts in your area of interest with the motive of gaining knowledge on the current trends. They do update with the latest developments on the field through their blogs and social media handles.

Read data science every day to keep yourself updated with the daily happenings on the field. Avoid impractical resources and incorrect practices if you find any.

6. Never ignore Communication Skills.

One thing we should never try to escape is communication that plays a crucial role in day-to-day life. It is the fundamental ornament that every student must wear. Good communication skills help you share your ideas clearly with the other person. You will have the chance to explore opportunities further with communication. It is not recommendable to ignore the communication part once you are confident about the concept. There are umpteen cases where the right candidates get rejected due to less communication. Great ideas with good communication make you stand out among the crowd. It is advisable to habituate English in your daily life to master communication skills in a short period.

7. Network at the right time.

A good network can help you bring out the best in you if you collaborate well with the seniors. It gives you to lead more effectively in the field. You will get to know the type of connections you want to make in the area for further career growth. Most Importantly, the network eases your job search in data science.

At the maiden stage of the data science course, it is not advisable to concentrate more on the networking part. It won’t fetch you great results that will eat your valuable time. At this stage, you need to focus on learning. Later you can attend industry events, conferences, meetups, and hackathons in your area of interest.

It would help you make your mark in the community of data science. But don’t waste time to grow it initially.

8. Don’t miss SQL.

Data Science deals with the management of data. For that purpose, there is a need to learn Structured Query Language (SQL) before venturing into the course. It is a mandatory skill for data science professionals. SQL is the query language uses to manage data stored in the relational database. It is a standard programming language mainly designed to retrieve data from the tables present in databases.

It’s easy to learn SQL with the help of installing an open-source database. MySQL is one such database where we can create our queries to retrieve the data stored in our relational databases. MYSQL is suitable for all types of Operating Systems.

SQL professionals are required for the organizations to sort out the issues related to the data store techniques and all. So, it’s an added advantage on your resume if you are well-versed with the skill.

9. Build your Resume.

All that hard work pays off with only the single resume which we would carry to the interview. A Good updated Resume needs to be authentic as well as an attention stealer of the interviewer. The headlines that impress the interviewer are Skills, Certifications, Projects, and Internships, technical websites like Github, Stackoverflow, etc., related to the role. So, it is mandatory to complete all the relevant activities before roll-out on the field.

First and foremost, students should come up with an ingenuine interest in the course. Then the article we furnish on the most sought-after tips helps you explore the course insights.

You are not alone. We are with you!