What Does A Data Scientist Actually Do?

by Tara Z. Growth Hacker @ Talentedge

We are generating large volumes of data every day and every second. These data contain invaluable information which are not necessarily visible to the layperson’s eye. Data science enables us to unearth these hidden insights such as trends, correlations, patterns, etc. from the scattered, unstructured and seemingly unrelated data. These could be insights about markets, customers, human resources, costs, accounts, etc. and they enable businesses to revolutionize the way they function.

Data scientist: Important roles and responsibilities

Data preparation, pre-processing, cleaning and wrangling: As discussed earlier, raw data is scattered, unstructured and unusable in that form. So, data scientists must prepare, clean, pre-process and wrangle the raw data that is collected from different sources. It is only after doing this and validating the data for accuracy, consistency and completeness that data scientists can go on to process and mine the data.

Data modeling and mining: Data scientists are responsible for design models and algorithms and apply them to mine the data for useful insights. They also conduct exploratory tests on the data and ask questions to the data so as to solve organizational problems.

Analyzing data: Data scientists analyze the structured big data to unearth patterns, trends and other useful, actionable insights.

Data-driven problem-solving and strategy: They play a major role in solving problems faced by organizations as mentioned earlier. They use the insights from the data to find solutions, opportunities, etc. and accordingly, advising on strategy to follow.

Visualize and effectively communicate insights and technical reports to different stakeholders, technical and non-technical, in a compelling and holistic manner.

Find ways to improve the quality of data, models, insights, etc.

Popularity of data science profession

There is a growing demand for skilled and experienced data scientists and currently 2.3 million data specialists are required. Due to the large skill gap, those with the skills and knowledge get paid opulent salaries. Even an entry-level data scientist earns around Rs. 6,00,000 p.a. while senior and experienced data scientists earn over Rs. 20,00,000 p.a.

How to be a data scientist?

If you want to enter this challenging yet lucrative field, you must enroll yourself in one of the best data scientist courses in India from a top-notch educational institution. Such a course will equip you with the requisite knowledge, data science skills, necessary tools and techniques and the ability to practically apply these.

Executive Development Program in Data Science Using Python, R & Excel from XLRI Jamshedpur is one of the best data scientist courses in India. It is a 5-month online course which must be taken by aspiring and practicing data specialists.