Want to Be a Data Scientist? Here’s What You Should Know

There’s no shortage of digital data these days – it’s the most abundant byproduct of the information age.

In 2009, for instance, we generated more data than in the previous five millennia combined,says Dave Evans, Chief Futurist for Cisco Systems.

That’s a lot of data!

As businesses and government agencies increasingly seek to make use of the massive amounts of data they collect, a new IT pro is emerging: the data scientist.

For those considering careers in IT and people already working in the field, the growing focus on Big Data offers a ton of great opportunities. IT research firm Gartner has predicted that over the next few years more than 4 million Big Data jobs will be created.

Interested in becoming a data scientist? Here’s what you need to know:

What does a data scientist do?

Data scientists brings order – and meaning — to chaos. They curate, organize and analyze the massive amount of data organizations collect every day.

Then they put the data to work.

In the private sector, that may mean predicting market trends, or helping a company more effectively communicate with its customers based on analysis of data that reveals how they make decisions.

In government, the Obama Administration says it’s investing $200 million in the Big Data Research and Development Initiative aimed at using Big Data to make gains in science, national security and teaching.

“What sets a data specialist apart is the ability to handle large amounts of complex data in an efficient way,” says Brandon Peters of online form builder Formstack.

What personality traits should a data scientist have?

Data scientists are driven by curiosity. Analytical, yet creative, they revel  in making connections between seemingly disparate data points; creating questions and answering them; and making discoveries.

“[They have] extraordinary intelligence, a natural intuitiveness, a mind that can grasp abstract notions and a willingness to listen to the data over preconceived ideas,” says Byron Reese chief innovation officer at Demand Media. “Pocket protectors are optional.”

What does a data scientist need to know?

Data scientists are are hybrids with backgrounds in science, math, computer science and programming. They enjoy working with statistics, semantics, algorithms, analytics and the like.

Many data scientists are rooted in computer science, though they also come from other fields, such mathematics, science and finance.

No matter their primary background, data scientists should able to write code and be familiar with the latest database technologies.

What kind of education does a data scientist need?

While a handful colleges and universities have hopped on the Big Data train, there aren’t  many degree programs offered for the field. Aspiring data scientists, however,  can cobble together their own curriculum.

“Take some classes in statistics, economics and computer programming,” says Kristen Carney, cofounder of data firm Cubit.

For undergraduate studies, Paul Engel of Knowledge Capital Consulting suggests:

• At least Calculus III
• Probability and Stats
• Applied Regression
• Programming