A data science career integrates various areas, which include data analysis, statistics, computer science, and machine learning. If you just finished your data science course or you are new to the job, you will undoubtedly find it really intimidating. However, you should remember that companies that are looking for data scientists are in search of specific skills and roles, so you don’t have to be proficient in all fields.

An essential tip for those who are looking for a job as a data scientist is to read the job descriptions carefully. This will allow you to apply to the jobs that you know you are qualified for, or you can find time to hone certain skills that the job needs for you to continue pursuing the job. Here are four types of data science jobs that you can choose from.

 

Data Science Generalists. Generalists are typically what most companies look for. If you’re a generalist, it’s possible that you won’t be working in a data company but in a business that needs someone to gather data plus other skills like touch production coding, analysis, and visualizing data, among others. Data generalists are sought-of by companies that deal with big data at the same time dealing with confusing and disorganized data sets.

 

Data Analysts. These specific individuals are most often confused with being THE true data scientists. They are tasked to produce raw data visualizations, report dashboards, pull data from SQL databases, and are expected to be Tableau or Excel masters. Some companies may ask analysts to explore and evaluate A/B test results. Better yet, they may be hired to become the head of their company’s Analytics account.

 

Machine Learning Engineers. In a lot of companies, the data analysis program is their product or what they are selling. If this is the case, data analysis or machine learning in the company is quite concentrated. This entails the data scientist to be specifically proficient in mathematics, physics, or statistics. Machine learning engineers are tasked to produce large amounts of data-driven products, and they are not so much into responding to operational queries. The usual employers of machine learning engineers are consumer-facing businesses or those that provide data-based services.

 

Data Engineers. They are most wanted in companies that have a heavy load of data and a lot of traffic. Data engineers set up this data into a specific structure that the company needs to progress. They also provide more analysis and less machine learning and statistic skills. If you’re interested in this job, you’ll want to look for posting under both ‘data engineers’ and ‘data scientists.’ In companies looking for data engineers, there are less training opportunities for first-level data scientists, so you’ll have the chance to grow through trial by fire.

Which Category Do You Think Will You Shine?

So where do you think are you most qualified to work in? Have you decided?

Hopefully, the article has given you an insight into the scope of the data scientist. When you are looking for the best type of job that will match your skillset, don’t forget to read and understand the job description and make sure you have what it takes to apply for the specific job. Who knows? You might be more than qualified to take on the job that you really are built for!