Let’s face it. We consumers have high expectations when it comes to engaging with most brands. We look for exactly when we want, when we want it and choose to interact with an organization when it’s convenient.
Businesses know this too of course but meeting those high expectations is anything but easy for most of them. They know the answer often lies within the data we produce through our digital habits (think for example, Amazon ‘s recommendation engine) but capturing information and translating it into actionable processes seems out of reach for a lot of organizations.
Where Data Scientists Come In
In our highly connected world, each of us generates volumes of data throughout the day. From the stellar review you left for your new house cleaner on your home improvement app to the push-notification you opted in to from the airline you frequently fly, your digital story can tell organizations much about how and when they should interact with you. Drawing conclusions from all that data and putting it to work is the job of a data scientist – and it ‘s one of the hottest fields in tech today.
By sorting through haystacks of data for that one shiny needle, you can help an organization sell more widgets, make better widgets or improve widget-making efficiencies. The opportunities are endless and trained professionals are in high demand.
A recent McKinsey & Company study predicts that by 2018, the U.S. will face a shortage of between 140,000 and 190,000 people with analytical expertise and a 1.5 million shortage of managers who have the skills needed to understand and make decisions based on data analysis. A quick search on Linkedin shows 11,455 available positions.
Glassdoor says annual salaries for data scientists average $121,353 and in 2017 and, for the second consecutive year, they ranked it #1 on their 50 Best Jobs in America list.
Is data science for you?
To help businesses make good decisions by sorting through complex data, you should have a certain skill set. Analytical thinking and strong math and statistics will give you a good foundation. You will also need programming skills — most data scientists learn a language like R or Python or Java and a database querying language like SQL.
If that sounds like you and you ‘re anxious to get started, programs powered by Woz U are ready for you. We ‘ve just launched a brand new Data Science program designed to give you the skills and experience you need to break into a data science career in just 24-weeks. There are no prerequisites necessary and the classes are taken online with live group lectures, 1:1 mentoring, and projects designed to solve real-world problems and give you some great experience.
As with all powered by Woz U programs, Data Science graduates may return for further data science training at no additional cost. We know technologies change rapidly and learning the latest is critical to meeting the demands of today ‘s employers.
